Monday, May 7, 2012

Chalk is cheap!

Or . . . put your money where your chalk is . . . or . . .

Anyway, when I stumbled upon Sherry at No Minamalist Here and her post about making your own chalk paint, I knew it was the beginning of a life long friendship between me and my homemade chalk paint.

I picture me and my homemade chalk paint walking into the sunset . . .

I see us growing old together . . .

I see us retiring to Florida together . . .

And this is not a one-sided relationship. Oh no, just look at what I get back from my adorable chalk paint . . . the little things it does for me . . .

Remember the washstand I bought at a garage sale?


Just look at her now!

I used the Plaster of Paris option suggested by Sherry because Home Depot is just down the street from me. I added 1 part Plaster of Paris to 3 parts paint, although Sherry's suggestion was more like 1 to 2. And I still had to occasionally add a few drops of water to keep it from thickening up too much. It is plaster after all.  


The color is actually more cream than it appears in morning sun.


The beauty of the chalk paint, as many of you already know, is how easy it is to cover and distress. It covered that awful faux-cherry stain in two coats with no bleed-thru of the stain. No more priming! Yay!!!!!!!!!!!



After I let it dry til the next day, I sanded down the surface lightly all over with 220 grit sandpaper. Then I used 100 grit to distress it. Ending with 220 again to smooth it over. Then I applied a clear paste wax to give it a lustrous finish, smooth to the touch, and oh so purrrrrrty!


I heart my homemade chalk paint! Thanks Sherry!

And for those that are interested:

Project Cost Total $27
Wash Stand $10
Plaster of Paris (plenty leftover for other projects) $8
Leftover paint and sandpaper $0
Wax  (again, plenty leftover that will be used for other projects) $9

The only question that remains is . . .
Your place or mine?

I'm gonna party til I drop at the following sites:
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34 comments:

  1. EmilyMay 7, 2012 at 9:23 AM

    I love the DIY chalk paint too, it works just fine for me especially since the real deal is on the pricey side. And to answer your question, I'd like that piece to come home with me please!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 7, 2012 at 1:39 PM

      Thanks, Emily! I just got back from your site. You do some nice work too. I'll be your latest follower if you'll be mine? ;-)

      Delete
  2. DebbiedoosMay 8, 2012 at 5:03 AM

    There you go Peg...fabulous makeover. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with the newbie party.

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  3. Patti @ Pandoras BoxMay 8, 2012 at 12:07 PM

    This is lovely...I also want to try to make my own paint - what type of wax did you use?

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 8, 2012 at 4:00 PM

      I used Minwax Clear Paste Wax on this one. I didn't want to darken the color on this one because it's a small piece and I wanted it to be bright still. It gave it a good sheen with just a hint of softness to the cream color. Thanks for visiting, Patti!

      Delete
  4. Miss CharmingMay 8, 2012 at 3:14 PM

    I bought my plaster of Paris and am excited to try my own chalk paint. Your washstand turned out so well. I love the color you chose. (Newest follower)

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 8, 2012 at 4:15 PM

      Thanks for stopping by Miss Charming, and for following me. I just got back from looking at your blog. And I'm your latest follower. You do some nice work. Good luck with your chalk paint. I'm working on a second project with it now. There's no stopping me now!

      Delete
  5. Barbe @ Beez Rental DesignsMay 8, 2012 at 7:43 PM

    Hi Peggy, I love what you've done with the washstand! I know my readers will appreciate seeing the finished project, too! Thanks again for partying with us! : ) I'm getting ready to mix up some more DIY chalk paint this evening!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 10, 2012 at 6:17 AM

      Thanks for stopping by, Barbe! Can't wait to see what you do with your chalk paint?

      Delete
  6. Cassie BustamanteMay 9, 2012 at 3:00 PM

    so cute! it would look adorable in a bathroom!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 10, 2012 at 6:19 AM

      Thanks for stopping by, Cassie! I'm glad I found your blog! Thanks for hosting!

      Delete
  7. Theresa @ Shoestring EleganceMay 11, 2012 at 7:59 AM

    Beautiful job, it turned out wonderful..Don't you just go nuts over how well this stuff works??? Who would have thought? If you get a chance check out my chalk paint tray redo over @ shoestring elegance, love to get your thoughts.. Have a great weekend! Cheers!
    ~Theresa

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 11, 2012 at 7:26 PM

      Thanks for stopping by Theresa! I just subscribed to your feed. Love what you do with vignettes of your china. The tray turned out great! I need to take lessons from you and put all these teapots and china to good use in my photos.

