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Chalk Paint Recipes – How to Make Homemade Chalk Paint

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Chalk paint is a wonderful medium to transform old furniture into new and stylish pieces. It’s also great for painting small home accent pieces and holiday decorations. Even though there are many manufacturers of chalk paint, with a wide variety of colors, sometimes it can be a challenge to find just the right color you want. It’s also hard to know which are the best chalk paints. One option is to make your own chalk paint.

Lately, TikTok has become a hotspot for chalk paint makeovers, with quick flips and creative recipes inspiring thousands of DIYers. It’s a great place to see real-time results, get new ideas, and even share your own homemade chalk paint projects with a community that loves creativity. This post has three homemade chalk paint recipes for you.

There is also a “commercial” way to make chalk paint. You can use BB Frosch paint transformer powder to mix with normal acrylic paints. This is by far my favorite type of chalk, too. It lets you choose your own color and it’s just as high quality as the commercial chalk paints.

Jump to Recipe

Making your own homemade chalk paint is easier than you might think. In fact, you can transform many household paints into chalk paint simply by mixing them with some common household ingredients.

It can be a fun activity to do with your kids, too. Many crafters even share their DIY projects through videos on platforms like YouTube or Instagram, sometimes using helpful tools like Buzzoid to boost their content’s visibility.

What Ingredients Are In Chalk Paint?

Depending on the brand of commercially sold chalk paint, ingredients can vary a little bit. However, one constant for all brands is the addition of some kind of mineral. Mineral additives are what give chalk-style paint that distinctive chalky matte finish. Additives vary, but they are often quartz, silica, talc, or more commonly, calcium carbonate. In fact, calcium carbonate is a key ingredient if you want to make your own chalk-style paint. Do you know what the more common name for calcium carbonate is? It’s chalk; just ordinary chalk!

Ingredients for homemade chalk-style paints will vary slightly, but in most basic recipes you’ll need your chosen paint, a little bit of water, and an additive of some kind to give the paint the distinctly chalky texture.

For recipes that call for using calcium carbonate (chalk), you have a couple of choices on how to add it to your paint. Calcium carbonate powder is readily available from grocery stores, health food stores, and online. It’s commonly sold as a nutritional supplement to help with bone health. The advantage to using already powdered calcium carbonate is that it will be a very fine, consistent texture that will be easier to mix into your paint.

If you have ordinary white chalk at home and want to try that for your chalky paint recipe, you’ll need to crush it into as fine a powder as possible. The best way is to place several pieces of chalk in a zippered plastic bag and smash it into a powder with a small hammer or rolling pin. After you have it smashed into as small pieces as possible, it is helpful to take an additional step of grinding those pieces into powder in a food processor or even a spice grinder. The finer you can get the powder, the easier it will be to mix into your paint, and you’ll have more professional-looking results. When grinding or crushing chalk pieces, you might want to wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth so you don’t breathe in the chalk dust.

How To Make DIY Chalk Paint

For making your own chalky paint, you should be aware that some recipes are better suited to work with latex paint, while you’ll get better results using acrylic paints with other recipes. No matter if you choose a recipe that uses latex or acrylic paint as the base, be sure your paint has a matte or flat finish. You definitely don’t want to try this with any paint that has a gloss finish.

Other than the ingredients for specific recipes, you’ll need measuring cups and spoons, paint stirring sticks, and bowls or cups to mix your paint. Because homemade chalk-style paint might get lumpy or thicken up if it’s stored for too long, try not to mix up more than you’ll need for your project. It’s better to mix smaller quantities than to have too much leftover paint. 

Chalk Paint Recipes

Here are a few easy recipes to make your own chalk-style paint. Let’s start with one of the easiest recipes, that also gives some of the best results:

Calcium Carbonate DIY Chalk Paint

Just two simple ingredients are needed. Pour your paint into a container, then mix the calcium carbonate powder in. Mixing it a little at a time will be easier. It will take a lot of stirring to get the paint to a nice smooth consistency. This recipe should apply just as nicely and even as commercial brand chalk paints. If the paint seems too thick, you can add a little bit of water to thin it out. This chalk paint recipe dries very quickly. If you want to sand it for a “distressed” finish, it will take a little more sanding effort than you’ll need when using commercial paints. This recipe will last a bit longer than other recipes, as long as any leftover paint is stored in an airtight container.

For this recipe, you will need:

  • 2 parts latex or acrylic paint
  • 1 part calcium carbonate powder

That’s it!

Plaster of Paris DIY Chalk Paint

Sealing chalk paint
Print Pin

DIY Homemade Chalk Paint

This chalk paint recipe is perfect for you to make at home. It's safe, easy, and effective!

Ingredients

  • 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch
  • 1/4 Cup Water
  • 1 ¾ Cup Acrylic paint

Instructions

  • In a plastic container or bowl (preferably one with a lid so you can store any leftover paint),  measure 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, then add 1/4 cup of water. Stir this together until it’s completely smooth. Now add your acrylic paint; stirring as you pour it into the container.  Mix this together for a few minutes, and you’re ready to paint! This paint might be a little thinner than other chalk paints, and sometimes it doesn’t seem to “stick” as well. If you’re painting a larger item, a little bit of light sanding beforehand will help the paint go on easier. 



