DIY chalk paste and chalkboard stencil

I’ve been reading a lot lately about using chalk paste to create decorative chalkboard art. This immediately appealed to me because it encompasses so many of the crafts that I already love: chalkboard art, painting with adhesive vinyl and (faux) hand lettering.

I started searching my local craft stores for chalk paste, and I was amazed that it was impossible to find! Apparently, the direct sales company, Chalk Couture, has quite a lock on this market. I wasn’t ready to spend $12.99 for one small container of chalk paste, and I was anxious to chalk this saying on my chalkboard: Cherish the past. Engage in the present. Embrace the future.

You can read a whole blog post about this saying and what it means to me by clicking here.

I didn’t have the time or money for an Amazon delivery, so I searched Pinterest for ideas to make chalk paste at home. I found a few ideas that I thought might work, but they also required a trip to the grocery store. Then I came up with an idea of my own.

I’ve always loved decorating the sidewalk with chalk art with my kids. I especially love chalking on a wet surface or dipping my chalk in water to create a vibrant drawing that goes on more smoothly than a regular chalky piece of chalk.

There must be some way to turn my regular chalk into paste!

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Here are the materials I used to create my own DIY version of chalkboard paste/paint and a decorative stencil:

• Chalk (I used mainly old tiny pieces of chalk that had broken.)
• Boiling water
• Stirring sticks
• Contact paper
• Clear contact paper
• Silhouette or Cricut desktop cutting machine
• Arrow Ultimate Font: Design ID #272658
• PN Butter Peas Bold font: Design ID #290849

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I knew that I wanted to create four colors of chalk to give my artwork an ombre effect.

I placed several pieces of white chalk in a small mason jar. I poured boiling water over the chalk just to cover it. I created several other colors using pieces of purple chalk and then red and yellow to give it more of a brown hue.

I let the chalk sit a few minutes in the boiling water. Then I used my stirring stick to crunch up the chalk and mix it until it became pasty. This is not something you want to do if you are in a hurry. I wasn’t feeling well when I worked on this, and it was actually relaxing to just sit and chop up chalk.

After a few minutes, I had mixed up a few variations of white and purple chalk. I added more red and yellow to a few of the jars and mixed a little purple with white to another. I wanted to create four colors that would blend nicely to create an ombre effect.

Next, I designed my template on my Silhouette Cameo 3. You also could do this on your Cricut. Unfortunately, I don’t own a Cricut, but I would love to get one someday to compare with the Silhouette.

I discovered the font called Arrow Ultimate Font in the Silhouette Design Store. The font comes with 1,200 arrow pieces that you can attach to the ends of the font. I am completely in love with this font!

I also wanted a thicker font, and I wasn’t happy with any of the ones I already owned. I decided to download PN Butter Peas Bold, as well.

I am really happy with the cute combo of these two fonts together. I added some hearts at the bottom for extra cuteness.

I cut out my stencil using some old contact paper that I already had. I have found that contact paper works great on projects that don’t have to be perfect. (I prefer using Cricut or Silhouette adhesive vinyl on my more detailed painting projects to protect against bleeding.)

NOTE: I had to redo one section of the chalkboard, and I decided to use Cricut Stencil Vinyl. The vinyl went on the chalkboard perfectly. However, when I went to remove it, it pulled off all of the chalk, as well as the painted surface of the chalkboard. I’m planning to keep experimenting with different types of adhesive vinyl to determine what makes the best chalkboard stencil.

I also use transparent contact paper as transfer tape, and it works great in most cases. It’s also a TON cheaper than name brand transfer tape.

I adhered the three parts of the saying in three different sections.

Then I used a foam paintbrush to cover the words with the liquid chalk. I started at the bottom with the darkest color and worked my way up to white at the top.

Some of the chalk was more watery than others and took a lot longer to dry. I let it dry for a few hours before removing the contact paper. I removed the contact paper while the chalk was still a bit wet. Once the contact paper was gone, the words dried quickly.

I love how it turned out! I have a few more recipes for homemade chalk paste that I’m going to try that I know will be easier than chopping up pieces of chalk. But this was a fun DIY using chalk pieces I already had on hand. I’ll check back in with my results!

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xo, emily