Let’s face it – chalk paint is overpriced! The solution? DIY chalk paint! This is the best chalk paint recipe online and the closest you can come to that “most famous and favored” brand.
Some of you may have seen this post in its original form when I first published it 2 1/2 years ago. I’ve reworked the recipe a bit, and I thought it deserved to be republished for the new readers who may have missed it.
There are a million posts out there about chalk paint. Some love it and some see no point paying extra money when there is good old latex paint. Having tried almost all the different brands of chalk paint and latex paint, I understand why chalk paint lovers swear by it. But I ended up loving my DIY version of chalk paint more than any “brand-name” chalk paint. Here’s why this is the best chalk paint recipe out there:
- It’s almost as cheap as latex paint.
- Adhesion is the best you’ll see.
- It is more durable than most store-bought brands.
- You can make it in any color you like.
- You control the thickness of the paint.
- It can be easily modified for paint sprayers.
Before coming up with my own recipe, I searched and tried all four DIY chalk paint recipes out there. Although I was satisfied with the recipe that used Calcium Carbonate, I took my recipe one step further and added a secret ingredient to make it even better. Once that secret ingredient was in the mix, I came to see that my DIY chalk paint recipe was the best of the bunch!
As an engineer in the construction industry, I’ve always had a natural curiosity about construction materials in terms of what they do, how they work, what additives can be mixed together and so on. I knew talc was used in many areas of construction and in our daily life, including in paints. I also knew that talc not only improves the adhesion of paint, but it also works as a matting and anti-cracking agent.
With this in mind, I decided to add it to my DIY chalk paint recipe.
For more info on what talc is and where it is used, please visit Industrial Minerals Association North America.
The Best DIY Chalk Paint Recipe
- 1 cup of latex paint in the color of your choice
- 4 tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate
- 1 tablespoon of Talc
- Water (as much as you deem necessary to thin the paint to your desired thickness).
I don’t premix anything like many others do. Instead, I use an old cheap blender to mix my paint. First, I pour the latex paint into the mixing cup.
Then I add 4 tablespoons of calcium carbonate. If you don’t know which calcium carbonate to use or where to get it from, you’ll find all that information at the bottom of this post.
Next, I add one tablespoon of talc. I use pure talc with no scent and no additives.
And a little a bit of the water… As I mentioned above, use as much water as you need to achieve your desired thickness. If you will be using a blender like I do, I would suggest that you start with no water at first. Once you’ve mixed it for 2-3 minutes, take a look at the paint and see if the thickness is what you’re looking for. If you want it more fluid, then add 1-2 tablespoons of water at a time and carry on like this until you reach the thickness you desire.
Once all these ingredients are in the mixing cup, I blend it for 3 minutes. But if you’re going to hand mix the paint, then I would suggest that you mix the calcium carbonate and the talc first. Then add a bit of water into that mix and stir really good so you don’t end up having lumps. Then add the latex paint and keep stirring until you feel all are mixed well.
Here are some further tips/details on the ingredients.
Latex Paint: I know many bloggers suggest flat finish paint in their recipes, but I like eggshell finish. Since I use talc in my DIY chalk paint recipe, I don’t need to start with flat paint, as the talc will matte down the small amount of gloss in eggshell.
Calcium Carbonate: I bought and used all 3 products below thinking they might be different since their prices were different. But truth be told, they all provided the same result and basically worked exactly the same. So you can go for any of them depending on how much you will need or how much you want to spend.
Calcium Carbonate Powder, 20 pounds pack
Calcium Carbonate Powder, 1 pound pack
Calcium Carbonate Powder, 1 pound pack
Talc: I believe any scent-free talc powder should do. But if you are like me and can’t decide which one to get, here is the link to what I use.
Silver Cup Premium Talc Powder, 13 Ounce Shaker Bottle
That’s it for the best DIY chalk paint recipe on the internet, but if you have any questions, please feel free to ask in the comments section! I’ll do my best to respond as soon as I can.