Pour your latex paint into a container that has enough room for you to stir the ingredients together. In a separate small container, stir together the cold water and Plaster of Paris. It’s important to use cold water for this, so the plaster doesn’t immediately begin to harden! Once the mixture is a smooth consistency, pour the plaster and water mixture into the paint and stir it together. It might take quite a bit of stirring for it to all mix together.  Make sure there are no lumps! When it’s all mixed, the paint won’t look much different than before you added the Plaster of Paris. However, once the paint begins to dry the results are impressive. This recipe will create paint with a very “chalky” finish, although it can have a noticeably more grainy texture than other chalk-style paints.

This recipe probably isn’t the best choice if you want to sand your project for a “distressed” appearance. Sanding for this recipe is more likely to just scuff and dull the paint instead of highlighting fine details and texture. If distressing your project isn’t what you intended, the Plaster of Paris in this recipe makes this a very durable paint. Don’t mix more of this recipe than you think you might need; this won’t store well. After a day or two, the Plaster of Paris will begin to solidify.

Cornstarch DIY Chalk Paint

In a plastic container or bowl (preferably one with a lid so you can store any leftover paint),  measure 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, then add 1/4 cup of water. Stir this together until it’s completely smooth. Now add your acrylic paint; stirring as you pour it into the container.  Mix this together for a few minutes, and you’re ready to paint! This paint might be a little thinner than other chalk paints, and sometimes it doesn’t seem to “stick” as well. If you’re painting a larger item, a little bit of light sanding beforehand will help the paint go on easier. 

For this recipe, you will need:

  • 3 Tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1/4 Cup water
  • 1 ¾ Cup acrylic paint

Unsanded Grout DIY Chalk Paint

Unsanded grout is readily available in most hardware and home improvement stores. It’s best to use white or off-white colored grout for this paint recipe, so it won’t noticeably affect the color of your paint. If you use “sanded” grout, the paint will turn out with a texture that looks similar to wet sand or dirt.

For this recipe, you will need:

  • 2 Tablespoons of unsanded grout (be sure the label says “unsanded” or  “non-sanded”)
  • 1 teaspoon of water
  • 1 Cup acrylic or latex paint

In a disposable plastic container, stir together the two tablespoons of unsanded grout and one teaspoon of water. Be sure to break up any clumps of the unsanded grout mixture. Pour in one cup of acrylic paint, and stir until smooth. This recipe takes a lot of stirring to get it smooth. The end result is very durable chalk paint. It will feel dry in about a day, but it takes two to three days for it to fully dry. This paint doesn’t work well for distressed finished projects. It’s better for items that you want to have a smooth, even coat of paint.

It’s crucial to take the time to mix the grout and paint together really well. If not, your painted project could have a rough, bumpy texture once it’s fully dried. For this recipe, you shouldn’t mix up more than you plan to use at one time. Unfortunately, the paint doesn’t keep and after just a day it will become lumpy and impossible to use.

Can You Use Baking Soda To Make Chalk Paint?

If you’ve searched online for chalk paint recipes, you probably found one or two that use baking soda as the main additive. You can absolutely use baking soda to create your own chalk paint, but the results will be very grainy in appearance. It’s not necessarily a bad look, but you probably won’t get velvety smooth finishes with baking soda chalk paint.

To use baking soda for DIY chalk paint, simply mix together ½ cup of baking soda with three tablespoons of cold water. Stir this together with one cup of latex paint. The result will look and feel very grainy. This method is a good choice if you want something to look very “distressed” or “antiqued”, without having to do a lot of sanding.

Is Homemade Chalk Paint As Good As Buying It?

Making your own chalk paint can be fun, and economical if you’re planning to paint a smaller object. It’s a great creative activity to try with kids, or if you are just curious to see how it turns out for yourself. The methods in this article will give you custom chalk paint that is perfectly good to use and will be in whatever color you want it to be. But, how does homemade chalk paint really compare to the commercially available brands?

Both homemade and commercial chalk paints require little to no prep before painting, and they can all be sealed with a nice wax finish. Some of the homemade paint recipes are easy to achieve the popular distressed look on a piece of furniture.

I actually prefer to use BB Frosch, even over the actual chalk paint brands. BB Frosch is a powder that you mix with any kind of acrylic paint and it makes the perfect chalk paint.

Besides BB Frosch, I’d say commercial brands have a distinct advantage in several key areas. When you buy chalk paint from a trusted brand, you will always have a consistently smooth paint that has a long shelf life if properly stored. Commercial chalk paints also clean up easily with just soap and water. While it’s fun to try to create your own chalky paint, there is a bit of trial and error to get it just the way you want it to look. You can be confident you’ll always have a good product as soon as you open a can of brand name chalk style paint.

