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What is Chalk Paint? Everything You Need to Know

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You’ve probably heard of chalk paint if you’re a do-it-yourselfer. It’s a popular choice for anyone who wants to decorate their home with the “modern farmhouse” or “cottage core” aesthetic. But what exactly is chalk paint, and what is it used for?

What is Chalk Paint? Here is Everything you need to know

 

Chalk paint is basically a primer-free paint that has a chalky-looking finish to it. It’s quick and easy and covers surfaces easier than traditional paint. 

Any brand of chalk paint gives a soft matte “chalky” finish to whatever you’re painting. With a little bit of light sanding, it’s easy to use chalky paint to create a “distressed” appearance on furniture.

It can transform any ordinary household item to give it the look of a cherished antique. For some items, a sealant coat of wax is applied to give your painted item a more velvety matte appearance or to create a soft patina finish. 

What’s The Difference Between Chalk Paint and Regular Paint?

Chalk paint is unique and differs from traditional home paints in many ways. The most obvious difference is in its appearance. Once chalk paint dries, it has a matte “chalky” look. There isn’t even a hint of glossiness. It even has a bit of a chalk-like texture when you touch it.

There are plenty of traditional matte finish paints on the market, but they don’t have quite the same velvety look that you can achieve with chalk paint.

Chalk paint is easy to apply, and unlike traditional home paints, you won’t need to do much preparation and rarely need to use a primer coat. In fact, you can use chalk paint right over existing paint with no problems.

This is especially nice if you want to sand edges and let the prior paint color show through for a distressed style. Chalky paint applies smoothly to most surfaces, even glass, and metal, with little to no preparation.

Sometimes a very light sanding will help the paint stick easier, but that’s only necessary if you’re painting a very glossy surface.

Traditional home paints and chalk finish paints are also different in their consistencies. Chalk-style paint is a bit thicker. Because of this, it’s less likely to drip and run while you’re painting. In fact, for many projects, you can probably get away with only applying one coat of chalk-style paint, whereas you might need two coats of traditional paint.

Chalk paint is much easier to clean up, too. It’s water-based, so you can wash your brushes with a gentle detergent and water instead of mineral spirits.

What Do You Use Chalk Paint For?

Annie Sloan first invented chalk paint because she was frustrated with trying to find furniture paint that she liked. Her efforts definitely started a popular trend, with dozens of chalk-style paint brands in a wide assortment of colors now available! All brands of chalk-style paint have been used primarily for refinishing and upcycling wood furniture to give them a “vintage” look.

A plain piece of furniture, no matter how old, can easily be transformed into an eye-catching focal point of any room when refinished with chalk paint. A coat or two of chalk-style paint applied to used furniture from thrift stores and yard sales is an easy way to bring a designer look to your home.

If you’re a fan of the “distressed” look, chalky paint is the best way to achieve it. A light sanding over chalky paint gives that antiqued distressed look that is popular with so many interior designers.

While chalk paint isn’t the best choice for painting entire rooms, you can use it as an accent to your home decor by painting picture frames, shelves, and even light fixtures. Bottles and jars painted with chalk paint become pretty accent pieces in any room of your house. 

Chalk finish paint works well for stenciling projects. You can add chalky paint accents on any piece of furniture, even if the furniture is already stained or painted with traditional paint.

When using chalk paint with a stencil, you’ll want to be sure that your stencil brush or roller has a small amount of paint on it. Because chalk finish paints are thicker than traditional paint, your stencil won’t have nicely defined edges if you use too much paint. You can always add more paint to your design if necessary.

Seasonal craft projects, such as wooden signs or table accents, can be transformed into beautiful vintage-looking pieces with the right colors of chalky paint and a little imagination.

Holiday floral arrangements in a chalky painted container are absolutely charming! 

How Do You Use Chalk Paint?

Chalky Paint is easy to use for any project! If you’re painting furniture or any other large project, most of the time you won’t even need to sand or apply a primer coat. The only time you might want to sand a surface is if you are painting something that is very glossy. Just a light sanding will be enough for the chalky paint to go on smoothly.

Chalky paints are water-based. If your paint seems too thick, you can pour some of the paint into a paper cup, then thin it out with a little bit of water. It won’t take much water, so add it a small amount at a time until it’s the consistency you want.

For smaller projects, one coat of chalky paint is probably enough for smooth, even coverage. For larger projects, one coat will be okay if you plan to “distress” a painted piece. If you want a smooth all-over coverage, it would be best to apply two thin coats of chalky paint. Be sure to allow the first coat to dry completely before applying the second coat of paint. 