UPDATE: Modified recipe for spray painting
I modified my DIY chalk paint recipe for use with my Wagner Paint Sprayer (by simply increasing the water content):
- 1 cup of latex paint in the color of your choice
- 4 tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate
- 1 tablespoons of Talc
- 1/2 cup of Water
Again, put all the ingredients into a blender and mix it for 3 minutes. Your DIY chalk paint for paint sprayers is ready for use! If you have the same Wagner Paint Sprayer, then you’ll want to give this recipe a try, as it will surely pass the velocity test. But please note, it may not pass other spray painters’ velocity test. Therefore if you have a different brand paint sprayer, I recommend that you do the velocity test before using it.
Handan, xo
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Vicky Chaney-Little says
Absolutely brilliant. Been looking for a better chalk paint recipe. Thank you kindly!
Handan says
Thank you, Vicky!
Nettie says
I have everything I need on hand, so I’m going to try this weekend as I’ve some shelves I want to paint. Thanks for posting!
Handan says
Thank you, Nettie!
Jan says
Have you ever used this paint on ceramic plates? If so, did you use a primer to help it not flake off?
Handan says
Hello Jan,
Frankly, I didn’t try it with ceramic plates. But I did use it with glass and it sticks better than any branded Chalky Paint. However, glaze on ceramic plates would make the surface even smoother than glass surface. So I can’t really tell until I try it myself.
That said, what I can recommend for the time being is applying Mod Podge on the ceramic surface first. Because that is basically a glue and it sticks to any surface perfect. If you apply Mod Podge with a craft sponge you will minimize the streaks, so better than applying the Mod Podge with brush. After letting the Mod Podge cure for a day or two paint your plate. In my opinion this method would work way better than any prime.
As soon as I try it with ceramics, I will issue an update to let you know if it worked without prime or Mod Podge or not.
Good luck with your project!
Handan
claire says
what do you use to colour plz
Brenda says
How do you add color ?
Handan says
Hello Brenda,
You can use any color latex paint you like. So if you chose black latex paint your chalk paint will also be black.
Handan says
Hello Claire,
You can use any color latex paint you want. I used white latex paint in my tutorial, because I paint most of my projects to white. But the recipe is for turning any color latex paint into chalk paint.
Dian says
Hi! I’m looking for a wash type paint l can use to cover bead board paneling. Do you think this would work? Will I need to sand first? Thank You
Handan says
Hello Dian,
If you meant color washing (like white washing) by “wash type paint” then yes, this would work wonderfully. As for the second question, no you don’t need to pre-sand with my homemade chalk paint.
On a last note, I am currently working on a wooden planter which I white-washed with my chalk paint. That post will be published in a week and it will have all the details of how I white washed the wood and gave it a “drift wood” appearance just with homemade chalk paint. If you can wait a week and visit that post, it will be easier for you to decide whether you would want to try it or not 🙂
ooohlaa says
Hi I searched around your website for whitewash post but could not find. Can you please send me the link for this? I love your wonderful work and presentation!
Handan says
Hello, below is the link for whitewash tutorial: https://thenavagepatch.com/toolbox-to-planter/
Barbara Lowell says
love your work and teachings … thanx so much for your talent in explaining, and your generosity in answering questions.
Handan says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Barbara! I am so glad that I could help 🙂
Judy Gaaskjolen says
Id like to paint a metal table which seems to have a porcelain finish. Some of the edges are chipped and rusted. How would i go about repairing this before painting.? Would something like bondo work? I know id have to sand the rust and do a primer. You mentioned using mod podge as a primer on ceramic. Would that work for porcelain also? How long does your chalk paint mixture last in a sealed jar?
Handan says
Hello Judy, I will try to answer all your questions =)
First, let’s start with the metal table which is rusted and chipped on the edges. For that, I would first get rid of the rust with a rust converter. Here is one with excellent reviews on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Nx9Lwf
Once you get rid of the rust then you need to prime those rusted areas with an oil based primer [water and metal are not a good combo, hence I personally always go for oil based primers or protective coats with metal]. Here is a little trick for this part: You can use rustoleum’s spray paints to prime anything. Most spray paints are oil based paints, and rustoleum’s paint is a good protector for rust. Besides, they include the primer in it. So if you choose a color as close as the finishing color you have in your mind and just spray paint it that should do a decent job in terms of protection from future rust.
