I finally tried homemade chalk paint

We recently purchased a new (to us) dresser for our youngest daughter. (We went to Restore - if you've never been to one, check them out! They sell used household items that have been donated and the proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity.)

 

 I knew I would be distressing the dresser to match her other furniture, and this seemed the perfect chance to finally try homemade chalk paint. I used this recipe. I found plaster of Paris at a local craft store. A large carton was very reasonable - under $6. And the recipe was very easy to make. The paint went on easy, though it didn't work well (for me, at least) with a roller. I ended up using a sponge applicator. I'm a roller girl so this was a little disappointing. It did seem to go really far, like promised. But I didn't seem to get great coverage. I had to do multiple coats. In the end, the dresser came out great, though. After painting it, I used my sander to rough it up a bit. I sprayed the hardware with Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. I've been hearing about this on blogs for ages and was excited to have a chance to try it out. I loved it! And it was the perfect touch for this dresser.