If you like the appearance of “distressed” furniture, it’s easy to achieve with chalky paint. Once your painted project is completely dry, go over the areas you want to “distress” with a piece of very fine sandpaper.

You won’t need to sand very long; it should just take a couple of minutes to see results. Lightly sanding along edges, or over uneven places in the wood will turn an ordinary piece of furniture into something special.

The final step for your chalky painted work is to seal it with a wax finish.

For smaller pieces, you probably don’t even need to apply a sealant. However, large items like furniture should be sealed to prevent chipping and scratches. There are almost as many brands of chalked paint waxes available as there are chalked paint choices! It’s easy to apply but does take a little bit of patience. Follow the directions for the specific brand you buy, but the basic steps are to apply a thin coat of the clear wax with a stiff bristle paint brush, let it dry overnight, then use a soft, lint-free cloth to buff the wax. A

second wax coat can be applied if you want a little more protection for your painted object. You don’t want to use a gloss finish sealant on chalk paint; that would completely ruin the beautiful matte finish. There are matte finish spray sealants available, but they’re better suited to smaller painted projects.  

Are Chalk Paint and Milk Paint The Same Thing?

You’ve probably seen milk paint while you’re shopping for the perfect paint to spruce up a unique piece of furniture. While there are many similarities between milk paint and chalk finish paint, they’re not the same thing. You can my full article about chalk paint vs milk paint here.

Both milk paint and chalk finish paint will give you similar results.

They both dry to a soft matte finish and both are easy to create a “distressed” finish. Milk paint does have a very subtle bit of sheen when dried, as opposed to the absolutely matte finish of chalk paints.

They’re also both water-based, and have almost no odors. Those are the primary similarities.

One of the biggest differences between milk paint and chalk paints is that milk paint is usually sold in powdered form that has to be mixed with water. It requires quite a bit of mixing to get a smooth consistency. Chalk paints are ready to use; at most they might need a couple of stirs when you first open the can. 


Both of these paints are similar in their composition, with one of the main ingredients being calcium carbonate. This mineral is what gives milk paint and chalk style paints their soft matte texture.

Milk paint differs in that it contains actual milk proteins (casein) as one of the ingredients. In the powdered form, milk paint lasts a very long time.

However, you should only mix a small amount of milk paint at a time, because once mixed the milk proteins can start to break down.

You can store unused mixed paint in the refrigerator for a couple of days, but not much longer. Milk paint dries very quickly, and once it dries there’s no risk of the milk proteins degrading.

How Much Does Chalk Paint Cost?

How much you spend on chalk paint depends on the quantity you need, and on the brand. Smaller bottles of paint from craft stores cost under $10.

Larger cans usually 30 ounces, can cost between $20 and $45, depending on the brand. When budgeting for your project, don’t forget to include chalk paint wax to protect larger projects. The wax is fairly inexpensive. Depending on the brand you purchase, the price usually averages between $15 to $25 a can.

Which Chalk Paint is the Best?

There really isn’t a best overall chalk paint in my opinion. There are a lot of quality options to choose from but they are in slightly different price ranges.

Some chalk paints are better at one thing and not quite as good at other things. I wrote a whole review post on the best chalk paints that you can find on this site. I’ve tried them all but it depends on the project you’re doing on which one is actually the best.

Where To Buy Chalk Paint

Chalk paints are readily available from many locations. If you want to try designer options, such as the paints from Annie Sloan or Joanna Gaines, you can order directly from their websites. Large home improvement stores carry chalk finish paints made by large paint companies such as Behr and Rustoleum. Craft stores will have chalky paint in smaller quantities, which are perfect if you’re painting smaller objects. 

Chalk Paint Alternatives

Is there anything that makes a DIY project more frustrating than not being able to find the perfect color for your project?

Have you ever tried to match a color you have in mind, with absolutely no luck finding it? I think any home crafter has been there! While there are many chalk-style paints available, there is a way to take any paint and transform it to a chalk finish. 

BB Frosch Paint Transformer Powder is an additive that you can mix into any brand/color of latex or acrylic paint and it will dry to a matte chalky finish. It has 100% all-natural ingredients and is relatively inexpensive with prices ranging from $12 to $34 depending on the quantity.

This can be a very economical option for your painting projects because you can mix up as little or as much paint as you need for any project. The transformer powder has a long shelf life if properly stored, so if you find yourself with leftover powder you can save it for future craft projects. 