Next is repairing the chips. I would recommend using this: http://amzn.to/1Niyg5u. Everyone who used it seem to swear by it, hence my recommendation would be on this rather than wood filler. Also I am not sure how wood filler would stick to the metal for an outdoor item. That said if the chips are small and in the middle of a flat surface rather than being at the edges/corners than wood filler might be quick fix for it [As it is hard to picture I am trying think of all the possibilities here ;)] .
I am little puzzled with the “porcelain finish” you have. Is it the paint/coating of the metal are we talking about? Or does your table have a porcelain top part (flat table surface) with a metal base? In any case, since this is an outdoor furniture I wouldn’t go with using mod podge as a primer, as it wouldn’t be strong enough. I would rather go with a proper oil based primer (again spray paint is a good alternative to this).
As for the last question: In a sealed jar it lasts at least a good 6 months. I can’t say how further it would last because I usually finish all my paint batches within 7 months. But I know this much: the paint mixture never ever goes thicker. The chalk and talc in it may settle a little by the end of 6 months but a good shake or mixing it in the blender/mixer for a minute or so fixes that issue.
I hope I could help you with your questions.
Have a great day!
Michelle says
Thank you so much for the recipe. I was wondering how to make it myself. As I prefer to make things rather than buy them. Just one quick question. Does the scent in talc cause the paint to behave badly? Or do you simply prefer unscented just so your paint doesn’t smell like baby powder? There are paint companies that offer scented paint so it made me wonder….
Handan says
Hello Michelle,
I am not sure if scented talc would cause anything weird, as I’ve only ever used unscented. You could certainly try it, but when using raw materials to make a product like chalk paint, I’d rather use the purest for of all the ingredients. Good luck with your chalk paint, and I’m glad you found my recipe useful! 🙂
Handan, x
Chrid says
Hi from the UK! And thanks for sharing your brilliant ideas. I have some questions if you would kindly answer for me ?
What is modge podge? I haven’t seen it in craft shops here. Also, you use latex paint. What do you mean by this? Here in the UK we have different basic ‘finishes’. I love Mat which as it suggests is a non-shiny paint and a silk finish which has a sheen and is more resilient. I think this may be similar to latex paint perhaps? Looking forward to your reply.
Handan says
Hello Chris,
Of course… I would be delighted if I can help 🙂
Mod Podge is simple craft glue which has varnishing qualities in it. Something like Decopatch glue varnish they sell in the UK. Both brands (Mod Podge and Decopatch) are sold on Amazon.co.uk, so if you search with the brand names on Amazon.co.uk you can also read the reviews on both of these products.
Latex paint is a general term to cover all paints that use synthetic polymers such as acrylic, styrene acrylic, vinyl acrylic (PVA) etc. as binders. If I am remembering right in the UK they use “emulsion” as the general term instead of latex. So what we have in the US as latex paint should be emulsion paint in the UK.
As for finishes: Here in the US we have flat, eggshell, satin, semi-gloss and high gloss for finishes, and I use any sheen from flat to satin to make my homemade chalk paint. In the UK and Europe I know they have matt, eggshell, silk, satin, soft sheen and high sheen finishes (listed from least to most). So if you use anything from matt to satin to make homemade chalk paint you should have the same results that I get.
I hope this was helpful!
Handan, x
Chris says
Hi handan, thank you for your reply which answers my questions very well. I now understamd. Latex is as you say equals emulsion in the UK! So simple! ?. Simply anything but gloss I guess.
Ah modge podge! Such a charming name! Yes your reply is very helpful! Thank you so much. Ideally I would love to up cycle an item of furniture but because this is so popular now it is a little bit difficult to find the perfect piece. In the UK older furniture can generally be found in ‘charity’ shops.
Once again, thank you Had an. When/if I start a project using modge podge and homemade chalk paint I shall email you. ?
Chris x
Handan says
Please do so. My e-mail is handan@thenavagepatch.com. I would love to see your finished projects!
