Ok, if you don't know what chalk paint is that's ok. It's a product that's gaining a lot of steam in the world of painted furniture. Upside-you don't have to prime before applying the product (among other things). Downside-it's around $40+ a quart. You read that right...$40+ a quart. As much as I love the look, I simply cannot bring myself to pay that much for paint. I've tried to find ways to justify the price in my head, & it just wasn't happening.
When I found quite a few people were making their own versions of chalk paint at home using things like grout, plaster of paris, & calcium carbonate I mulled the idea around in my head for a couple weeks. While I'm all for trying new things, I didn't want to end up with a hot mess of funky, lumpy paint that was a giant case of fail. Who knows what got into me this afternoon, but armed with hot water, a small cup, some grout I had in my garage, & a neutral paint color that was hanging out waiting to be used for something, I embarked on a quick test at DIY chalk paint.
After my first attempt...I realized I not only loved the look, but I wanted to use that color for a large piece of furniture that I'm about to start working on. I looked down at my cup and realized I had done about a 3:1 paint to grout ratio...but forgot how much water I'd used. D'oh. Being stubborn, I attempted to get the exact same color/texture/finished look after being applied with 3 other little cups, to no avail.
What's the lesson I learned this afternoon? Even if you're experimenting with something for the very first time...write down what the heck you used. You may end up with something you love & want to use it again.
D'oh.
And yes, once I have some homemade chalk paint masterpieces, I will post photos.
All my adventures in crafting/DIY/thrifting/repurposing are hanging out here. If nothing else, I'm entertaining most of the time.
D'oh? Yes, maybe. But surely the fun to be had in this is trying and, in your case, winning? OK, so you found something you loved and are now struggling to recreate, but, in your efforts to re-find it, you may create something else that you like just as much (or more).
ReplyDeleteOf course, there's a large part of me that is also saying "And what is the moral of this story?" but I can see that you already know!
[I suspect that I'm going to learn a lot from you by following this blog]