Build and Create Home

Beginner woodworking and DIY

Main navigation

How to Make Your Own Chalkboard Paint – DIY

                                       
Aloha!
Today I’m going to teach you how to make your very own chalkboard paint. FROM SCRATCH! Yep, I first learned the secret ingredient from the craft queen herself via her Martha Stewart Living Magazine.  In their version, they used a flat paint like you would purchase in the paint section at a hardware store, but I really just wanted a smaller quantity to do a few Honeysuckle accents around my house and for Valentine’s gifts, so I thought I’d do some experimenting on my own with regular old acrylic craft paints and different proportions. 
Here’s what you will need:
Dry Non-Sanded Grout (purchased this huge tin at our local City Mill hardware store for $1.50…this will probably last me forever)
Acrylic craft paints – White, Black, and Bright Magenta (Apple Barrel line by Plaid, found at Wal-mart)
NOTE: Our craft stores here on the island are somewhat lacking, so I wasn’t able to find anything perfectly matching Honeysuckle. I will give you my “formula” with those combined colors.
Measuring spoons and cups
Mixing cup or bowl
Paint brush or stick to stir
Step 1) Measure 1.5 teaspoons of the non-sanded grout and put in your mixing cup (this is very dusty, so please do this in a well-ventilated area).

Step 2) Pour in 1/4 C. of the  Pepto Bismol   Bright Magenta craft paint.

Step 3) Add 1.5 teaspoons of white acrylic craft paint.

At that point, I really liked the color, but I was going for perfection, and I had the Pantone website up and was trying my very best to match what I saw on the screen. I could tell I needed to mute it slightly with some black.

Step 4)  Add 1/8 teaspoon black acrylic craft paint.

Step 5) Stir for a couple minutes with a cheap paintbrush or stick.

(I’m not really left-handed, but I stink at taking pics with my left hand! ha)
This next pic is to show you that the consistency WILL BE SLIGHTLY LUMPY still. The grout is very fine, so when you brush it on, it spreads right out and isn’t noticable at all.


Step 6) Apply it with a sponge brush.
(Hey, look! I took a pic with my left hand!)

You will need between 1 and 3 coats depending on your medium. For my wooden calendar, I used 3 coats on top of a piece of 1/8″ MDF (I primed with Zinsser water-based primer).

As with any chalkboard paint, you will need to prep the surface once it is completely dry by rubbing a piece of chalk across the entire board (easiest if you turn the chalk on its side). Then erase completely, and it’s ready to go!

I also used it on some cardboard cereal boxes and made chalkboard Chinese take-out boxes. I’ve been planning to do this for my daughter to take to school as gifts and was excited to have some Honeysuckle to use!

This time I only did one layer, and I did not prime it. I just cut the box and painted directly on the inside with the chalkboard paint. Then I used the Chinese take-out box pattern I designed and cut it out.

So with that one bowl of Honeysuckle, I covered a 28″x18″ board x 3 coats, and a 12″x15″ cardboard box x 3! Total cost for this chalkboard paint project is about $.35.  I can handle that.  🙂

This opens up SO many new chalkboard color possibilities! I’d love to hear what you’re chalking up!

Aloha,
Charlie

Update: I was asked how long I let each coat dry since the spray paint chalkboard stuff says to let it dry one day between coats. Truth-be-told, I’m super impatient, and I was in a rush! I painted each layer, then used my blow dryer to dry it until it was really dry to sight and touch. Seriously dries really fast! Just like any old acrylic paint project! Yet another advantage to DIY’ing!  Sweet. 😉

More from my site

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Aloha, Margaret! It's just the 1/4 C. paint to 1.5 teaspoons dry non-sanded grout. I just added the extra bits of paint in to change my color, and they weren't enough of a change to affect the "chalkability", so I didn't bother adding more grout. 🙂

    Aloha and hope that helps!

    charlie

    Reply

  10. I recently stumbled across your blog and live on Oahu also. You mentioned the crummy craft stores here, which I totally agree! I am glad I am not the only one that feels this way.

    Reply

  12. It's projects like this that make me wish I had kids just so that I could use them as an excuse to make cute valentine boxes. Is that wrong? I work with ALL men, and I think that the chalkboard paint and ingenious Chinese boxes would be lost on them. Also, I think I may have fixed my email problem, so I am giving it a test drive. 🙂

    Reply

  19. Hi Charlie! What a wonderfully crafty tutorial! Love the idea of using different colors! Thank you so much for sharing, girlie! I'm definitely going to try this one. Happy NTT to you!

    xoxo laurie

    Reply

  23. Great information!! Wouldn't you know I just spent WAY too much on a small bottle of red chalkboard paint at JoAnns a couple of weeks ago. Rats. Well, never again! Thanks so much for sharing this one.

    Reply

  30. Thanks so much for this post. I read about it at 'Inspired by you' and popped over to see your post. It was just a few days ago I was thinking why does chalkboard paint have to be black! So I was really excited to read this! take care, Maryann

    Reply

  37. I love this!! What a great idea. I just wanted to let you know I am your newest follower and I will be featuring this on Friday. It is such a great tip. Stop by and grab a feature button:>

    Reply

  40. There is part of me that wants to use this to paint one wall of my studio the same color as the others but with chalk paint, so I can just sketch on the entire wall.

    Reply

  41. What a super fun and easy way to make my own custom colored chalkboards! I've been wanting to paint the backside of my son's door with chalkboard paint but the $$ was too much for me. Found this yesterday and painted it today! Thank you!

    Reply

  45. I must be doing something wrong… I used non glossy acryclic paint, grout (in Belgium it does not say sanded or not)but it looks powdery like your stuff) and painted two coats. Cured with white chalk. Try to wipe it off with a damp cloth. The white dust from the chalk jsut sticks to the paint… Arrrgh! What did I do wrong? The wall is purple. Thanks for any advice.

    Reply

  49. I love this idea but one question: does the grout have to be white?? And I've read other people use latex paint…is there a big difference?

    Reply

  51. omgshhh this is awwesssommmmeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for sharing! 😀 I am wanting to do this the cheaper way for my wwedding~rather than buying a bunch of chalkboards. I have a martha stewart kinnnda bright greenish and lavender color. Also, you're saying that this words on anyyyyyyy surface? So it's okay if I use one of those unfinished cheap woods from Michaels/craft stores, right? 🙂

    Reply

  52. Oh wow, this idea is FABULOUS!!! Thanks so much for sharing!

    (I am an island girl living in Illinois, so I have to tell you I love your blog title 🙂

    Reply

  55. I used indoor/outdoor latex paint and did a BIG piece of scrap plywood, nailed it to our patio door and now the kids have a chalk board outside in addition to using the sidewalk for their artwork. So easy and fun. Thanks for posting this!

    Reply

  60. Thanks for the tutorial!!! I just painted over an old ugly rooster pic I had and I'm waiting for the first coat of paint to dry as we speak. Can't wait until it's done. Now my fiancé and I can write love notes and grocery lists on it in the kitchen. Thanks again!

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *