How to make your own chalkboard paint

Honeysuckle Pink Chalkboard

FEBRUARY 9, 2011 BY 3GIRLS1BOY

Today I’m going to teach you how to make your very own Honeysuckle 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 1/2 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 cup of the  Pepto Bismol Bright Magenta craft paint.

Step 3) Add 1 1/2 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 noticeable 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 (available as a free download on my blog) and cut it out.

So with that one bowl of Honeysuckle, I covered a 28″x18″ board  with three coats, and a three 12″x15″ cardboard boxes! Total cost for this chalkboard paint project is about $.35.  I can handle that.   I hope you had fun learning with me, and I’d love to see what kinds of things you chalk up in Honeysuckle (or any other color with this tutorial for that matter)! Stop by to visit. The weather is beautiful, and we LOVE tourists! Aloha, Charlie