***Chalk Paint Update***

A few months ago I posted a DIY chalk paint recipe that I had found. Diane, the awesome owner of In My Own Style, has a new chalk paint recipe that I prefer even MORE than the one I used on the turquoise dresser (also from her blog)! I recently used the recipe on two dressers that I made for some sweet little girls as Christmas presents.

These dressers turned out AWESOME but they were certainly no walk in the park! Diane's recipe was used for the white paint in both of the dressers. Although I wasn't distressing these pieces, the chalk paint came in handy for surfaces that needed extra coverage. The grittiness of the ingredients helps the chalk paint adhere to surfaces of all varieties. Here's Diane's NEW recipe:

I bought a 5 LB bag of Calcium Carbonate Powder on Amazon for around $10. I anticipate it will last for a long time since you only use 2 tablespoons for each recipe. This recipe makes enough paint to almost fill a quart size mason jar. Don't forget these tips and tricks when using your DIY chalk paint: 

1. If you use Plaster of Paris or a similar material (Calcium Carbonate), make sure that the powder is clump-free before you mix in the paint. This might mean adding extra water than what the recipe calls for. *The recipe above is the PERFECT mix of powder and water! No need to add extra for that version of chalk paint!
2. Do NOT use Valspar paint for DIY chalk paint. Valspar has primer mixed in, which will make the Plaster of Paris/Calcium Carbonate/water mixture instantly turn to the consistency of yogurt (trust me... I tried it). **I recently used contractor grade paint from the Home Depot and it worked great! Much cheaper than a normal gallon of paint. I also suggest using the Ace Royal brand (in satin finish) if you have an Ace Hardware near your home. 
3. Chalk paint does not require the surface to be sanded or primed before you get started, saving you tons of time on your projects! **If you think this sounds too good to be true, it doesn't hurt to rough your piece up with sandpaper before you paint. 
4. Make sure you buff the wax after you're done putting on each coat! This will help create that water-resistant top coat and make the piece look loooooovely! **My FAVE wax is Annie Sloan Soft Wax. Yes it is pricey at $30 a (500mL) container, BUT you don't have to use a ton of it for each project. I have used it on at least 10 projects since I bought it 3 months ago and I'm only halfway through the container. Great investment!