BB Frosch Paint Transformer Powder works best on flat finish paints, although you can use it on paints with satin and gloss finishes. They just won’t look quite as chalky once dried. I

t can also be sanded for a distressed appearance and sealed with wax, just like ready-made chalk finish paints. 

Are you ready now to try revitalizing a piece of furniture with chalk paint? Or do you want to create some cute vintage-style home decor items?

Hopefully, this article has given you a good overview of how fun and versatile chalk finish paint can be, as well as inspired you to create something wonderful!

The Best Chalk Paint Wax – Top 3 Brands (2024)

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Chalk-style paint is such an easy and fun way to transform old furniture into something that looks like an expensive designer piece. This decorative paint is popular with home crafters and professional interior designers alike.

Key Takeaways – The Best Wax Brands

There are three top brands. These brands are Krylon, Annie Sloan, and Behr. If you’re short on time I’ll just go ahead and recommend Annie Sloan, but the specific type listed below. If you want to know more about why instead of just knowing which is the best chalk paint wax, then make sure to read through the whole article.



Once you’ve taken the time and effort to paint a beautiful piece of furniture, you still need to protect the paint job. The best way to protect chalk paint is with a wax sealant. This finishing step is crucial to create a durable surface and prevent the paint from scratches and chipping.

I’d suggest using a high-quality chalk paint before using the wax. You can see which chalk paints are the best here.

 

What Is Chalk Paint Wax?

Chalk paint wax is a lightweight protective wax coating that gives a subtle sheen to your chalk-painted projects. Unlike a glossy sealant, which you absolutely don’t want to use with chalk paints, a wax sealer will give you a deep velvety finish. 

One of the best features of a wax sealant is that it is completely non-toxic! Unlike using a lacquer or shellac finish on your painted furniture, you won’t need to apply chalk paint wax outdoors, and it’s safe for your children and pets to be around. There is virtually no odor, also.

Chalk paint waxes are usually clear, but they are also available in shades of dark brown, milky white, and even black.

The clear and white waxes are applied in layers directly to the painted surfaces. They won’t affect the color of your painted projects, except to deepen the color a little bit.

Darker waxes are applied over a layer of clear wax. They are applied over the cured wax surface, then mostly wiped off to create a patina or “antiqued” look. 

If you don’t want to use a dark wax to create a patina, you can also add just a drop of two of a coordinating chalk paint to some wax, mix thoroughly, then use that as a sealant. You can achieve some fun looks with this technique. Try using a deep green tinted wax over a light blue painted surface, or a dark blue tinted wax over gray paint. The contrast will be subtle, but it brings out details beautifully! 


You can layer chalk paint wax up to two or three thin layers to fully protect your project. If you’ve painted something that will be frequently touched, such as the top of a table, you want to use at least three layers to get a good seal and the best possible protection. This can be an exercise in patience, as each chalk paint wax layer needs to dry fully for 24-48 hours before you can add the next layer.

How Do You Use Chalk Paint Wax As A Top Coat?

Applying a wax finish to your chalk painted project takes a bit of patience, but the end result is well worth it! Before you apply the wax, make sure your painted piece is absolutely dry. Clean it with a lint free cloth to remove any fine bits of dust. You might want to remove any hardware such as drawer pulls or knobs.

You can use either a special “wax brush” or a soft, lint-free cloth to apply your wax. An old cut-up t-shirt is perfect for this. There are many brands of chalk paint wax sealant available, and they vary slightly in their consistency.

It’s a good idea to read through any instructions for the brand you purchase, but here are the basic techniques.

The key to getting a flawless wax finish on your painted project is to apply the wax in very thin coats. If you apply the wax too thick, you’ll get a dull finish with white streaky spots. “Less is more” is a good thing to keep in mind when applying each coat of wax!

Even if you plan to use a darker wax or tinted wax to provide a slightly contrasted patina, your first wax coat should always be done with clear wax.

Tips to Make Waxing Easier

Depending on the brand of chalk paint wax you use, it might be easier to have some of the wax on a paper plate instead of dipping your cloth or brush directly into the can of wax.

Dab the ends of your wax brush in the wax, or bunch up your cloth and rub it through the wax. Now you want to rub the wax onto your painted furniture.

You don’t have to use a circular motion, you can wipe the wax along the wood grain direction if you prefer. Just be sure it is applied evenly and thinly, using steady pressure.

Because you’re applying thin coats, this might take a little bit longer than the actual painting did.

The wax sealant will actually absorb into the pores of the chalk paint, just like when you apply moisturizer to your skin.

