Yes you can. Chalkboard paint is ridiculously easy to make. The great thing about making it yourself is the array of colours you can make it in! Do a small project like a message board or go big and turn your kids play room into one big chalkboard! Ohhhhh... all the kids from the neighbourhood would surely be over if that were the case! Follow along for the recipe and some tips!
1 TBSP of non-sanded tile grout
Mix together until there are no lumps.
Yes. That's it.
Let it dry completely.
I popped my chalkboard into an old frame I had. If you do a small project like I did, you could even paint the reverse side of the board in a different colour for days you want a change. I'm thinking.... sunny yellow for mine :)
Have fun!
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*Amendment*
If you find the chalkboard surface is too rough once dried, sand the surface lightly with a fine grit sand paper, then, using the side of a piece of chalk, rub it across the entire surface of the board. Wipe off the chalk afterwards. This can help give you a smoother surface.
GREAT idea Amber!
ReplyDeleteLois
Really neat! I'm definately going to have to do this.
ReplyDeleteI am going to try this! Your on Pinterest now :)
ReplyDeletedoes it work with cardboard markers?
ReplyDeleteWhy would it work with cardboard markers when it's a chalkboard?
Deletehow much does that make? Say I wanted to do a wall do you know the amount I would need?
ReplyDeleteHi Michele, sorry for the delay in the response! It will give you a cup of paint. Just multiply the measurements to make as much as you need. If you are not sure how much paint you will need for a wall, ask your local home improvement store at the paint section, but make sure you know the square footage of your wall first :)
DeleteExcellent idea! Thanks so much:)
DeleteWhy would it work with cardboard markers when it's a chalkboard?
DeleteHi there
ReplyDeletecan I reblog this please?
Hege
here's my blog
http://hegeinfrance.blogspot.com/
Hi there! Yes you may, as long as there is a link back please!
Deletecan you paint the chalkboard paint onto glass or will that scrath off?
ReplyDeleteSince it is latex / acrylic paint, it will scratch off glass. I suppose you could try a primer first, then the chalkboard paint? I'm just guessing... I haven't tested that theory so don't hold me to it lol.
DeleteBenjamin Moore has a great primer for sticking to ceramic or glass and things it's called Stix! That would work :)
DeleteI'm trying this now. I had a piece of square glass and thought why not. Appears to be ok for now (it's drying) lol
DeleteShannon, How did the glass work? I'm trying it now but just wondering how it worked for you!
Deleteany luck on glass ladies?
DeleteThat's awesome! Thanks!
ReplyDeletewhats the best surface to paint this on?
ReplyDeleteHi Anonymous,
DeleteI would say any solid, smooth surface that latex / acrylic paint would adhere to.
How about a piece of plywood?
DeleteSure, it would work on plywood. Just keep in mind if the plywood is rough, it might give you some issues writing on it.
DeleteThank you!
DeleteI saw this from Martha Stewarts website on how to make chalk paint.
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome! Would you ever paint this on a wall in your home? Or do you just recommend using it on crafts?
ReplyDeleteYou could indeed do this on a wall in your home. Just be sure to use latex paint. Cheers ;)
DeleteHi there,
ReplyDeleteQuick question if you only have white paint but want a different color do you think I could put in food coloring to make it a different color. Would it still work the same?
I really can't answer that question with any first hand experience, but I would say, it would probably be best if you could even get your hands on a small bottle of acrylic craft paint and add that to your white to tint it. Although, I think white chalkboard paint would be awesome and totally unexpected ... especially if you used some really bright vibrant chalk on it ;)
DeleteMy Mum always added in acrylic paint when she wanted to tweak a bucket of paint at home....she def knew what she was doing since she worked in a shop that sold Benjamin Moore paints for years.
Deletedon't use food coloring to change your paints color..I did that to my daughters bathroom, and the color runs from the steam of the showers, although the walls are still tinted...you can see where it needs wiped down and the color is fading!
DeleteThis is soooo cool! I love how simple it is.
ReplyDeleteAwesome Q & A's Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThis is strait off martha stewart page. Give credit.
ReplyDeleteHi Liliya. Yes there is a Martha Stewart recipe for chalkboard paint. There are actually quit a few chalkboard paint recipes floating around the internet which are all basically the same thing. I have never claimed this to be an original idea of my own, I am simply sharing this awesome idea with my readers. This is my experience and version from all of the other versions I've seen around the net. Cheers :)
DeleteMartha Stewart did not invent chalkboard paint, neither did Martha leave a link on her site as to where she learned the recipe!
