DIY Chalk Paint

I would have never even tried chalk paint but a friend of mine gave me some Annie Slone to try.  I'm cheap and it's expensive! $36.95 a quart not including shipping or the trip to go get it from select dealers.  But it's nothing short of fantastic!  It dries in minutes.  It doesn't show streaks.  It doesn't require sanding.  It almost paints itself.  So when I saw DIY chalk paint popping up all over the Internet, I had to try it.  I picked up this little table at a garage sale and you can tell from the pictures, he's seen better days.

Here's the ingredients:

  Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 tbsp. Plaster of Paris

1 1/2 tbsp. of water

1 cup of paint

I used a red solo cup and a plastic spoon to mix the Plaster of Paris and water.  The goal with the plaster is a smooth texture and I ended up using about 2 tbsp. of water to get there.
Earlier I measured 1 cup of water into an old spaghetti jar and marked it with a sharpie at a little over the 1 cup mark to make measuring the paint easier.  Mix the plaster into the paint well.  I didn't bother sanding this little table


The first coat went on a little streakier than I expected but that could be due to my dollar store brushes.  It's all I had on hand so I had to go with it, but I will be throwing them all in the trash soon.  

Coat #1

I added another coat of paint and distressed him a little.  I'm new to this and think I could do a better job at distressing, but it turned out pretty good.  I also added a coat of wax.

He ended up back in the bathroom, where he started.

I wish I had a better camera than my phone.  He's a very pretty color.  I might be addicted.  I'm looking around the house for more things to paint.
This project cost me $9.50!  I got the Plaster of Paris at the thrift store (no kidding) for $3.50, the brushes at the dollar store (which I don't advise) and the table for $5.  Score!
I've read that this paint can last months so I put the lid on it and I plan on painting a window with it later.  I will definitely be using this recipe again!