In fact, if you think of how you apply lotion while you’re applying your wax sealant, you’ll probably avoid using too much at a time.

Pay attention to corners and small areas and corners. You want to be sure to get the wax in there, but not too much that you’ll have globs of waxy buildup.

Next, take a clean lint-free cloth and gently wipe over the waxed areas to remove any excess. This step is so important! If you don’t wipe off the excess, you could end up with blotches or streaks on your painted project. Once that’s done, now you wait.

Let the wax dry/harden for at least 24 hours before applying the next coat.

How to Get a Darker Wax Coat

If you want to use a darker or tinted wax after your clear coat(s), the process is almost the same. For this process though, it’s easier to work in sections rather than waxing the entire painted piece of furniture at once.

You’ll want to brush or wipe the darker wax onto a section of your project following the direction of the wood grain.

Again, make sure you’re using a very thin coat of wax. Then, using a soft cloth, immediately wipe off the excess wax.

The results should be a slight darkening of most of your painted surface, with darker wax in the corners and in more intricate details. This final look can make your furniture appear to be a vintage heirloom or an eye-catching designer piece.  

 

Once you’ve applied your final coat of wax, and it has dried for 24 hours, you can then buff it for a final bit of sheen.

This step isn’t necessary, but it does add a professional-looking finish.  You’re not applying more wax with this step of the process.

Once you’re satisfied with the way your chalk paint project looks after a few coats of wax sealant, simply take a clean, soft cloth and buff it gently using a small circular motion. You won’t get a glossy finish (which you don’t want with chalk paint anyway), but it will give a soft satin glow to your completed project.

After buffing, you can go ahead and reattach any hardware, and then you can enjoy your newly transformed piece of furniture.  

Although you only need to let the wax sealant dry for a day between coats, it actually takes three to four weeks for it to fully cure.

During that time, you can use your furniture, but be careful about putting anything heavy on tables or dresser tops until the curing process is complete.

Which Chalk Paint Wax Brand Is The Best?

There are nearly as many brands of chalk paint wax available as there are brands of chalk style paint. Most of them utilize the same basic techniques for application. Here are a few comparisons of some of the most popular brands.

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax

Annie Sloan is the original inventor of chalk paint, and her brand includes not only paints but a variety of wax sealants. This brand of chalk paint wax is easy to apply, with a consistency like soft butter. It has very little odor, and is water repellent.  This wax sealant is sold in 120ml, 500ml, and 2.5 liter quantities. It’s nice that you can buy a smaller quantity so you don’t have to purchase more than you’ll use.

Annie Sloan chalk paint wax is available in clear, white, dark, and black finishes. She also has a selection of “Gilding Wax” that can be applied to give slight metallic accents to the corner or carved detailing on a piece of furniture. 

Behr Premium Wax

Behr Premium wax is available in clear (for a satin finish), white (for a white-washed finish), and dark (for an antiqued finish).

This wax is a little bit harder/dryer than the Annie Sloan brand, and while the end results are lovely you do have to be extra careful about applying this wax too heavily.

Behr Premium Wax will dry very streaky if not applied in careful thin coats. It is only sold in 8-ounce cans, but a little bit of this wax goes a very long way. Bear Premium Wax is sold exclusively at Home Depot. If you’re not close to a Home Depot store, you can also order it from their website. 

 

Krylon Chalky Finish Clear Sealing Wax

 

Krylon is a well-known paint brand that sells chalk paints in both cans and in spray paints. Their sealing wax is available in both clear, for an ultra-matte finish, and “dark” for a more antique/vintage appearance. It is sold in 16 ounce cans, and like all chalk paint wax sealants, a little bit of this product goes a long way.

The texture of the Krylon brand is a bit more “liquidy” than other brands. Some online reviews mention that unless you apply a very thin layer, this wax tends to dry with a slightly yellow finish. This might not be noticeable on some colors, but if you want your white or any pale neutral shade to remain true, you might want to be aware of possible yellowing.

How Much Is Chalk Paint Wax?

Different brands of chalk paint wax can vary in price, but not as much as different brands of chalk paint. Here is a comparison of the three brands described in this article:

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax: a 120ml can costs $16.

Behr Premium Wax: an 8 ounce can costs $14.98

Krylon Chalky Finish Clear Sealing Wax: a 16 ounce can costs $24.98

 

As you can see, there is not a huge difference in the prices between each brand. Since it’s best to use very thin coats of wax to seal your chalk paint projects, one can is capable of covering a large piece of furniture

Conclusion

There are nearly as many brands of chalk paint wax as there are brands of chalk paint. There are only three compared in this article. Before buying any brand it’s a good idea to look at online reviews from every day crafters.

