Which reminds me...even if it hasn't rained in over a month, don't leave a box of Plaster of Paris sitting outside on your work table. Just in case it does rain.
I now have a chunk of plaster...fit for a door stop, but little else. Kind of like washing your car....leave out your supplies and you can almost bet it is going to rain!
That reminds me as well....I have talked about using the homemade recipe for "chalk/plaster" paint. I have used both the store bought paint and the homemade paint. I'm not sure I notice much difference other than the store bought is mixed and ready to go. And it keeps, whereas the homemade pretty much has to be pitched if it isn't used right away. But I like the homemade for several reasons...one, I can mix it with ANY latex paint I have on hand or find on clearance and it is a bit cheaper.
I use kind of a "pinch of this, fist of that" recipe. (Kind of like my cooking!) My best advice is to Google "homemade chalk paint recipe" and do a little research and experiment....find what works best for you.
But I will give some advise if you are going to make your own. Use the Plaster of Paris recipe...it seems to work the best.
Mix the plaster powder with water FIRST and mix it VERY well...make sure it is smooth with no lumps. I use a big old glass measuring bowl and a rubber spatula. I use about 3ish tablespoons of Plaster of Paris mixed with enough water to make it the consistency of pancake batter, then I add about a cup of latex paint. The little sample pots you buy at Lowe's are about one cup. And if it is too thick, just add a little water! Sometimes it thickens a little more as you paint...just add water and mix well!
Most people who use chalk/plaster paint seal their paint with wax. I am just now experimenting with wax. The thing that bothers me the most about it is if you ever want to repaint the piece in the future, you have to remove all the wax. Whereas, if you just spray it with a clear coat it can easily be painted in the future. Either way, you have to seal your painted piece after using chalk/plaster paint. Of course I recommend sealing any paint with a clear coat!
I'll share more about the wax affect after I have played with it a little more! This week I am tearing a utility room off the back of my manager's house and adding supports for an open porch so I am not accomplishing a lot at home during the week...just to hot and tired when I get home. Again, wasps, spiders and creepy crawlies just love to hide in walls and crevices. You would think I would learn!
Oh, and since this is my third time in as many weeks to have a little run in with a rusty nail, I guess it is time to get a tetanus shot. What a pain...literally!