Domenica @ Easy Sewing for Beginners says
Thanks for sharing over at the DIY Crush Craft Party. This looks like a great recipe for chalk paint! We’ve added this to our Pinterest board. Don’t forget to stop by next Thursday to add your tutorials to our next DIY Crush Craft Party!
Handan says
Thank you so much, Domenica! I definitely will 🙂
Deborah says
Can you use regular baby powder for the talc? Ty for such a detailed tutorial…. totally impressed with your projects too!
Handan says
Thank you, Deborah! I am so glad you enjoyed the tutorial:-)
As far as I know some of the regular baby powders contain cornstarch instead of talc, so that may not give the same effect (improved adhesion and working as anti-cracking agent) as pure talc does. Hence I never tried any of the baby powders, but you can certainly give it a try 🙂
Val says
Handan, thank you very much for the post and for trying all these recipes. I am going to follow your advice and make chalk paint myself. Would you tell me, please, how much is a cup (in millilitres, or cubic centimetres, or some other units). I am in UK, and “your” cup might be something different here 🙂
Handan says
Oh good that you asked! Yes the measurements here are a bit different than what we use in Europe. 1 cup equals to 236 milliliters, so it is equivalent to normal size drinking glass. Also, just in case you would be wondering what latex paint is, it is what we call emulsion paint in Europe.
I hope all this helps 🙂
Val says
Thanks! 🙂
Jeri says
when making your chalk paint to use on outdoor pots, do you make the chalk paint with exterior paint? I was wondering about a pot that got rained on.
Handan says
Hello Jeri, no I don’t use exterior paint for outdoor pots. Instead, I use a good outdoor protecting coat over the chalk paint, otherwise chalk paint (regardless of what kind of paint you make it with) will start peeling off after a few harsh winter.
Cherie says
So excited to find this page while looking for a good quality chalk paint recipe. Could Mod Podge be added directly to the paint to improve adhesion? Very interested in your thoughts on this idea.
Handan says
Hi Cherie, I’ve heard people trying this with acrylic paint or latex paint, but I’ve never come across anyone trying it with chalk paint. I haven’t tried it myself, as the paint I make with this recipe has good adhesion. I can’t say how it would turn out, but if you experiment, please let me know. Good luck!
Christina says
I’ve been reading A LOT about all the different Chalk Paint recipes out there. This is the 1st one that I’ve seen that uses both Calcium Carbonate AND Talc. From all my reading, I’ve concluded this is probably the best homemade formula being this is what Annie Sloan uses in her paint (according to the Annie Sloan Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), http://www.materialsafetydatasheets.info/annie-sloan.html). I think I’ll try your formulation for my first time trying to make my own!
Handan says
Oh wow – I didn’t know that! Because her paint is essentially a European brand, I didn’t even think having MSDS would be a regulation for her paint. That is awesome to see my good old recipe is really so close to hers! 😀
Ida Luz Torres says
Just came across your blog and your chalk recipe while browsing Hometalk Flower Pot Make over. I will be trying your process soon. My family and I are on the mission of replanting and beautifying our home with greenary and with beautiful colored flowers and paint after being stripped of them by both hurricanes Irma and Maria here in Puerto Rico. Chalking painting our pots and giving it the antique or aged look will look great outdoors. Thank you for sharing.
Greg says
Hi Ida – thank you so much for writing. Handan and I can’t imagine what life has been like for you and your family since last September. I hope that the greenery is all that you lost. I know many lost much more. If you’d like, you can email pictures of your rebuilding and re-beautifying to me at greg@thenavagepatch.com. Handan and I would love to see your progress, and if you’d like, we could share your story on our Facebook page. God bless you and your family, Ida.
Tish says
I’ve used Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, which I like (except for the price). However, I have always used their wax product over the paint, as it gives it more depth and a better overall look (and maybe durability?). Would you recommend using homemade Chalk Paint and then their wax? Or do you have a recommendation or the wax finish?