Of the three brands we’ve compared, Annie Sloan Chalk Paint Wax comes out as a winner. It’s easy to use, is made from non-toxic ingredients, and has almost no odor.

The variety of colors offers so many possibilities to make your chalk paint projects into something extraordinary. Annie Sloan’s website also has useful instructions and videos on the best way to use her products.

Regardless of which brand you buy, using a wax finish will protect and preserve your chalk-painted projects for many years. 

Waverly Chalk Paint Review

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Is Waverly the best chalk paint out there? Or is it a waste of money? This is my Waverly chalk paint review.

Short on Time? Here’s the Key Takeaway

Waverly used to be amazing for the price. It was a good deal. It’s not the best quality out there but it’s acceptable. I made a long post about the best chalk paints and Waverly didn’t make the list. The main problem is that their color selection is a bit smaller than some of the other brands. I would actually recommend getting Folk Art instead. It’s basically the same quality as Waverly but for a fraction of the price. I’ve tested it and it works. Save yourself a trip to Walmart by getting Folk Art chalk paint online.

View it Here

What Is Chalk Paint?

Chalk paint, also known as “chalky paint” or “chalk style paint”, is a decorative paint that has become very popular with both DIY crafters and professional interior designers. This type of paint has a very distinctive flat matte, chalky appearance once it dries. With a little bit of light sanding, you can transform any piece of furniture into a vintage-style distressed piece that looks like a family heirloom.   

 

Waverly Chalk Paint vs. Annie Sloan and Other Chalk Paint Brands

 

Chalk paint was first invented in 1990 by the artist/interior designer Annie Sloan. Since then, this type of paint has steadily gained popularity. There are now dozens of paint brands that manufacture similar products. Her brand of chalk paints, wax sealants, and accessories are considered to be top-of-the-line.


Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint is a product manufactured by Waverly, Inc. Waverly is a well-known home decor and lifestyle brand that has been around since 1923. Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint is a budget-friendly paint that comes in colors synonymous with the “Waverly look” of interior design.

Let’s Look at These Two Different Chalk Paint Brands

Both Waverly and Annie Sloan have a good variety of color choices. Waverly comes in 28 different colors, and Annie Sloan has 42 colors to choose from. The selection from Annie Sloan has more neutral colors than Waverly. 

One very nice thing about the Waverly paint line is that the colors are designed specifically to complement Waverly brand fabrics and home decor. So, if you’re decorating a room with Waverly brand linens or accent pillows, it should be easy to find the perfect Waverly chalk paint color to match your decorating scheme.

Both brands describe their paints as not needing any preparation before painting. You can just open the can, give it a quick stir, and begin your painting project. However, with any brand of chalk style paint, if you’re applying it to a glossy surface a light sanding will help the paint stick better.

The first noticeable difference between these two brands of paint will be the texture. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint is thick, but easily spreadable. The Waverly brand of paint is very thick. It’s almost the consistency of yogurt! Fortunately chalk style paints are water-based, so you can thin the Waverly paint with just a little bit of water. You need to be careful not to add too much water, or your paint will dry with streaky looking visible brush strokes.  A good method for thinning overly thick chalk paint is to pour some of the paint into a disposable bowl or paper plate, then spray it with water from a spray bottle. Stir it up, then spray again if it still seems too thick. If the thicker consistency isn’t something you mind, you don’t even need to thin it out if you don’t want to. Of course, one advantage to having thicker chalk paint is that you can get good coverage with just one coat on some projects.

How Quickly Does Waverly Chalk Paint Dry?

Both the Waverly and Annie Sloan chalk paints apply very smoothly and dry quickly. They should be dry to the touch in approximately one hour. Whether you need a second coat of paint or not will depend mostly on the surface you’re painting. Once they dry, there is very little difference in appearance, other than colors.

If you want to distress your project with a bit of light sanding, the Waverly brand seems to require a little bit less pressure than Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.

Both of these brands can be sealed with a wax sealant. In fact, both Waverly and Annie Sloan sell their own brands of wax for this purpose. The Waverly brand of wax doesn’t apply quite as smoothly as Annie Sloan’s brand, so it might take a little more effort to get it buffed to a nice even coverage. In spite of it being described as a wax, the Waverly brand is more like a thick liquid wax, while the Annie Sloan brand is more of a solid wax product.

 

How Much Does Waverly Chalk Paint Cost?


