Anywhoo - Tonight I will show you how to make chalk board paint in any color!
Then, I'll show you how NOT to use it...
Then...we'll regroup and I'll show you a successful chalkboard paint creation!
Let's get started, shall we?
Chalkboard paint is becoming very popular these days. Primarily you'll see it on kids playroom walls or on tables, but it can also be used in kitchens and garages - for calendars or to-do lists, endless possibilities! You can buy it in black and green (I've heard white as well) and in spray form or in regular paint can.
Here's what were are gonna try.... (photo from pinterest.com)
I thought this was just the most clever idea! The black was too boring for me though. I remembered seeing a recipe for homemade chalkboard paint on Pinterest as well, so I looked it up and thought I'd give that a try too. Why not?
To Make Chalkboard Paint you need:
Flat latex paint
Unsanded Tile Grout
That's it! The measurement is 1 cup of paint to 2 TBSP of grout.
Here are my supplies all ready to go:
I used a cool whip container to mix the grout and the paint together (make sure you do this in a well ventilated area because the grout is quite potent).
Be sure to mix very well and get the clumps out as much as you can. It's very important for you paint to be thin like it was originally, it's much easier to work with, trust me.
Now, the first time that I made this the paint was very thick, but I pressed on and began dipping my glasses...
I swirled the paint around to coat them evenly and let as much drip off as I could. I wiped the bottoms with a plastic knife and set them on wax paper to dry.
The next day I found this:
FAIL!
Yup, all the sanding in the world could not salvage these babies.
So I soaked them in hot water to loosen the paint, and thought about the process...
I decided to try again and make the following adjustments:
1.) Buy FLAT paint - on the first batch I bought a sample size container of paint and didn't realize that they only come in satin finish. This time I bought a quart of flat paint. - I think the satin finish may have attributed to the thickness of the paint the first time.
2.) Mix the grout and paint together better - the lumps were everywhere!
3.) Tape the stems with painters tape to get a more even line (genius I know! Duh!)
4.) BRUSH the pain on instead of dipping, making a thinner layer and causing much less mess.
5.) Make sure to keep one hand paint free at all times (there was a lot of rogue paint on the top portion of the glasses the first time around.) This time, I washed my hands between each glass.
The process went much better the 2nd time around.
Here's what they looked like when I set them down to dry:
Much more even and neater overall.
8 hours later they were dry and the paint didn't crack!
The good ol internet says when making a surface into a chalkboard you must condition it.
So I sanded down the rough spots and then rubbed chalk all over the paint and wiped with a damp cloth....
I couldn't believe it worked! - In hindsight, this project would be much easier with two people, so call a girlfriend over to help!
The next day I had some girl friends over for a little party and they were a hit!
The end result:
Cute, right?
PS - I promise my picture taking skills will be improving :)
Happy Thursday!
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