DeleteI could only find unsanded grout with polymer,Is that the right grout?
ReplyDeleteA lot of the grout now does have polymer additives. I believe it's supposed to help with flexibility and to keep it from getting brittle. The grout I used was a poly blend and it worked fine for me.
DeleteThank you, I cant wait to give it a try.
DeleteThanks for sharing. It is expensive to buy chalkboard paint. So much cheaper to make your own. I will be trying this!
ReplyDeleteMy hardware store (in NZ) was adamant that there was no such thing as "non-sanded" tile grout. They just had one type of tile grout that is "grouting cement for ceramic and mosaic tiles". Would that work?
ReplyDeleteHere's a picture- maybe you could print it and show them?
Deletehttp://c497280.r80.cf2.rackcdn.com/2011/03/sat-night-in-kitchen.jpg
Ha! That oughta show them that it does exist! Thanks. Might try the tile grout I got anyway and see if it works.
DeleteI like the glass of wine in the picture. It shows you are enjoying your work. :D
DeleteJust wanted to say that I got the Selleys tile grout that I mentioned on Feb 8 and it worked a treat!
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this!
Excellent Lisa! I'm glad it all worked out!
DeleteHi Amber,
ReplyDeleteI am in a non english country, in Europe and I do not quite understand: "The grout" is th dust used to stick tiles on the wall? or the dust put between the tiles to cover the little lines?
(I tried google translate and I did not understand):)
Thanks a lot!
Hi Ioana, Grout is the dust used between the tiles to cover the lines.
DeleteThanks for stopping by!
I think this would be awesome to use on the top and drawers of a desk. I may be able to talk my son into doing this. So excited to try different colors.
ReplyDeleteHow many coats did you use and about how long does it take to fully dry. Also does the smell go away once it dries LOL
ReplyDeleteHi Julie, sorry for the delay in responding! I did 2 or 3 coats. Drying times will depend on how thick you apply the paint. When in doubt, leave it for a couple hours :) And mine didn't have any odour when it was all done ;)
DeleteHi! Thank you so much for your time with your posts. did you have to make any more "batches" for your 2 or 3 coats? or was the first batch enough? I have a mischievous toddler, and need to account time wise. lol
DeleteDid you paint this on wood to put in your frame?
ReplyDeleteSarah, I actually used some masonite board, which is wood product (it's scraps of wood pressed into a board). I found some in the clearance aisle of a store, so that's what I used :)
DeleteThanks so much!
DeleteDo you think this would work on a metal surface?
ReplyDeleteAs long as you prime the metal surface appropriately it should work out. :)
DeleteDoes this work on glass??
ReplyDeleteHi there! There was actually a previous comment about this and another reader replied with the following;
Delete"Benjamin Moore has a great primer for sticking to ceramic or glass and things it's called Stix! That would work :)"
Hope that helps you!
Awesome! So many great things can come from this... the little wheels in my head are turning... :)
ReplyDeleteThis is a great tip thanks.
ReplyDeletemight do this on kids wall
ReplyDeletewhat do you paint it on ? cause i want to make chalkboards but what would i use to paint the chalkboard paint on?
ReplyDeleteHi there, you can paint it on any hard surface. I used a piece of masonite board. Wood is a great option. You can often find wood shapes at the dollar store. Those would make great little chalkboards.
DeleteWhen you say wood is a great option would I need to prime it or no. Been wanting to do this for my boys. What makes chalkpaint any different than just regular paint if I'm going for something permanent? Or does it not really matter. Sorry I'm a little new to all of this
DeleteI wanted to try this in small a small quantity so I did 1/4 cup acrylic paint (black) and 1 tbsp grout (even found a really small container at Lowes for under $2)...so far it looks good on the mason jars, a piece of glass and a plastic (albeit terra cotta looking) flower pot...I also, just to see if it'd work, purchased two pieces of tile ($0.52 cents each) to see if it would at least adhere to that smooth service and again, so far so good. Still waiting for all items to dry completely but fingers are crossed.
ReplyDeletehow did it go shannon?
Deletewonderful wonderful idea! especially making mini chalkboards, i really want to try it now.