Fun Crafts to Do When You’re Bored

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Boredom is the worst! Do you ever have those days where you want to do something, but just don’t know quite what it is you want to do? Or do you feel like crafting, but don’t want to tackle any projects that take a huge amount of time or energy? We all feel that way sometimes.

We have hundreds of crafts that you can find here on Whipperberry.com. All of these crafts are great for when you’re bored at home or even when you’re stressed.

Things to Make When You’re Bored

Here are some suggestions for fun and easy crafts to help alleviate that awful bored feeling. They’re all easy, inexpensive, and most can be done with things you probably already have around your house.

1. Rock Painting

  • Painting rocks is a fun activity for both adults and children. It’s easy, and anyone, regardless of painting skill, can get nice results. Here’s what you need for this craft:
  • Smooth rocks of any size and shape
  • Acrylic paints and paint brushes
  • Water, to rinse your paint brushes
  • Clear sealant


The first step to painting rocks is to find the best rocks! Look for rocks that aren’t too small, with a smooth surface. You can probably find suitable rocks around your own yard or in your neighborhood. Nice smooth river rocks can even be purchased from garden centers and craft stores. Be aware that it is prohibited to remove rocks from National and State parks, and it’s also prohibited to leave painted rocks in these parks.

Once you find your perfect painting rocks, you’ll need to clean them off in warm soapy water. Use a brush or dish scrubber to get rid of any dirt and debris. Once the rocks are dry, you’re ready to paint!

Tempera paint can but used but acrylic paint is the best choice to use for painting on rocks. It’s inexpensive and durable, and it dries quickly. To begin, you might want to paint a solid background (any color) on the rock first. This will make the rest of your design stand out, as well as act as a primer coat. Acrylic paint dries very fast; it shouldn’t take more than 10-15 minutes.  Now it’s up to your imagination as to what to paint!

You don’t even have to use paintbrushes. You can create designs of multi-colored dots using a cotton swab, or the end of a pencil eraser. You can use acrylic paint markers to paint fine details and lettering on your designs. To add an extra shimmer to your designs, you can experiment with pearlescent paint for creative projects, giving your rocks a unique, eye-catching finish.

After your rock painting is dry, you should protect it with a clear sealant. This will give it a nice glossy finish and will protect the paint from chipping. You can use brush-on varnish, spray sealant, or even clear nail polish. 

 

2. Bleach Tie-Dye 

Bleach tie-dye sometimes called reversed tie-dye, is an easy way to embellish t-shirts, hoodies, or household fabric items. It’s called reversed tie-dye because instead of adding color to fabric with dyes, you’ll be removing the color on the fabric with diluted bleach.  Here’s what you’ll need to get started:

  • A spray bottle, or plastic squirt bottle
  • Bleach
  • Water
  • Plastic tub or bucket
  • Rubber bands
  • Gloves
  • A tarp or plastic trash bags or plastic tablecloth to use as a dropcloth
  • Whatever item(s) you want to tie-dye. 100% cotton fabrics in dark or jewel-toned colors work best.

 

Whenever you work with bleach, you should be in a well-ventilated area. Working outdoors is probably best, but if you’re inside make sure you can open windows and have a fan blowing. Wearing gloves is advised, because bleach can irritate your skin. Be sure to wear old clothes, just in case any of the bleach solutions splashes or drips onto you. 

Lay down your dropcloth for your work area. Even if you’re working outdoors, you don’t want bleach coming in contact with anything other than the fabric you’re working with. Fill the plastic tub or bucket with enough cool water to submerge your fabric. In the spray bottle or squeeze bottle, mix a solution of half water and half bleach.

Now for the fun part; it’s time to tie up your shirt with the rubber bands! You can find tying patterns online to make specific tie-dye patterns, but you can also get great results from scrunching and “tying” with rubber bands randomly. Just bunch up a section of the fabric, wrap securely with a rubber band, then repeat as much as you want. Using different widths of rubber bands will give more interesting results.  Keep in mind while you’re doing this that the sections of fabric under the rubber bands and inside the folds will stay the original color, and the bleach you squirt on the fabric will lighten the color.

Now take your bottle of bleach solution and apply wherever you’d like the fabric lightened. If you’re using a spray bottle, varying the width of the spray gives interesting results. Depending on the fabric, you should begin to see color changes in about 5-10 minutes.

When you can see the results are lightened as much as you’d like (just take a peek under a rubber band), remove all the rubber bands and submerge the fabric in the tub of water. Be sure to rinse it thoroughly. Immediately wash your reverse tie-dyed piece in the washing machine to stop the bleaching process. Don’t put anything else in the machine with it.

It’s a fun surprise to see the final outcome using this method. Using a bleach solution doesn’t mean you’ll get white results. Trying this on a black fabric will usually give you orange or tan designs. Bleach on dark blues and purple fabrics will often result in pinkish or gray designs.
 

