Tools and Materials
Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market.
What’s Chalky Paint?
To achieve a solid-color finish, apply the paint with a chalky paint brush. Be sure to get into all the cracks and crevices. Once the first coat has dried, apply a second coat to get strong, uniform color across the entire piece.
If you’re new to using chalky paint, it may seem different from other paint you’re used to working with. Practice painting on a scrap board before tackling your real project. Chalky paint dries fast, so you’ll have to move quicker than usual when painting with it.
Painting Furniture
When painting on furniture, the most popular use for chalk-finish paint, you can create a beautiful matte finish or, with a little extra effort, a stylish distressed look.
Instructions
The Distressed Look
The process is a little different when creating a distressed look. For this treatment, you’ll need two different paint colors: a base coat and a contrasting second coat.
Instructions
Transforming a Picture Frame or Mirror
Chalky paint is a great way to breathe new life into a tired, old picture frame or mirror.
Instructions
Chalky Paint Recipe
It’s easy to make your own version of chalky paint. You’ll need:
- Plastic paint pails
- Flat latex paint
- Cool water
- Plaster of Paris
- Stir sticks
Mix 1 cup of paint with 1/3 cup of cool water and 1/3 cup of plaster of Paris. Stir until smooth. Now you’ve got your own chalky paint. This will make enough paint for one coat on a standard six-drawer dresser.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, there are a lot of projects you can tackle. Give everything from garden pots to baskets a stylish upgrade with chalky paint.
Adding plaster of Paris to the paint mixture lightens the original color of your paint, so you should take this into consideration when choosing your color.
Once you’ve got the hang of it, there are lots of projects you can tackle. Give everything from garden pots to baskets a stylish upgrade with chalk-finish paint.
Milk Paint vs. Chalky Paint
Milk paint and chalky paint are often used to give furniture or home décor pieces an antique or distressed look. But what are the differences and which one should you use for your project? We’ll explain the pros and cons of each.
Milk Paint
Milk paint has been around for a long time. It traditionally came in a powder form that was mixed with water to create an antique washed effect. Now, it’s available to purchase in ready-made quarts, so mixing isn’t required. Milk paint has a thinner consistency than chalky paint. As shown on the blue dining hutch above, it allows the grain or pattern of what you’re painting to show through. It typically takes multiple coats of milk paint to achieve the desired look. You can use it on wood, aluminum, glass and metal.
Chalky Paint
Chalky paint has a thicker consistency than milk paint and is used to create a smooth, matte finish. It’s often used to refinish furniture, such as the cream console table shown above. If you prefer an aged and distressed look, you can apply wax on top of the chalky paint. Chalky paint is durable and can be sanded. For best results, primer or light sanding is recommended.