Hello Friends!
Be honest...How do you feel about DIY?
Excited? Annoyed? Hopeless? Compulsive?
Isn’t it funny that there are entire tv channels (and Instagram accounts) dedicated to watching some ELSE do-it-YOURSELF? Where’s the channel for normal the “yourselves” who actually did it?
If you’re like me, it’s way easier to watch (or follow) the DIY account rather than actually doing it.
Every once in a while though, you gotta try it.
This week I made a chalk paint recipe from “The Vintage Porch” for my counter in the silo and it worked so well!! (Side not: We're actually USING the silo for milk day and I just can't believe it!) I wanted to share my DIY journey and encourage “YOUR-self” to actually DO IT!!:)
What is chalk paint?
I used to think that chalk paint was only for making chalk boards. But why should chalk boards have all the fun?! I didn’t realize you could use chalk paint for other purposes.
Why chalk paint?
To be perfectly honest, because I felt lazy. Chalk paint is very ‘sticky’ so it doesn’t require sanding before you begin. I’ve done too many projects where the paint doesn’t stick like I wanted it to…. so it was worth a shot for me. Supposedly, you can even use chalk paint on things like metal, wood, and plastic with no sanding required. I haven’t gotten brave enough to try alternative surfaces, but maybe someday :)
Beyond no sanding, I wanted a very matte-vintage look for this piece to match the other weathered elements I have in the silo.
Is that it?
I will also be sealing this piece with a water based matte polly to make sure it’s durable enough for frequent use. This is not the location for delicate furniture... so I may put a double coat of the polly on.
The Trouble With Chalk Paint:
Chalk paint is way too expensive for my taste!! You can spend anywhere from $16-$40 per QUART. Thanks to Vintage Porch, I made some for a fraction of the cost.
So what are we painting?
As part of my Kefir Class grant from Midwest Dairy, I purchased a kitchen island to use as my counter/table in the silo. When the piece arrived, I wasn’t crazy about the yellow color- especially because I don’t have any off white in the silo.
Have you ever purchased a brand new piece of furniture and then immediately painted over it? I haven’t, and it felt crazy! Sure I’ve bought old pieces and have redone them, but never a brand new piece. I’m here to give you permission to paint something new because I’m so happy that I did!
“Recipe”
I purchased Calcium Carbonate from Amazon (it’s usually only available at ceramics shops, so Amazon is pretty handy to have!) and contractors flat white paint from Menards.
Vintage Porch has a little bit of a different recipe than what is printed on the Calcium Carbonate bag, so I just followed her recipe.
She suggests to mix 12 Tablespoons of Calcium Carbonate with enough warm water to make it gooey (add it slowly so you don't get too much water!) Then add your gooey calcium water mixture to a quart of flat paint.
I didn’t have a handy disposable insert for my edging bucket so I just used a gallon plastic bag to mix my paint together. (This move was equal parts genius and lazy because I dislike washing paint out of … anything). Having the paint in a ziplock made it easy to seal it up between coats and made the “clean up” super easy.
Too Antique or Not too Antique that is the question…
Vintage Porch is also the queen of using antiquing glaze to make things look rustic and awesome. I’m just not sure if I should use it for this project or not. I did one leg of the table and let’s just say I’m not convinced. What would you do? Comment below to tell me.
Long story short with this project- you can do it! Don't let all the other 'yourselves' have all the fun! It really is fun to try a DIY every once in awhile! If you try it - send me a picture! I'd love to see your project!
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Ready for some fresh milk?? Yes Please!
Credits:
I really appreciate a lot of the DIY projects that Vintage Porch writes about. To view her blog on chalk paint (and lots of other cool projects she does) you can visit her blog here