Explaining the Difference Between Chalk Paint and Chalkboard Paint

Explaining the Difference Between Chalk Paint and Chalkboard Paint

For years, I heard people talk about the newest rage in painted furniture. A product they called chalk paint. Annie Sloane is quite popular with her full line of Annie Sloane chalk paint. For some reason, my brain never fully clicked over and understood that there was a difference between chalk paint and chalkboard paint. That was until last year, when I met my friend Mandi at her painted furniture shop, Persnickety's Awesomeness Emporium.

Mandi made a comment about a piece of furniture being painted in chalk paint. I probably made a stupid comment about chalkboard paint, and she said, no, chalk paint, it's totally different. This launched into her explaining the wonders of chalk paint with me and I finally understood that there was a difference.
However, not until last week when I played with chalk paint for the first time, did I fully understand what chalk paint is. I don't want to get ahead of myself though. Let me start with chalkboard paint. Chalkboard paint is paint that can be applied to nearly any surface creating a fully erasable chalkboard. I used chalkboard paint on this dollar store plate

and on this vintage door to create a message board for my tween daughters room.

As I mentioned earlier, Annie Sloane's chalk paint is by far the most popular brand of chalk paint.
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People love chalk paint because it is so easy to work with. Chalk paint requires no sanding or priming, which is perfect when you are painting vintage furniture. Chalk paint is very versatile in that you can add water to make it smooth, leave the lid off to thicken it up a bit or make it into a wash by adding more water.  You can even mix colors making it even more versatile.
Because chalk paint goes on and leaves a matte finish, it's recommended that you apply a soft wax after the paint is dry.  The wax brings out the color of the paint and takes away some of the dullness that the chalk paint leaves.  After you add your wax, you can distress your furniture for your desired result.
I bought some Annie Sloan chalk paint to try last week because I had heard so many great things about it.
Once I gave it a shot {and got over the hefty price tag!}, I instantly fell in love! Come back on Thursday, and I will show you how I made my very own chalk paint. I'm no expert, but if you have any questions on what the difference is between the two, let me know. I will see what I can find out for you!