3. No-Sew T-Shirt Tote Bag

Everyone has those cherished t-shirts that have seen better days, but that you can’t quite bear to part with. This craft is a quick and easy way to create tote bags, and you won’t even have to get out a needle and thread. Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Tshirt
  • Fabric scissors
  • Ruler

Lay your t-shirt out on a flat surface, and, using a sharp pair of scissors, cut off the sleeves right at the seams. You just made the handles for your tote bag!  Next cut around the neck of the shirt to create a wider opening for the bag. 

At the bottom of the shirt, cut slits approximately 1” apart all the way across, cutting through both the front and back of the shirt. These slits should be long enough for you to tie a double knot with them; usually making them about 3” tall works well.

Now all you have to do is tie some knots! Keep the slits lined up, and start tying the front strip to the strip directly behind it. Tie them in tight double knots, beginning at one end of the shirt and working across. You’ve just closed up the bottom of the tote bag!

Tying the knots on the outside will give the bag a little fringed detail across the bottom. If you don’t like this look, you can flip the shirt inside out before tying. Just line up the slits, tie the front and back strips together, then turn the bag right side out. The knots will be on the inside. If you want, you can add some extra decorations to the bag.

These make great reusable shopping bags. They’re easy to wash and should last a long while. By upcycling your old t-shirts, you’ve also reduced consumer waste and kept them out of landfills.


4. Paper Napkin Decoupage Flower Pots

 

Decoupage is an easy way to transform plain terra cotta flower pots into lovely one-of-a-kind home accent pieces. Here are the materials needed:

  • Terra cotta flower pot
  • Paper napkins with pretty patterns on them
  • Mod Podge, matte or gloss finish (whichever you prefer)
  • Acrylic craft paint
  • Paintbrush

The first step to decorating your flower pot is to paint it with a base coat of acrylic paint. Light colors will work best for this, so that the design on the paper napkin will show up nicely. Since terra cotta pots are porous, acrylic paint should dry in approximately 15 minutes or so.

Next, if your napkins are multi-layered, separate the layers. You’ll only need the top layer that has the printing on it. Then cut or tear around the design you want to apply to the flower pot.

With a paintbrush, spread a thin layer of Mod Podge over the area where you want to apply the napkin design. Carefully apply the design, smoothing out the edges as much as possible. Let it dry for a few minutes to make sure the napkin design is secure, then brush another thin layer of the Mod Podge over the top of the design. You’ll have to do this gently so the napkin won’t tear. Be sure to spread the Mod Podge over the edges so they won’t curl up. Don’t worry if the Mod Podge looks milky, it will dry perfectly clear. Let this dry, then repeat to add as many designs on the flower pot as you’d like.

Let it dry completely overnight, then brush another layer of Mod Podge over the entire flower pot to seal everything and give it a nice even finish. Not only are these flower pots eye-catching decorative pieces, they also make very nice gifts.

 

5. Easy No-Sew Felt and Fabric Coasters

Here is a quick project that is perfect for using up fabric scraps. The supplies you’ll need are:

  • Fabric (any kind)
  • Felt
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Fabric Mod Podge 
  • Paintbrush

Cut the felt into 4” by 4” squares. Then, cut your fabric into 5” by 5” squares. Use the paintbrush to apply the Fabric Mod Podge evenly over one side of a felt square. Be sure to get it all the way to the edges.

Then, carefully apply the fabric square over top of the felt square. Try to get the fabric square lined up so that it is centered as much as possible. Smooth it out with your hands so there aren’t any wrinkles or air bubbles. Let it dry, then you can apply another layer of Fabric Mod Podge over the top of the fabric to give it a little more substance and a nice lightly glossed finish. Once that top coat is completely dry, trim the excess fabric edges with your scissors. If you don’t want to trim off the fabric edges, you can also snip along the excess edges to create a fringed edge look. 

That’s it! It’s a super easy project with cute results. Other than using up your fabric scraps, you can make these coasters with holiday print fabrics, or even by cutting up older clothes that aren’t in good enough shape to wear anymore.

 

6. T-Shirt Pillow



This is another easy craft that upcycles old t-shirts. Making a t-shirt pillow is a great way to hang on to a favorite shirt. If you have a t-shirt that doesn’t fit anymore, or it’s from a favorite concert or event, you can create a keepsake throw pillow with it to preserve those memories.


For this project you’ll need:

  • T-Shirt
  • Scissors
  • Ruler
  • Sewing Machine (or needle & matching thread)
  • Fiberfill or a pillow form

The first thing you need to do is to cut the t-shirt into two pieces. Just cut along the side seams, going straight up through the sleeves and across the shoulders. The next step is to measure your t-shirt pieces, so you can trim them to fit the pillow form (if using). If you’re using fiberfill to stuff the pillow, just trim the t-shirt pieces into a square or rectangle shape.

Now pin the two pieces together, with the “wrong” sides facing in towards each other. If you don’t want to use the back of the t-shirt, you can use a coordinating fabric for the back of the pillow. Using your sewing machine, or you can even hand sew this, sew three of the four sides together.