Waverly Chalk Paint is considered a “budget” brand. It is sold in 8 fluid-ounce size bottles, at a price of just $6.98 a bottle! Compare that price to Annie Sloan paint, which sells at $46 for a liter can, and you can see why Waverly is a great bargain. Four bottles of Waverly brand (approximately one liter) will cost you just $27.92. 

Waverly Chalk Paint Wax also sells for $6.98 per 8-fluid-ounce bottle. Since you only need a small amount of wax to seal even a large painted piece, one bottle should be enough for a couple of projects.

Waverly also sells its own brand of paint brushes made especially for the application of chalk paint and wax. A pair of these brushes sell for a very reasonable price of $14.12.

Where To Buy Waverly Chalk Paint

Waverly Chalk Paints and associated products are sold primarily at Walmart. They can be found in Walmart stores, as well as being available to order from Walmart.com. Additionally, there are a few of paints available to order from Amazon.com. 

Pros and Cons of Waverly Chalk Paint

Just because Waverly is a bargain, doesn’t mean it isn’t a good quality product. Here are some of the pros and cons of Waverly Chalk Paint.

Pros:

The biggest advantage of choosing Waverly Chalk Paint is the price. It’s a bargain at under $10 per bottle, especially when compared with many designer chalk paints. The eight-ounce bottles seem small, but this paint has good coverage so you might not need to use as much of it. The smaller bottles are also nice if you are working on a smaller project and don’t want to buy more paint than you’ll need. 

The color selection is great. While Waverly might not have as many colors as other brands of chalk-style paint, the colors they do have are quite nice. It’s a good mix of neutrals and brighter shades. The best part of their color collection is that they are made to complement the Waverly fabrics and linens. This makes it fun and easy to achieve a designer look for any room of your home.

Waverly Paint is easy to use. You can literally open a bottle up and start painting. Because it is thicker than other brands of chalk style paint, many people like to thin it out with a little bit of water. Thicker paint usually means you can cover some projects in just one coat, so you might be using less paint than a brand where you have to apply two to three coats of paint.

Even though it is only sold at Walmart and Amazon, you can order it online from either if you don’t want to physically go to the store. Shipping is fast from either location, so you won’t have to wait long to get started on your chalk paint project. You can also place an online order from Walmart and have it ready for pickup on the same day.

Like most chalk style paints, Waverly is water-based. You won’t have to use any solvents to clean your brushes and work area; you can clean everything with warm soapy water.

 

Cons:

Waverly has a really good color selection, but it’s not as extensive as other brands. If you’ve got a  “perfect” shade in your head that you’re having trouble finding, you might end up having to buy a more expensive brand.

The smaller bottle size isn’t really a huge disadvantage, but if you plan to paint a large piece of furniture and know you’ll need a larger quantity of paint, it would be nice to be able to just buy one larger bottle instead of several smaller sizes.

 

Even though purchasing from Walmart or Amazon is pretty convenient, it would be nice if Waverly paints were available from more sellers. Being able to buy it at large craft stores and home improvement stores might be easier for people who don’t want to order online, or who don’t live especially close to a Walmart.

Conclusion for Waverly Chalk Paint

Overall, Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint is a good product at a budget-friendly price. If you’re new to using chalk style paints, you can try the technique using Waverly brand without having to spend a lot of money right away. The Waverly brand of wax sealant and specialty brushes are also very affordable.

For a “budget” paint, the end results look pretty good! Waverly paint is perfect for transforming older furniture and home accent pieces. Pair your painted projects with Waverly fabrics, and your home will look like it was decorated by a professional interior design expert! You’ll get a nice smooth, matte finish with Waverly paint that can easily be distressed and buffed to a velvety sheen with their brand of wax sealant.  The end results can appear just as nice as what you’ll get with many higher priced chalk style paints.

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
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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 to paint furniture 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.

The Best Shrinky Dink Craft Ideas

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Get some of the best Shrinky Dink craft ideas that can be found online. I’ve compiled the best ones I can find and I even have one or two on my site you can try! Jump to the ideas if you already know what Shrinky Dinks are. If not, you’ll want to read the whole post!

What are Shrinky Dinks?

If you were a child in the 1970s or 1980s who enjoyed arts and crafts, you probably remember Shrinky Dinks. They were sheets of thin plastic printed with cartoon characters or other designs that you colored with colored pencils, cut out with scissors, then baked in the oven. The plastic shrunk and hardened while baking, leaving you with a fun piece of plastic artwork!