      Delete
  8. UnknownMay 11, 2012 at 8:39 AM

    Beautiful job! It looks wonderful! Don't you just love all this! I'm now following!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 11, 2012 at 7:15 PM

      Yes, I absolutely love it all! I'm having way too much fun with it. Thanks for following, Lorrie! I love your blog too. Can you tell me the secrets to taking such fabulous photos? Yours are really spectacular!

      Delete
  9. Lisa and Joey @ Paintbrush and ScrewdriverMay 11, 2012 at 9:44 AM

    Stopping by from Shabby Nest.

    Your washstand came out great - thanks for the info on making your own chalk paint.

    Adding myself as a new follower!

    Lisa

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 11, 2012 at 7:16 PM

      Thanks for joining me, Lisa! I just got back from checking out your blog. Love what you did with the breakfast room and the banquet.

      Delete
  10. PamelaMay 11, 2012 at 10:32 AM

    Turned out beautiful! I have not had any luck in the homemade chalk paint arena. Thanx for joining THT!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 11, 2012 at 7:20 PM

      Thanks for stopping by, Pamela! And thanks for doing what you do. I'm your newest follower! Let me know if you need some help with the chalk paint thing.

      Delete
  11. Ms. AMay 11, 2012 at 11:49 AM

    Great job! I love the light distressing you've done. Thanks for the comment on my red bed. I'm now your lastest follower as well! :)

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 11, 2012 at 7:22 PM

      Thanks for joining me Ms. A. I love your site too. So glad I found you. What you did with that old bed is fabulous! I hope I can find the right red when I need it!

      Delete
  12. MONICA LIVASMay 12, 2012 at 2:29 AM

    I LOVE it! I have used too DIY Chalk Paint, it's wonderful!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 13, 2012 at 5:33 AM

      Thank you, Monica. I just came back from your blog and you do some amazing work. I love all your use of French toile. I'm your latest follower! Thanks again for stopping by!

      Delete
  13. Hooked on DecoratingMay 12, 2012 at 5:58 AM

    You did a wonderful job Peggy! It is really beautiful! I have yet to try DIY chalk paint but after seeing your piece I think I need to give it a try soon! Thanks again for stopping by my blog. You have a lovely blog and I have subscribed to your posts so I can stay updated.
    Take care,
    Carrie

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 13, 2012 at 5:41 AM

      Thanks for joining me, Carrie, and for your kind words. Your sewing table makes me want to go out and get some turquoise paint for my next project, a vintage Ethan Allen wooden bench from my childhood.

      Delete
  14. StagerLindaMay 12, 2012 at 10:20 AM

    HA! HA! HA! First of all, loved your description of your new 'friendship'. Thanks for the hardy laugh. The project turned out super! I've read about chalk paint but never got the deal on why it is so special.

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 13, 2012 at 5:51 AM

      Thanks for stopping by, Linda. Love your blog too! I envy you your career. It sounds like a ton of fun! For me, allure of chalk paint is that it eliminates the need for sanding and priming old furniture. The old stain doesn't come through the paint. Then the chalky texture is easy to distress, it sands down evenly without peeling off like latex paint usually does.

      Delete
  15. StaceyMay 14, 2012 at 1:55 PM

    Super cute! Love it!
    Thanks for linking up this week!
    Stacey of Embracing Change

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerMay 15, 2012 at 6:05 AM

      Very kind of you to drop by, Stacey! Thanks for doin' what you do!

      Delete
  16. Kim~madeinadayMay 17, 2012 at 4:17 AM

    Stopping by to let you know I am featuring you today! Thanks for the inspiration!
    Kim@madeinaday
    http://madeinaday.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Katie - Something to be FoundJune 27, 2012 at 3:56 PM

    Hi! Thanks for stopping by over at my blog. I just read this post and LOL'd about your lifelong relationship with chalk paint. Too funny@ And this piece turned out beautifully!!

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    1. Peggy Meckling-BakerJune 27, 2012 at 6:48 PM

      Thanks for stopping by, Katie. I'm taking this piece with me to the east coast tomorrow to sell it to a shop owner out there.

      Delete
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