Turn the pillow right-side-out, and stuff it with the fiberfill or pillow form. The last step is to sew up the remaining side.This seam is the only one that will show, so you might want to make it at the bottom of the pillow. Now you’ve got a fun keepsake pillow! This is a good project for anyone who is beginning to learn to sew. You could even buy t-shirts from your local thrift store to practice making pillows.

 

7. Yarn Wrapped Bottles and Jars

  • This project is easy and a lot of fun for children as well as adults. You’ll need the following:
  • Glass bottles, jars, or vases
  • Yarn or twine, any color/styles/sizes
  • Tacky craft glue, such as Aleen’s Tacky Glue
  • Scissors


This project is so simple, yet so satisfying. To begin, make sure your bottle or jar is clean and dry. Starting at the top, apply enough glue around the top couple of inches to get your yarn to stick securely. Wrap the yarn once around the top, tying a knot to help keep it in place. Keep the tail end of the knot downward, so it will get wrapped under the yarn as you go. Now you just wrap the yarn tightly around the bottle or jar, reapplying more glue every so often as needed. Be sure your yarn layers are tight together and that none of the bottle is showing through.

Have fun with this! Use different colored yarns to create stripes. Wrapping jute or twine around your bottle is perfect for a “rustic chic” style.  Once you reach the bottom, just snip off the end of your yarn and glue it down securely.

Let your bottle or jar dry overnight, then you can decorate it more by gluing a strip of wide lace or coordinating fabric around the middle. You could even embellish with small beads or rhinestones. Of course, just leaving it with the yarn or twine wrapped around looks lovely, too. These make pretty vases, but they can also be used to hold pens, paintbrushes, or even makeup brushes. 

8. Duct Tape Bookmark

This is another quick and easy craft that is great to do with kids. Duct tape can be found in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Even if all you have is the “usual” silvery gray colored duct tape, you can make a cute bookmark with a little embellishment. Here’s what you’ll need for this craft:

  • Duct Tape, any brand, any color or pattern
  • Colorful yarn, twine, and/or ribbons
  • Scissors
  • Hole punch
  • Optional embellishments such as stickers, washi tape, scraps of lace, etc.

Cut two identical strips of duct tape, approximately 6” long. Now take the strips, and carefully stick the two sticky sides to each other. This is easiest if you start at the top of the strips, slowly pressing them together along the length. You can use a credit card to smooth out any air bubbles as you stick them together. This doesn’t have to be absolutely exact. Trim off any overlapping sticky edges, and cut it to your desired length.

Punch a hole in the center of the top of your bookmark, about ½” from the top edge. Then thread your yarn or ribbons through the hole and tie a knot to keep them secure. If you want, you can add some decoration to your bookmark by adding stripes from contrasting duct tape pieces, gluing on scraps of lace or fabric, or adding color washi tape pieces.  These bookmarks are a nice addition if you’re giving a book to someone as a gift.

The next time you’re feeling bored, or like you’ve hit a “crafting block”, try one of these fun and easy craft ideas. Hopefully, it will brighten your day and get the creativity flowing again.

Crane & Canopy Review – My Designer Bedding Makeover

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I recently got Crane & Canopy bedding. I’ve always wanted some designer bedding to go with my fancy pants sleep number bed. Now, let me share with you my Crane & Canopy review.

Bedroom Makeover with Crane & Canopy

Key Takeaways

I think Crane &Canopy makes great bedding but it’s expensive! Below are my key takeaways if you’re short on time.

  • Great Comforter
  • Perfect weight
  • Fluffy
  • Great features
  • BUT IT IS EXPENSIVE!

If $200+ is too expensive for bedding for you, then I have a great alternative for you that I’ve tried since writing this Crane & Canopy review years ago. The bedding is practically the same quality but for about half the cost.

Check out the Crane & Canopy Bedding alternative below:

View it Here

My Crane & Canopy Story & Review

I LOVE my bed. I know most of us do… but I REALLY LOVE my bed! As much as I love to travel, there is nothing like coming home to my own bed. If you have the right bed, (which I do… it’s a Sleep Number bed) it fits you like a glove and gently soothes you into a deep sleep. As a girl, I used to daydream about my bed (yea, I told you I love my bed). To me, the only way to go is a bed not unlike what you would find in a Swiss chalet (at least the Swiss chalet in my imagination, I’ve never really stayed in said chalet.)

  • Crisp & white.
  • White duvet, filled with a heavenly down comforter.
  • Crisp white sheets & lots and lots of white pillows.

It would be a perfect little white nest. I can just imagine coming home from a day of skiing out in the powdery Swiss snow and jumping into my plush white cloud, snuggling under the covers with my sweetie, and reading a good book… among other things (blush). Really, that was my dream Honeymoon for years… Instead, we went to Vegas. Yea, didn’t really hit the mark on that one.

Not to worry, minus the Swiss Alps and the skiing, I can still have my dream bed!!

