Custom Chalkboard Wall Paint

See how easy it is to make your own custom chalkboard wall paint. I’m sharing the simple process below.

It’s time for another online shop update! The loft is coming along beautifully! We still have bunch to do, but it feels so great to have everything done in order for us to start on the actual furniture pieces that will play huge roles in the organizing and shipping of our items!

Today, I wanted to share my recipe for our custom chalkboard wall paint. I knew I wanted to have a chalkboard wall in the loft. It brings in a casual vibe to the shop, while still serving a purpose as art and functionality. I’m really excited about marking it up with quotes, lists, and even our logo.

Anyways, I know I’m about the last person on Earth to share a recipe for chalk paint, but better late than never, right? Plus, this can be used on furniture or walls…

Custom Chalkboard Wall Paint

To start, I began by cutting in the wall edges, floor and ceiling with the black paint. Having never mixed my own chalk paint before, I didn’t know how thick and gritty it would be, or if it would even work that well to cut in the surrounding walls…

Then, I found a plastic tub to mix the paint. I added about 5 cups of black latex paint. The color is Black Tar by Benjamin Moore…

To the black paint, I added 2 tbs. of white unsanded grout per cup of the paint, so in my case, 10 tbs. of unsanded grout.

I just dumped it right on top of the paint…

And used a whisk to mix it all together…

I stopped mixing once the lumps were gone and it was a smooth consistency…

With it mixed, I used a normal semi-smooth roller and began rolling the paint on the wall…

Because I didn’t have the guys texture this wall for the chalkboard paint, it went on very smoothly…

I was worried about the paint drying quickly because of the unsanded grout, but I didn’t have any problems. I also worried the remaining paint would become too thick before I had a chance to add a second coat to the wall, but it didn’t do that either! Phew!

Here’s what it looked like after the second coat…

Once it started drying, it became a matte finish…

After it became really dry, I started noticing a few white specks in the paint…

At first I was a bit panicked, thinking I didn’t mix the grout/ paint mixture long enough, but it actually worked out really well. I didn’t want a really black wall, but more of a lighter black with a white chalk hugh, so I used white unsanded grout. After I ran a medium grit sanding block over the wall, all of the white marks were gone! If I had to do it over again, I would still use the white unsanded grout.

After I lightly sanded the wall, it looked like this…

Oddly enough, it’s such a matte finish, that I can mark the wall up with just my fingers. So cool!

I left the wall to cure over-night, then went back the next day and started rubbing chalk all over the wall to season it…

Then, I used a wet rag and wiped off all of chalk…

To get it a little more even, I used a towel and wiped the wall down again…

Then, it was ready to write on!

I definitely didn’t get too specific with it. We still have so much work to do up there, so I’ll plan on getting picky with it one it’s in a little better order. This is about how it looks right now…

Anthony and I need to spend a night or two getting the desk area, product organizers and shipping counters built. It shouldn’t be too bad, but there’s this thing call farming season going on right now. He’s busy working the fields, getting ready to plant and working a full time job. You can guess which is coming last… 🙂

I am planning on making a trip to Home Depot this weekend to buy the remaining supplies, then we’re on it!

Our website is still in the works too, so I’ve been busy taking product shots for all the items we plan to sell. That’s no small feat in itself, or is figuring out the shipping for each item. 🙂

But, we are making progress, and it feels great! Hopefully I’ll be sharing some of our DIY furniture builds soon! Fingers crossed!