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Find out how to make chalk paint PLUS see how we took this old Goodwill find and redid this sleigh bed with our own chalk paint!
How To Make Chalk Paint (AND A Sleigh Bed Makeover!)
Have I told you lately I love me some thrifting?Â
Good gracious, IÂ do.
A few weeks ago I went to Goodwill with my daughter and was so proud that I managed to make it out the door without a single thing.
Until.
I glanced out of the corner of my eye and saw a sleigh bed headboard and footboard for $48.
Forty. Eight. Dollars.
***Did you hear me?***
(Guest bedroom before – yikes! I bought that comforter in a pinch before we sold our last house because I just needed something, but have absolutely hated it from the minute I bought it. Bleck!)
Needless to say I made a beeline for a tape measure to see if it would fit the queen bed that we have in our guest bedroom. And sure enough, it did.
WOOHOOO!
This sleigh bed was only a few years old (I found a sticker with a 2009 date on it underneath), but was pretty seriously beat up. While I would love to have kept it stained, there were a few parts in it in horrible shape and it would have taken a lot of work to refinish, so I decided to try making my own chalk paint.
Now, I've shared before how I've purchased Annie Sloan Chalk Paint for projects (check out this one too), however that stuff is not cheap (about $34 per quart + the wax you'll need to have), so my daughter and I made a trip to Home Depot to see what we could find.
As luck would have it, my oh-so-wise-she's-her-momma's-favorite-this-week- girl found a mismatched paint sample for 50¢ that was exactly the color I was hoping to use. So for a whopping 50¢, I had everything I needed to tackle the job.
Success!
There are a TON of ways out there to learn how to make chalk paint, but this is one of the easiest recipes I have found – and you only need a few ingredients too!
How to Make Chalk Paint at Home:
Supplies needed:
- Plaster of Paris
- Cool Water
- Latex Paint
- Paste Wax
- Measuring Cups
- Plastic Bucket for Mixing
You'll want to start by mixing 1/3 cup of cool water and 1/3 cup plaster of paris in a small bucket or bowl. You'll then add in 1 cup of your latex paint and stir completely.
Be sure to check your hardware store for improperly mixed paints – they often have them on markdown for incredibly cheap!
After mixing your paint well, you can then paint your project.
Once it has dried, rub the paste wax into the wood to finish your project.
Homemade Chalk Paint Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/3 Cup Plaster of Paris
- 1/3 Cup Cool Water
- 1 Cup Latex Paint
- Paste Wax
- Measuring Cups (You won't want to use these again for cooking. You could measure out your ingredients in plastic cups too)
- Plastic Bucket for Mixing
Instructions
- Mix together 1/3 Cup Cool Water and 1/3 Cup Plaster of Paris in Small Bucket
- Add in 1 Cup of Latex Paint and Stir completely
- Paint your Project
- After the paint has dried, rub paste wax into the wood to finish your project
I spent all weekend painting last week, and have a whole new room to show for it now. I'll share the complete room with you next week (every single thing in it is thrifted except the bedding), so be sure to stop back by!
You can see the entire room updates over HERE!
Looking for more projects like this one?
- Goodwill Chair MakeoverÂ
- Penny Pinched Closet Makeover
- Our Breakfast Room
- Update for a Plain Alcove
- Kitchen: Metal Pendant Shade UpdateÂ
- Powder Room Update: Wallpaper, Trim Work & Woodwork
- Free Command Center
Great find on the bed! It is beautiful. (I might splurge for the real chalk paint if I had found such a great deal!) 🙂
It does not matter how many times I try this, or how I approach it, my chalk paint always has tiny (salt sized) beads in it. I even run the Plaster of Paris through a sifter, and stir like crazy. I have tried this at least a dozen times with different paints. You cannot see the beads until the paint dries, and it will have a rough texture.
I am not sure why this happens, anyone ever have this problem?
I have spent hours on Pintrest to try to figure why my chalk paint is full of tiny grains of plaster of paris. I have had the same bad luck as you. I have used different brands of p-o-p, I have shifted it in a flour shifter as well, to no do the same thing. It looks smooth until I paint. I thought I was the only one out there having this problem. What have you found out to fix this problem?