For years I have searched for bedding that was just right. I’ve made due for many years because I wanted a certain quality that was just out of my price range. I could have gone to any big box store and purchased the same type of bedding, pretending that I really had the bedding of my dreams. In reality I would have a cheap impostor. The fabric would be rough and the fill would be clumpy and weak. It just wasn’t what I was looking for.

Not too long ago, the folks at Crane & Canopy introduced me to their innovative line of luxury bedding. After a few weeks of taking it for a test drive, I can safely say… From now on, Crane & Canopy is going to be my one-stop shop for affordable designer bedding!

I selected the bedding that was as close to a cloud as I could possibly find… The Valencia White Pintuck Duvet Set.

Crane & Canopy Bedding on WhipperBerry

There are surely some negative reviews about Crane and Canopy online but I really don’t understand them. When you’re sleeping in the clouds like this, what’s not to love?

Now, this bedding has a ton of features that you won’t find at your typical big box store.

Crane & Canopy Bedding

  • 400 thread count
  • 100% cotton sateen
  • The pintucks are sewn to perfection and will not come unpinned even when washing.
  • The duvet cover  has a hidden pocket zipper which makes it so much easier to use. No more clunky button closures.
  • Interior corner ribbons to tie down the insert… this my friends is aaaaamazing!!  For YEARS my husband and I have dealt with our down comforter shifting all over the place and creating all kinds of havoc on our bed. If you have a duvet, you know exactly what I am talking about. These corner ties are genius!

Crane & Canopy Duvet Ties

All you have to do is turn the duvet inside out and tie the top two corners. Then turn it right side out, pull the duvet down, tie the bottom two corners then zip up the bottom… It’s PERFECT!

The alternative bedding I suggested at the beginning of this review also has these features. You can check it out here:

View it Here

I decided that with the new bedding I needed to give our room a little makeover at the same time. I created some custom wall art with some amazing new products from DecoArt. I will be showing off this fun new technique in a few weeks on the DecoArt Blog.  Then, I added a few fun new accessories from my favorite shop… Target!

The bench is part of the fabulous Threshold collection, along with the accent tables. For those looking to add even more versatility to a multi-purpose room, incorporating one of the stylish and easy-to-assemble Koala Sleeper Sofas is a brilliant way to ensure your guests stay as comfortable as you are in your ‘plush white cloud’.

Both lamps are from Target as well. The one on the right I’ve had for awhile and they no longer carry it. The one on the right is a fabulous Architect Desk Lamp that I just love. The books are from Anthropologie. I actually took the color scheme for the makeover from the cover of Anthro’s Pride & Prejudice.

Pride and Prejudice

Just because I want to sleep in a cloud doesn’t mean that the whole room needs to be devoid of color. All in all, I adore my new room. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my new bedding from Crane & Canopy. My husband and I just celebrated 13 years together last week, and I can finally say… I have my dream bed!

Crane & Canopy Bedroom Makeover on WhipperBerry

Where is Crane & Canopy Made?

Crane & Canopy is designed in San Francisco, CA.  Then the bedding is manufactured in Oeko-Tex factories. These are the highest standard of factories that exist for bedding products. These certified factories are located all across the world in many different countries and likely help with distribution.

Crane & Canopy Bedding Features

I covered some of the features above in my rambling but I will list out some of the amazing features below.

  • Highest quality cotton
  • High thread counts
  • Zipper enclosure at bottom of the duvet cover.
  • Interior corner ties to keep your comforter in place.

The other alternative has very similar features but for half the cost.

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Is Crane & Canopy Bedding Worth The Cost?

If you can’t tell by now, I love my Crane & Canopy bedding and Duvet. It’s designer, it’s fluffy, and it’s amazing overall. The main question you probably have is if it’s worth the cost. After all, it is a bit expensive and there are some bad Crane & Canopy reviews out there online. In my humble opinion, it’s 100% worth it but you can also get something similar for half the price. You sleep in your bed every night.

If there’s one thing you should spend a bit of extra money on it’s a comfy and fluffy bed. You’ll get a better night’s sleep and wake up thinking you’re in a chalet. To truly complete this sanctuary for your lungs as well as your body, many allergy sufferers also pair their premium linens with a high-end air purifier like Molekule to reduce smoke inhalation and airborne allergens while they sleep.

What’s your dream bed? Do you have it yet? If not, I highly recommend you head over to Crane & Canopy and check out their entire line of designer bedding. Tell them WhipperBerry sent ya! However, if that’s too expensive you can get an alternative here:

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Disclaimer // This post has been sponsored by Crane & Canopy. I did receive product to review, but I was not paid for my review. This is why I am also recommending an alternative. All thoughts, ideas & opinions are my very own. Rest assured, I will NEVER post about a product or a company that I don’t wholeheartedly believe in and use in my normal everyday life.

How to Make Puffy Paint – Easy Homemade Recipes

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What is puffy paint? It’s exactly what it sounds like; paint that is puffy! Also known as dimensional paint, it is a brightly colored, thick paint that dries to a spongy, puffy finish.

