Chalking it up

Making a come back, chalk is what it's about now adays. Schools have done away with them mostly switching to dry erase. But craters and the like have found unique ways to use chalk paint to make things anew it's not just for walls anymore. Here are a few examples: Painted on wood, plastic and even cardboard, chalk paint is very versatile and easy to make yourself.
















  I decided to give it a try to show others how easy it was and you could even do it to for just pennies instead of buying a quart around $13(priced at my local hardware store). The great thing about making the paint yourself, COLORS!

  I had a $1 coffee table I picked up and decided to save for a rainy day. When I started seeing all the chalk craze I just knew I wanted to give it a try. There are several chalk recipes to choose from but I came across one I liked the best HERE.
  I picked up my dry non-sanded grout for $2.59 and I already had paint at home. So I got to work, my table had a ploy finish and it was a must to rough it up so the paint had something to stick to. Truthfully I did this one time thought it was enough applied it then I went to prep the paint, it rubbed off! So then I had to scrap it off and start over which took all of 5 minutes with a scrapper. I then used a little more elbow grease and got the desire roughness. For the bottom of the table I used a .50 sample container in a slight gray, let it dry then sanded edges for a rustic look. I used a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of water along with acrylic paint for a rub to antique the table further. Cover with a sealer, my preferred choice is a water soluble poly.
  Follow the instructions to a T for the chalk paint and you should have great results.
 My kids love this table and I anticipate it being a great winter boredom buster. We used an oatmeal container covered in decorative paper of course along with some buttons, then viola storage for our chalk!

I can't wait to find something else to chalk, I thought the recipe was easy and I now have enough supplies to love on other objects in the future. Happy chalking, I'd love to hear about anyone's chalking experience and how it worked for you.