the perfect chalkboard

 I think it's fair to say I'm pretty obsessed with the chalkboard trend.

It's kind of my go-to method for repurposing something.



like....chalkboard drawer fronts. I lerves 'em.





Chalkboard paint over a dated and ugly end table makes a great play space for my kiddos.





How about a game table from old coffee table?





Headboards turned signs for events like The Fancy Flea? Yep.



You can give a grungy cutting board a new life as a memo board...




You can slap it on a mirror to remind you that you're fabulous no matter what your reflection shows.




And this Pinterest image inspired me to chalk paint the rust-spotted old fridge in my rental house.



But prior to discovering the holy grail of chalk board paint products, all the DIY chalk paint recipes left me with less than stellar results.

The tile grout recipes are stinky and didn't wipe clean.

Ditto for the Plaster of Paris recipes.

And heaven forbid you press too hard with your chalk, the paint might actually scratch right off your project! Eeek!

I was also less than thrilled with the chalk boards I made from chalk or clay brand name paints. I love, love, love the products in general, just...not for my chalkboards.

So I thought I'd share my secret ingredient to save all our customers from buying another crappy chalkboard, or for all you DIY'ers who might waste a day making a chalkboard that will never come clean.


My secret ingredient is..............drum roll....................

Websters Chalk Paint Powder!

I get to use any color or brand of paint that I want, but I add a smidge more of Websters than the instructions say, and it works perfectly. My chalkboards have been beautiful since discovering this product. They wipe clean without water,  which is actually important to me. I don't always want to use water to clean them completely. I like them to be a little messy, used and chalky looking - but I don't want to be able to read previous messages, you know?




Here's the most recent project I did using Websters Chalk Paint Powder. I needed a new, larger milk paint cabinet for my milk paint at Adjectives Market - and I wanted to answer some FAQ's right there on the cabinet. So naturally, I used a chalkboard to explain. (Only the chalkboard sections contain Websters Chalk Paint Powder. The rest of the project uses Milk Paint. Details below.)

I mixed up some Websters with warm water, then added it to a soft black latex paint. Two light coats of paint later, followed by a thorough rubbing of chalk all over it to "prime" the board, I wrote out all the milk paint logos and deets, & then brought my cabinet into Adjectives Market.

Do you love it?










So, have you tried Websters yet? Any interesting applications you've found for it? I'd love to hear about it!

To order Miss Mustard Seed's Milk Paint, don't forget to visit my space inside Adjectives Market or my online store at www.stellarjunk.storenvy.com.

The milk painted cabinet is a blend of Ironstone, Shutter Gray and Grain Sack with a Kitchen Scale Interior. Love that chippy goodness.



The chalkboard color is called "Bohemian Black" from Sherwin Williams, mixed with Websters Chalk Paint Powder.

If you're new to Websters, feel free to use promo code "stellarsavings" to let them know I sent you, and to get 10% off your order! Enjoy!

Ok friends, lots more news to share this week, watch for another post later on!

Have a great week!

Jess


P.S. To those of you who were expecting this post last Friday following my Facebook announcement about it, please forgive me! My darling hubby whisked me away from the computer and from real life for a fabulous (and partly child-free!) weekend, where we celebrated (/mourned) the last few days of my 20's. Today I am 30 years old. I'm just not sure how I feel about it all yet...