It’s easy and inexpensive to make your own puffy paint. It’s a fun activity you can do with children, and the ingredients are materials that you likely already have in your home.

Jump to Recipe

What Are the Ingredients for DIY Puffy Paint 

The ingredients for puffy paint can vary slightly depending on the recipe you’re using, but at the most simple you’ll need three basic things: shaving cream, white glue, and food coloring. 

You don’t even have to use specific brands. Inexpensive supplies you can get at the dollar store will work just fine.

Other items that are useful to have are disposable cups or bowls to mix the paints, popsicle sticks, plastic squeeze bottles and/or zip-close plastic bags, paintbrushes, heavy paper or card stock, and a dropcloth or cover to protect your work surface.

Ok Let’s Make it!

No matter which puffy paint recipe your try, it’s a good idea to get your materials together and prepare your work area.

You’ll want to put something down to protect your table. Puffy paints are heavier than regular liquid paints, and the food color can stain some surfaces.

Disposable plastic tablecloths or even a shower curtain liner from any discount store works great for this.

Puffy Paint for Kids

If you’re working with little kids, it’s always a good idea to have them wear a “paint shirt” or apron to protect their clothing.

Puffy paint should easily wash out of most clothing, but it’s never a bad idea to wear something that is okay to get a little messy.

Disposable cups or bowls, made of either paper or plastic, are handy for mixing the paint. You can use cheap plastic bowls, but again, food coloring and certain paints can stain some plastics.

If you don’t want to use your kitchen measuring cups for this project, just measure out the desired amount of water into a disposable cup.

Use a marker to make a line showing the top of the water. Then write the measurement amount at the line, and discard the water. Now you can use this cup to measure out the correct amount of glue, shaving cream, etc.

Popsicle sticks or disposable chopsticks are great for mixing, as well as for using as a paintbrush. You can use paintbrushes with puffy paint, but if you want to make the artwork as puffy as possible it might be easier to dab it on with a stick.

Zip-close plastic bags or any small plastic container that has a lid are useful to store any leftover puffy paint.

Unused puffy paint will only last for approximately 3-5 days for best results, so don’t mix too much at one time.

Puffy paint recipes that contain flour will last a few days longer than the recipe that is mostly white glue and shaving cream.

Puffy paints work best on light card stock or heavy paper such as watercolor paper. Even paper plates can be a fun painting surface.

Puffy paints are heavier than water-based paints, and won’t stay nice and puffy on regular drawing paper.

Lastly, keep a roll of paper towels handy, just in case!

Homemade Puffy Paint With Shaving Cream

This method is the easiest way to make puffy paint, using only three common ingredients.

You will need:

  • 1/4 cup white glue 
  • 1/4 cup shaving cream (any brand, just make sure it is the foamy kind, not shaving gel)
  • Food colorings

Here’s how to mix it

Pour the white glue and shaving cream into a small bowl and use a stick to thoroughly mix them together.

Take your time and don’t mix them too fast. You don’t want to “deflate” the shaving cream.  Once they’re mixed together, add the food coloring and stir it in.

For fairly vibrant colors try 10-12 drops, to begin with, then add a couple drops more if you want more color. Mix up a few colors, and get ready to have some fun.

Now it’s time to paint! 

With this recipe, it’s easiest to use a popsicle stick or a paintbrush with wide fairly stiff bristles. The should dollop the paint on your paper or cardstock, instead of trying to brush it on as you would with traditional paints.

To avoid having to continually clean a paintbrush while working, keep one stick or brush in each color while painting.

Once your painting is done, it needs to dry overnight. With this recipe, the paint will flatten a little bit as it dries, so pile the puffy paint up nice and fluffy.

The colors will look a little darker once they’re dried, so if you want a pastel look on your painting, mix your paint color a little bit lighter than you’d like.

DIY Puffy Paint With Acrylic Paint

This recipe won’t be quite as puffy as using shaving cream, but the results are still puffy and colorful. One advantage of this recipe is that the finished work will be harder than the shaving cream based paint after it is fully dried.

You will need:

  • 2 tablespoons of salt
  • 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
  • Acrylic paint
  • Water

Here’s how to mix it:

Mix the salt and flour in a small cup. You could even use a small whisk to make sure they’re completely mixed up.

Then add a little bit of acrylic paint, and stir. Add some more paint if you’d like until you get the desired color. The mixture will be the consistency of a thick paste at this point. Add a teaspoon or two of water, and mix that in. If you need more water, add it just a little bit at a time. Mix this together, adding more water and/or paint, until the paint is smooth and the consistency of cake frosting.

It’s important to use acrylic paint for this recipe. Watercolor paints aren’t pigmented enough, and are too watery.

Oil-based paints will cause the puffy paint to separate.

You don’t need to use expensive paint; any cheap acrylic craft paint will work great for this. Just for fun, experiment with using acrylic paints with metallic or pearlized finishes!

This paint is much thicker than the shaving cream recipe.