ReplyDeleteIs this simliar to the Annie Sloan Chalk Paint? I've heard a lot about it but never bought any b/c it was so expensive....if this is close I'm in! Lol. Thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi there, you know, I've never been able to get my hands on some Annie Sloan chalk paint... it's on my wish list but proven hard to get here (Ontario, Canada). I actually have a project coming up which will address that question a little better. Stay tuned!
DeleteI know this was posted quite a while ago, but I saw this blog where a gal tested out 3 different types of chalk paint, one was the Annie Sloan.
Deletehttp://inmyownstyle.com/2012/08/testing-1-2-3-versions-of-chalk-paint.html
This was super helpful to me, and I had no idea you could use it to paint furniture with and distress it!!!
Thanks for the recipe posting Amber!
hello i was thinking about doing this...do you think it would work on a white board...do i need primer to do this..
ReplyDelete-thanks so much for this BTW!
Hi there! Thanks for stopping by :)
DeleteI haven't tried painting it onto a white board before, but I think you would need a primer because of the smooth slick surface of the board. I'd love to hear how it turns out!
Going to give this a go many thanx
ReplyDeleteHi. I really would like to try this and already have the paint i need. I was just wondering, the only unsanded tile grout that i could find was a "white dry nonsanded tile grout". Would this work? I am unsure how the white dry would effect the paint, if at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Hi, that sounds like the right stuff! Have fun!
DeleteI have not scanned all the responses, but I was a school teacher and when our chalkboards were freshly coated we were advised to coat the entire board (called "Chalking" the board) by rubbing a stick of chalk on its side all over the entire surface of the board. This prevented the 'ghosting' effect of the first marks never really fully wiping or washing away.
ReplyDeleteI do so love this idea and love the way it could be used in so many ways!
I am thinking...kids like to play with magnets on the refridgerator. This causes scratches. How nice it might be to cover that scratched fridge in the chalk board paint, white. Give them chalk! What do you thing. Of course primer would be good here.
ReplyDeleteI did this today...as soon as I started mixing the paint and grout it thickened up...i ended up with a paste. No way to roll or even paint it on w/ a brush. What did I do wrong? 1 cup to 1 tbs...is it supposed to do that if so...how in the world do you paint with it?? I ended up just using my hands, using a roller to kinda flatten it out and then used my fingers to flatten it out so there wasn't any streaks or pikes. lol
ReplyDeleteLol at using your hands! Sounds like something I would do lol.
DeleteIt will get thick because of the grout and even more so if your paint is thick. You could try mixing the grout with a touch of water first just to get it smooth, then add that to the paint. I hope that helps you!
Thanks..I'll have to try that. My sweet darling children decided to "help" after I smoothed it out and decided to smooth it out again for me (yes...tons of finger size streaks all over it) plus I added more paint hoping it would get less thick (yeah, that didn't work lol) and I'm sure that's why it cracked once it dried. GOING to try it again today with your suggestion and see if I can cover up what I did yesterday and smooth it out and not have it crack this time! :)
DeleteI found an old Art easel at a yard sale. It's the kind that has the white board on one side and the green chalk board on the other. The white board had been ruined with permanent markers and crayons, but the green side was fine. I purchased the easel for $5 thinking my son would at least be able to use the green side. After reading your article, I'm going to refurbish the green (with a newer, more vibrant color) and turn that ruined whiteboard into chalk board as well. Since the boards slide out of a track, it should be fairly easy to do!! Thanks so much for your tips!!
ReplyDeleteTry sanitizing wipes on the white board!!! Or an alcohol based sanitizer and wipe it down. Citrus oil sprays (even air freshener made with real citrus oil) can work too. It should take it off, but might take a little elbow grease if its been there for a while
DeleteTry sanitizing wipes on the white board!!! Or an alcohol based sanitizer and wipe it down. Citrus oil sprays (even air freshener made with real citrus oil) can work too. It should take it off, but might take a little elbow grease if its been there for a while
DeleteCan't tell you how tired I was of our chalk board (on a wall) in the kitchen as it always made my kitchen look sloppy (in my opinion). I painted the inside of a cupboard door and I did it with 'white' chalkboard paint (so easy to put together) and bought VERY colorful chalk. Now my Hubby has so much fun writing down an item that he used the last of.
ReplyDeleteCan't tell you how many raves I've received and how many of my neighbors have done the same thing now.