They may have lost popularity for a while, but you can still buy Shrinky Dink plastic sheets to make all kinds of fun crafts! There are several brands available for purchase from most craft stores and online.

How To Make Shrinky Dink Crafts

If you’re unfamiliar with how to make crafts with shrink plastic, here are the basic steps:

 Step One: Draw or trace your design on a sheet of shrink plastic. You can draw your design lightly with a pencil then go over it with a permanent marker or colored pencils. It’s important to note that you should make your design much larger than you want your finished product to be. The shrink plastic will shrink to approximately a third of its original size while it’s baking. Also, keep in mind whatever colors you use will appear darker after the plastic shrinks.

Step Two: Once your design is all colored in, cut around your artwork with scissors. Again, keep in mind that this will shrink to about a third of the original size. If you need a hole to use your Shrinky Dink art as a piece of jewelry or keychain, use an ordinary hole punch to make a hole. The hole will shrink along with the rest of the plastic, so if you don’t punch a large enough hole at this point you’ll need to drill a small hole after it’s done baking and has cooled off.

 Step Three: It’s time to bake!  On a flat cookie sheet lined with foil or parchment paper, lay your cut out plastic pieces with the colored side facing up. Preheat your oven according to the instructions on the brand of shrink plastic you are using; usually this is 325 to 350 degrees. Then you bake for the amount of time according to the brand of plastic you’re using. It usually only takes two to three minutes!  While your plastic art is baking, you’ll see the edges curl up, but don’t panic! As they continue to bake, they should flatten out.

That’s it! Just three easy steps, and you’ll have an original piece of plastic artwork. When you take them out of the oven, let them cool completely before trying to touch them. The plastic will be hot! Now that we’ve explained the basic steps, here are some fun Shrinky Dink crafts you and your family will love.

Shrinky Dink Jewelry

Custom jewelry is fun and easy to make with shrink plastic! When you make your own jewelry, you can create something that perfectly matches a specific outfit. You can also design fun pieces to wear for holidays and special events. Just create your design, punch a hole with a hole punch, bake, and then attach to a chain or earring bases. A standard size hole punch created the perfect sized hole for jewelry after it shrinks.

The possibilities for fun jewelry designs are unlimited; let your imagination run wild! You can make an assortment of themed charms for a one of a kind charm bracelet. Trace snowflake or snowman designs for fun holiday pendants and earrings. Flowers and eggs colored in pastel shades can be made into pretty Easter jewelry.

You can find literally hundreds of examples of shrink-plastic jewelry designs online. Jewelry-making accessories (jump rings, clasps, necklace cords, bails, chain, earring bases, etc.) are readily available online, or at most craft stores or bead stores. 

 

Shrinky Dink Pet Tags

Shrink plastic is great for making fun “jewelry” for your pet’s, too! Create your design in the shape of a dog bone, heart, of even a puppy or kitten silhouette. Keep in mind when designing that whatever you draw will shrink to roughly one third of its original size, and you might want to make smaller tags for smaller pet collars. For example, if you are looking to get a teacup Yorkie, you will need a much smaller collar tag than what you would need for a regular Labrador Retriever.

For best design results, color the tag in lighter colors, then write your pet’s name with a black permanent marker over the colored design. Another method would be to color the pet tag, then use your printer or a cutting machine such as a Cricut to create a small vinyl sticker of your pet’s name. Then apply the sticker after your tag is finished baking and has cooled off.  Remember when choosing your colors that they will darken as your pet tag bakes!

When you cut around the shape for your pet tag, leave some space to punch a hole before baking. Once the tag is completely cool, use a jump ring to attach to your pet’s collar.


Shrinky Dink Handprints

What is it about children’s handprints that are so incredibly cute? You can use shrink plastic and acrylic paint to create keychains or even holiday ornaments of your little ones’ handprints. Here are the easy-to-follow steps:

  • Using acrylic paint in a bright color, paint over your child’s palm and fingers in one even coat. Be sure to use acrylic paint with a gloss finish for this. Acrylic paints with matte or satin finishes won’t stick well to the shrunk plastic. It doesn’t have to be expensive paint, any craft paint will work as long as it is acrylic.  Make sure their hand is evenly coated, but not so heavy that the details won’t show up. Carefully help your child press their palm and fingers flat on a piece of shrink plastic. Make sure they press their fingers down all the way. Hold on to the shrink plastic, and help them lift their hand slowly off the plastic. If it doesn’t have enough details for you, or if it smears a little bit, don’t worry. You can easily wipe the acrylic paint off with a paper towel and some rubbing alcohol, then try again.  Let the acrylic paint completely dry before moving on to the next step. Fortunately, acrylic paint dries quickly.

