I've already blogged on how to save tons of money on brand new, full sized gallons of paint (see posts 'The Magic of Paint' and 'A Kitchen Makeover for Less than $350!'). But what about those gorgeous specialty paints? Can you save money there, too? Absolutely! Many times, though it's harder to find the specialty paints as a mistint. I adore chalk paint. It's got that aged, matte finish and my brush strokes are virtually non-existent. But I have spotted one can on the mistint rack in all my years of buying up mistints. ONE. One little pint can. And it was a ridiculously bright shade of neon red. Where am I possibly going to use neon red chalk paint?! (Yes, I bought it and yes, it's still sitting unopened, waiting for the right project...) So instead of hunting through the mistints for chalk paint, I hunt through for the right latex paint color and mix up my own. Here's what you need:
(affiliate links below - proceeds from all affiliate links are donated to no-kill animal shelters and rescue organizations): * 1 cup of latex paint * 2 tablespoons of unsanded grout * Little bit of water
* Stir stick (I used a clean chop stick)
Note: While the ratio is 1 cup to 2 TBSP, I found that mixing up larger amounts was a huge waste of paint. This stuff dries fast so I prefer to work with a cup at a time. Put the measured grout into a small, non-food cup or bowl and add very small amounts of water at a time. I start with a teaspoon or so of water. Stir the grout and continue to add more small amounts of water until the grout has turned into a paste. Work out all of the chunks until the paste is smooth.
Add your grout paste to the cup of paint, stirring until thoroughly mixed.
Start painting. I usually only need one coat of chalk paint for full coverage. I haven't had luck storing homemade chalk paint for long periods of time but so far, it seems to keep if sealed well in an air-tight container (cleaned out lunch meat containers are great for this!). Another good reason to make small batches at a time.
I love the finished look!