CHEERS, CC
I am mixing some navy and hot pink and putting the boards into really whimsical contrasting frames for my nieces and nephews and a larger one for my daughter, hers is lime, hot pink in a zebra striped/marabou feathered trimmed frame. I can't wait to make more for gifts for teachers this year and for people at the office! My imagination is going wild! I'm so glad I found this. Thank you soooo much!!
ReplyDeletecan you use any paint? or does it have to latex paint?
ReplyDeleteI have made it by mixing flour and water til it had the consistency of glue then mix in some paint. I used some of the little bottles of paint that you can buy for about $1.
ReplyDeleteJust wanted to say thanks for this, found it on Pinterest and blogged about it as well, included a link to your blog too, hope ya don`t mind :) New follower here!
ReplyDeleteThank you for posting
ReplyDeleteFound this on Pinterest and just wanted to say thanks for sharing such a great idea, and I couldn't care less if it was all your idea or martha stewart's or whoever... I love that you took the time to share with us! Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Betty!
DeleteThank you so much for the recipe!! I found some cheap "sample" bottles of paint and went to town on multiple frames for a gift basket for work! They are a HUGE hit =) Thank you for making me look like a genius!
ReplyDeleteLol... that's awesome! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
DeleteThanks for the info. I will try this.
ReplyDeleteAny updated information on the idea of the Annie Sloan chalk paint? Would this work about the same? I've been wanting to paint my old dining room furniture....leaning towards a soft, antique white, but not totally sure of what color and if I could make my own chalk paint to do this, all the better 'cuz Sloan's paints are expensive and not so easy to buy, unless we order thru a website....she also has a wax to shine it up??? any thoughts on that too? Anita in PA
ReplyDeleteYes! I actually did a post this summer on that very subject! You can check it out here http://www.salttree.net/2012/08/refinished-dressers-with-diy-chalkpaint.html
DeleteCheers!
I could not find anything that said un-sanded grout. I have only been able to find powdered tile grout. Would this be the same?
ReplyDeleteIs it necessary to sand the piece of furniture you are going to paint with caulkboard paint. Do you know anything about what type of wax to use on the piece of furniture that has been caulkboard painted
DeleteI would not apply any wax to the chalkboard painted area, lest the wax make it too slick for the chalk to rub off of the stick and adhere to the painted surface. It should be fine to use the same wax as you normally would on any non-chalkboard areas.
Deletethis is way cool ! I WILL BE DOING THIS TO A WALL!
ReplyDeleteSo cute! Love it!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing !! I have been wanting to do so many different projects that call for chalk board paint ! Yes it is VERY expensive !! Now I can finally get started on those projects !! Thanks so much !!!
ReplyDeleteHow much grout would I need to paint an entire wall and/or room?
ReplyDeleteYour local paint store can help you figure out how much paint is needed for your walls / room. For each gallon of paint, 1 cup of grout would be needed.
DeleteCan you paint over it of you use it on a wall in the home?
ReplyDeleteabsolutely!
DeleteI wanna do this on a wall in my room, but we rent. help? can I paint over it or remove it somehow?
ReplyDeleteHi there, yes, you can simply paint over it with latex house paint when you no longer want the chalk board finish.
Deletehello! thanks for the chalkboard paint info,im going to try it, i have chalkboard vinyl but it wld be cheaper to make the paint.do you know anything about the magnetic paints hv you found or heard anything about how to diy?
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa, thanks for stopping by. I haven't tried making my own magnetic paint yet. I've found the store bought versions never had much holding power, so the interest was never there for me. I have seen some DIY options online, like this one... http://openmaterials.org/2012/07/02/diy-magnetic-ink/
Deletewhat did you use for a backing? I mean what did you paint this on, just a board?
ReplyDeleteHi Chelsey, I used a masonite backing type of board that I found in the clearance section of my local craft store. Really, anything that you can paint with acrylic paint, wont warp, and is stiff enough to withstand the pressure of being drawn / written on would work fine :)
DeleteI'm wondering if this paint can be used all over on furniture, like the expensive Annie Sloan chalk paint to achieve the distressed look?
ReplyDeleteindeed it can... you can see a couple of examples here http://www.salttree.net/2012/08/refinished-dressers-with-diy-chalkpaint.html
Deleteand here...
http://www.salttree.net/2012/08/making-chalk-paint-jewelry-display.html
Hi, Sam here. Can I paint on say, a large piece of thin plastic?
ReplyDelete