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What is baking soda used for? How about a piece of chalk that’s been smashed with a hammer? Or what do you do with your container of talc powder that may cause cancer?

Well, don’t put the powder on you but put it in your paint.

Here are the softly tinted homemade chalk based paints I made using six different chalk powders for paint applied on home decor items…and stuff.

Chalk Powders for Paint

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I use the same recipe for all six powders.  You can read more about the recipe and tinting here at chalk based paint but if you don’t want to click…I included the recipe below.

The recipe

Add 2 tablespoons of lukewarm water to mixing bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons of powder.  Mix well.  Very well.  Add to one pint or 2 cups of paint.  Mix very well.

DIY blogging is hectic.  There’s sawdust to clean up before painting one project.  There’s paint drying out in the hot Arizona sun, hoping it doesn’t crackle unless I want a chippy paint look.  All while trying to figure out why my computer froze…it’s nowhere near the freezer!

In other words, I let my 6 cups of paint sit for a week before using them.  Homemade paint will separate…but no problem…just stir and you’re good to paint.

List of powders and colors on the projects

Small chest of drawers – blue – calcium carbonate
Large Frame – light, light brown – stick of chalk
Spindle – creamy white – unsanded grout
Mirror – light gray – plaster of paris
Mason jar – light pink – talcum powder
Crate – green – baking soda

One of my favorite things in the vignette is the bouquet of paint brushes.  I saw a photo somewhere on Pinterest or in a magazine several years ago of used paint brushes.  I always wanted to recreate it.  All I did was clean a paint brushes using the newspaper system.  You know, wipe the brush across the newspaper to remove most of the paint.  Then instead of cleaning, I added them to my jar.  Here are better ideas for cleaning brushes if you want to use them for painting at paint brush tips.

After painting each piece I still like the calcium carbonate mixture the best.  It’s smoother.  I would, however, paint any thrift store item in any of the mixes.  Although, if I was painting my dining room table, I would go with the calcium carbonate or a store bought chalk based paint…or…latex.

What did I do with all the leftover paint mixtures?  I combined all of them into one container.  Yep, all the colors and all the powders into one.

By the way, the ice cream that was in that container is heavenly! <3

It’s only paint!

Then I used that mixed up paint to update an old cigar box.  Above I’m applying homemade wax.

This is the only piece I waxed.  I wanted a soft matte look to the other items.

You found an incredible empty frame at the thrift store for $2.  But what do you put inside the frame?  Because I work hard to give more than expected, above is one idea to fill an empty frame, that’s too large for a CDS printable. 😀

Ideas to fill an empty frame

• Grab some scrap pieces of scrapbook paper and arrange to cover the cardboard back.  I used a piece of washi tape to hold the papers.
• Cover the cardboard back with gift wrap and add a smaller photo in the center.
• Wrap the cardboard with fabric.
• Cover the cardboard with burlap and add stripes with ribbons.

 

I’m gonna go make cookies and hope I don’t mix up the baking soda for talc!