Handan says
Hi Tish, I used to use Annie Sloan Clear Wax with everything I painted with my homemade chalk paint up until we refinished our bathroom. For our bathroom vanity I was in search of something more durable, and I tried Fiddes & Sons Clear Wax for the first time on that vanity. Although only a year is passed that vanity still looks awesome and like the day I painted it. So I couldn’t recommend Fiddes & Sons clear wax (https://amzn.to/2KVXjvy) any higher. It’s just like Annie Sloan clear wax: soft and easy to apply. It has a slight scent to it, therefore you might want to apply it outdoors or in a ventilated area. But other than that, I absolutely love and prefer Fiddes & Sons over Annie Sloan’s wax.
Val says
This made me laugh – the world is a small place. I am in the UK, and Fiddes are 5 minutes drive from where I live 🙂 Found them when I was going to restore an old oak table for my daughter and son-in-law, who had just bought their first house and didn’t have any furniture. The guy in the Fiddes shop (one of the family, they still own the business) was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, gave me a lot of useful advice and the project went really well. I can highly recommend them and definitely will shop there again.
Handan says
Oh my – world is indeed a small place! 🙂
Marsha says
I am painting a bare wood,with knot holes, table. It has never been waxed or finished in any way. Do I need to seal the wood before I paint it with the chalk paint? After the paint is dry, I want to put protective coat on it. Is that OK?
Handan says
Hi Marsha,
With the knotty wood I would apply Zinsser Shellac Base Primer (https://amzn.to/2u1W3kf) to the knotty areas, because knotty areas will bleed through the paint regardless of what paint you use. The same goes for mahogany wood. If you are painting over mahogany, then you need to use shellac-based primer (https://amzn.to/2u1W3kf) to prevent any kind of bleeding.
As for the protective coat, I used wax for our indoor pieces and matte water-based poly for our outdoor pieces (such as flower pots) on the items I painted, and all seem to do fine over the years we’ve been using them.
Marsha says
Thank you so much. I have refinished all kinds of old furniture ( removing stains, paints etc.) but never worked with bare wood before. Thank you for the great recipe for the paint.
Suzanne says
Hello from Australia. Since you put your first post out I started using your recipe and have painted everything (furniture) in my house with your recipe. Absolutely love it. I have also used from baby talc to very expensive talc and there is no difference in how the paint works out in the end (and the perfume lasts for a very short time). Just a question – do you sand each layer or only the final layer of paint? I am abut to start another batch of furniture and can’t for the life of me remember – the dementia kicking in. Another tip with keeping the made up paint great forever is using glad wrap (don’t know what it is called over there – sans wrap?) I use two layers and push in into the container to just above the paint level so there is very little air left and the paint seems to last indefinitely.
Just LOVE your blog.
Suzanne
Handan says
Hi Suzanne! I’m so glad you’re using my recipe, and it’s great to know that it works with any talc (from baby talc to expensive). As for your question, I only sand after the final coat. When I’m brush painting, I usually put 3 thin coats instead of 2 normal coats or 1 thick coat, as that helps having almost no brush marks. Then giving the final coat a nice sanding does the trick for a smooth surface.
Fiona says
Hi Im in Australia and what is our equivalent to you Latex paint. I have been dying to mke thhis but not sure wether i can just use the paint in sample pots
Thankyou cant wait to get painting
Fiona
Claudine says
Not only do I love the recipe, but I want to thank you both for your detailed and helpful answers to questions people post in the comments. 🙂
On a different note, I was always told that the secret ingredient was love…
lol
Handan says
Lol – that’s true! Without love, nothing gets done here! 🙂
Ivory says
Outstanding! I also love the color you selected, beautiful. I have a question, do you have a recipe for fabric diy paint?
Handan says
Hmmmm…. no I don’t, but I’ve used it and it’s expensive, so that’s something I’ll be looking into. 🙂
Lisa says
Just used the link for the calcium carbonate powder from your page and it took me to someone’s Amazon page. Not sure if it’s your? I added 3 bags so please check out your Amazon cart. Thank you so much for the recipe! Going o give it try as I am going broke painting everything I own with the purchased paint!