While you can certainly dollop it on with a stick or paintbrush, it might be easier to transfer the paint into a plastic squeeze bottle or zip-close plastic bag.

If you’re using the plastic bag, move all the paint to the bottom of the bag, and snip off one corner of the bag.

Now it can be used like a pastry piping bag. You can pipe the paint onto your paper directly from a squeeze bottle, or squeeze it out of the plastic bag like you’re decorating a cake.

You’ll need to let your artwork dry overnight on a flat surface. With this recipe, the colors should stay pretty true to however you mixed them. The salt in this recipe adds a little bit of texture and sparkle to the finished piece. 

Extra Big Homemade Puffy Paint

This recipe is a bit of a hybrid between the two prior recipes. For best results, you should use the squeeze bottle or plastic bag method to pipe the paint out instead of using a paintbrush. The end results of this recipe hold their puffy shape beautifully. This recipe makes a larger batch, that can be divided among several cups to make different colors of paint.

You will need:

  • 3/4 cup of shaving cream
  • 1/4 cup of white glue 
  • 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
  • Food coloring

Here’s how to mix it:

With this recipe, the order and method you use to mix the ingredients are important. First, mix the shaving cream and white glue together.

Then, add the all-purpose flour just a couple of spoonfuls at a time, fully mixing each spoonful in before adding more.

Next, add your food coloring, several drops at a time, until you get the shade you want.

If the paint seems too thick, add a little water to get it to a more usable consistency. Don’t add more than one tablespoon of water in total, though.

If you add too much water, the result will flatten the paint a little bit and the dried texture won’t be as hard.

Now you can transfer the paint to a squeeze bottle or plastic bag, and have fun painting! You can use a popsicle stick or paintbrush with this paint, but because it’s so thick the piping method is easier and more precise. Let your finished piece dry on a flat surface overnight. 

How Long Does it Last?

Puffy paint really works best if you use it as soon as you make it. If you have leftover puffy paint, it can be stored in an airtight container, or in a sealed zip-closure bag.

The first recipe using shaving cream, white glue, and food coloring will only last a couple of days before it becomes gummy and unusable.

The recipes that include all-purpose flour as one of the ingredients will last a bit longer.

Tips and Ideas

Puffy paint is easy to make and fun to use, both for adults and small children. Here are a few useful tips on using homemade puffy paint.

Puffy paint does work best on heavy paper or card stock. Using it on regular drawing paper can cause the paper to wrinkle and warp.

Card stock comes in a variety of colors, which can make your colored paint look even more vibrant. Brightly colored puffy paint designs on black or dark blue backgrounds are especially eye-catching.

You can use either liquid or gel food coloring to tint your paint. Gel food coloring will give you more vibrant colors, and you won’t need to use as much.

Liquid food coloring will take more drops to get the shade you want, but you have a little more control over the shade of color you’re trying to create.

Both liquid and gel food colors will produce great results, so have fun playing around with them!

Puffy paint can be used for a variety of art projects. It’s not limited to painting on paper! Try painting designs on smooth rocks.

Decorate empty glass jars and bottles to make pretty storage items.

Painting with puffy paint on clear Christmas ornaments is a great activity for kids, and they can be given as holiday gifts. You can even decorate plastic Easter eggs with puffy paint.

How to Clean Up Your Puffy Paint

Accidents happen, and that usually means some kind of mess that will need to be cleaned up. Fortunately, homemade puffy paint cleans up easily from most surfaces. 

Warm, soapy water should be enough to clean up most messes.

Having a disposable plastic tablecloth over your work surface is the most efficient way to keep puffy paint from getting on your table.

If you do have a spill that leaves food color residue on your table a magic eraser cleaning sponge does a great job! Another method for cleaning up faint stains is to make a paste with cool water and baking soda. 

Spread it on the soiled area and leave it for a minute or so. Then lightly scrub the area with a sponge, and rinse it clean. The baking soda paste works well to get any faint food coloring residue from your hands, too. 

If puffy paint gets on your clothes, in most cases you can let it dry and then just pick it off.

Then launder as you regularly would. Paint brushes can be cleaned with hot water and mild dish detergent. Clean brushes promptly after use, especially if you’ve used them with puffy paint that contains glue as one of the ingredients.

It is recommended to use disposable plastic or paper cups to mix your puffy paint. If you do use non-disposable containers, keep them exclusively for crafting needs, and not for food storage.

How to Make Puffy Paint
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Puffy Paint Recipe

This fun and easy 3-ingredient puffy paint recipe is sure to be a hit!
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 Cup White glue
  • 1/4 Cup Shaving Cream (Any Brand)
  • 12 Drops Food Coloring

Notes

Pour the white glue and shaving cream into a small bowl and use a stick to thoroughly mix them together. Take your time and don’t mix them too fast. You don’t want to “deflate” the shaving cream. Once they’re mixed together, add the food coloring and stir it in. For fairly vibrant colors try 10-12 drops, to begin with, then add a couple drops more if you want more color. Mix up a few colors, and get ready to have some fun.