 

  • Once your paint is dry, carefully cut around the handprint, being sure to leave a place to punch a hole. You can cut around the fingers a little bit, but if you cut all the way around each individual finger they are more likely to curl up and get stuck to each other while baking. Punch a hole if you’re going to attach to a keyring or ribbon.

 

  • Turn your handprint over, and write the child’s name and maybe their age in permanent marker.  Or have your child write their name and age themselves!

 

  • Place your handprint pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet, with the painted side facing up. Then bake according to the directions for the brand of shrink plastic you’re using. Once the pieces have cooled completely, brush on a layer of gloss finish Mod Podge or other clear sealant. This will prevent the acrylic paint from chipping. All that is left to do is to attach to a keyring, or add a festive ribbon to create an heirloom Christmas tree ornament. For a more polished or durable option, you can also pair your designs with professionally made custom PVC keychains that complement your handmade pieces beautifully.

    Shrinky Dink handprints make wonderful gifts for Father’s Day or Mother’s Day. They’re also perfect for Grandparents. Creating a new handprint ornament each year to hang on a Christmas tree creates a collection of family heirlooms that will be cherished for years to come.

Shrinky Dink Photo Crafts

Did you know you could print digital photos onto Shrinky Dink plastic? Shrinky Dink brand sells Inkjet shrink plastic sheets that you can use in your computer printer. There are so many fun possibilities with this product!

Before printing any photo onto the inkjet sheet, you’ll need to make a small adjustment first. Using any basic photo editing program, you should reduce the transparency (often referred to as opacity) of your photo to 70%. This will make it look a little washed out when you print it, but as your project shrinks while it’s baking the colors will intensify. If you don’t reduce the transparency, your final product will look too dark after baking. Otherwise, the process is the same as for any other Shrinky Dink craft.

With photos printed on shrink-plastic sheets, you can make keychains of favorite family vacation photos, or a whole charm bracelet full of family portraits. You can attach a pin/brooch back with strong adhesive to make flair pins of your photos. Gluing magnets or push pins to the back of your Shrinky Dink photo creates a fun way to decorate your refrigerator or corkboard. Of course, family photos are alway sweet to hang on a Christmas tree.

Shrinky Dink Bookmarks

Bookmarks might be one of the easiest Shrinky Dink projects, but it might be one of the most fun, especially for children! Simply cut your shrink plastic into rectangles, with a hole punched in the top. Remember that before baking your piece should be approximately three times the size of what you want your finished piece to be. Decorate your bookmarks with fun colors, traced drawings of book characters, or personalize with someone’s name. This is easy for kids to do, and they make nice gifts to give to their teachers. These bookmarks are also a nice addition if you’re giving someone a book for a gift.

Once your shrink plastic bookmark is done baking and has cooled off, attach a bright-colored ribbon or cord through the hole on top, so it can hang out of the book.

Shrinky Dink Tips and Tricks 

There are so many fun craft possibilities when using Shrinky Dink sheets! We’ve outlined just a few in this article, but here are some tips that are useful no matter what you’re making:

Shrinky Dink, and other brands of shrink plastic sheets, are perfectly safe to use. However, sometimes you’ll notice the smell of “hot plastic” while your projects are baking. Try to have a window cracked open or a fan blowing while doing this craft.

Always keep in mind that your project will shrink down to approximately one-third of its original size after baking. Don’t make your pieces too small before baking; it’s better to start out a little larger at first.

Shrink plastic will curl up in the oven, but it should flatten out as it bakes. Longer, narrow pieces are more likely to curl up and stick to themselves. If this happens, you can take scissors and snip the ends apart while the piece is still hot. Be careful, the plastic will still be very hot at that point!

Sometimes, a piece will still have a little bit of a curl on the edges when you take it out of the oven. If that happens, press it flat with a spatula while it’s still hot. It should only take a few seconds to get it to flatten out nicely.

Colored pencils and permanent markers (such as Sharpies) are the best for drawing and coloring Shrinky Dink designs. Crayons won’t work, because they’ll melt in the oven. The only paint that works well is acrylic-based paint, but be sure it dries completely before putting your project in the oven.

Some brands of shrink plastic have a smooth shiny side, and a slightly rough side. Generally, permanent markers work best on the shiny side. Colored pencils work best on the slightly rough side. If the shrink plastic you’re working with only has smooth shiny surfaces, you can use light sandpaper to gently scuff the surface if you’re using colored pencils.