Fiona says
Hi im in Australia and was wondering what we use as we dont have “latex” paint as such or its called something else plz
Cant wait to start painting
Fiona
Handan says
Hi Fiona, in the UK they use “emulsion” as the general term instead of latex, so that could be the same for Australia too. But if not, then I’d suggest using any interior acrylic paint with this recipe.
I hope this was helpful!
Handan
Donna says
Hi I’m from Ohio and I just found you post and I was just thinking about adding talc powder to my chalk paint and I found your post. I order both from Amazon and I can’t wait to try it. I order BB Fosch to make chalk. It is very soft and fluffy and it made me think it might have talc powder in it also. I was going to try making my own and then I ran across your post. I’m glad I did. I am surely going to try it. Thank you for sharing it’s going to save me trying to figure out how much of each to use. Thank you again
Handan says
Thank you so much, Donna! I’m so glad you found my recipe, as I’m sure you’ll love it! 🙂
Lynette says
Hi. Someone has probably already asked but how long does this paint recipe keep? Do I need to store in the fridge? Thanks
Handan says
Hi Lynette, I don’t keep this paint in the fridge. I keep mine in a lidded jar at normal room temperature and it stays about a year without drying out. Before every use I shake or stir it just like I would with any other paint. 🙂
Job says
Hi and thanks for your recipe. Wondering about the durability of this paint? Is it long lasting? Will it come off at some point? How moist-resistant is it or does it stain easily? Any thoughts on this?
I’m thinking about painting some wooden walls with this…
Thanks again!
Handan says
Thank you so much, Job! I’ve been using my homemade chalk paint for over 3 years now and painted quite a lot of furniture with it. We have a kid and 2 hyperactive dogs, and all the furniture I painted with this is in the high traffic areas. So far nothing came off.
As for stain resistance, mine or any other chalk paint out there (be it a brand or homemade) won’t be stain resistant, because chalk paint is a porous paint type. Meaning that, unless you use a protective coat such as water based polyureathane or furniture wax, it will want to suck in any oil, any dirt or any fluid into itself. But if you use a protective coat, then that protective coat will do it’s job and protect the paint.
I hope this info helps! Good luck on your project!
Becky says
Hi, if I want my project painted with your recipe to have an eggshell finish, would I leave out the talc? Thanks!!!
Handan says
Hi Becky, you can’t have an eggshell finish with this recipe, however, you can use wax as a protective coat on the paint, and once you buff the wax, you’ll get somewhere between an eggshell and satin sheen.
Jean Fugate Besalke says
Hi and thank you so much for the recipe!
I will need to order some of these things to make this with. What I have found out about chalk paint is that you can’t poly over it! I am a sign designer and would love to use the chalk paint but, I have to (well don’t have to but, prefer to) poly over my signs. I do use a water base poly too. Spraying or oil base is not an option with me. Can you tell me if I would be able to poly over this chalk paint? Thank you so very much!! Jean
Handan says
Hi Jean, yes definitely! I used water based polyurethane in many small projects where wax wasn’t a good idea, such as flower pots, a refinished toolbox, a small sled makeover (Christmas project) etc. You can find all those projects here at The Navage Patch if you’d like to check them out.
I’m not sure if you have preferred brand for poly, but since you’re making signs you might be looking for a dead flat finish. Though I didn’t use it myself, this dead flat finish is what all chalk paint users love and swear by: https://amzn.to/2Le3Il3.
I hope this info helps!
Heidy Hupf says
Hi there! I am just wondering what the talc does vs just the paint, calcium carbonate and water. I’m just starting out with chalk paint and I’ve tried plaster Paris and now I am going to try calcium carbonate and then I found this post where you are also adding talc.
Handan says
Hi Heidy, as I explained in the post, it helps with adhesion, achieving a flat sheen and works as anti-cracking agent. So you can use even eggshell or satin paint and yet get a matte chalk paint with better adhesion. I hope this info helps and good luck with your project! 🙂
AngJJ says
i apologize if i missed it in your post or in the comments, i looked through..but what color paint are you using. It’s so pretty.
Handan says
Hi Ang, that is the Behr color of the year 2018 named In The Moment (T18-15). I agree – it is a very pretty color! 🙂