Painting walls, furniture, or other projects white is a simple and affordable way to give spaces and objects a clean, fresh look. While white paint can be purchased pre-made, it’s also possible to make your own white paint using just a few common household ingredients.
What You’ll Need to Make White Paint
Making white paint at home only requires a handful of supplies:
- White pigment powder or titanium dioxide
- Paint binder like glue, resin, acrylic gesso, or latex/acrylic paint
- Water
- Containers for mixing and storing paint
- Mixing utensils like paint stir sticks or wooden spoons
The key ingredients are white pigment powder and a binder. Let’s look at each of these ingredients in more detail.
White Pigment Powder
White pigment powder provides the color for the paint. There are a few different options for white pigment:
- Titanium dioxide – This is a very common white pigment used in many commercial paints. It provides excellent hiding power and brightness.
- Zinc oxide – Another white mineral pigment that can be used instead of or in addition to titanium dioxide.
- Calcium carbonate (chalk) – A more affordable but lower quality white pigment.
Titanium dioxide is the best choice for bright white paint at home. Look for titanium dioxide powder sold specifically for arts and crafts, which is finely ground for mixing into paint.
Paint Binder
The paint binder acts to adhere the pigment and create a spreadable paint consistency. Here are some options for homemade white paint binders:
- Glue – White craft glue like Elmer’s Glue-All.
- Resin – Two-part epoxy resin or polyurethane resin.
- Gesso – Acrylic gesso is formulated as a paint binder.
- Acrylic paint – White acrylic craft paint works as both pigment and binder.
- Latex paint – Leftover white latex wall paint can be diluted with water.
Glue, resin, gesso, or acrylic paint all work well as homemade paint binders. Avoid using oil-based paints, as they take much longer to dry when mixed into homemade paint.
How to Make White Paint
Once you have the necessary supplies, making your own white paint is a simple process:
- Start with approximately equal parts pigment and binder. For example, mix 1 cup white pigment powder with 1 cup glue or acrylic medium.
- Gradually add water while mixing until you achieve the desired consistency for your paint project. Add water by the tablespoon until the paint flows smoothly but isn’t too thin.
- Mix thoroughly to fully incorporate the pigment with the binder and water to make an even paint.
- Store homemade paint in an airtight container like a mason jar. The paint can be safely stored and used for several months.
The exact mix ratios and water amounts can vary based on the specific ingredients. Getting the right paint consistency may take some trial and error.
Tips for Making Great Homemade White Paint
Follow these tips when concocting your own white paint at home:
- Use titanium dioxide for the brightest white color.
- Choose acrylic gesso or resin for a paint that dries fast and hard.
- Add a few drops of glycerin to acrylic paint for better flow and leveling.
- Mix in a little white school glue for better adhesion on slick surfaces.
- Stir the paint well before each use to reincorporate pigment.
- Test paint on cardboard before painting final surfaces.
- Apply thin layers of paint and let dry fully between coats.
Experimenting with different ingredient ratios is key for perfecting your ideal homemade white paint. Adjust the pigment and binder amounts to achieve the coverage and texture you desire.
Recipes for Homemade White Paint
Here are a few recipe ideas for making your own white paint suitable for different projects:
All-Purpose Homemade White Paint
- 1 cup titanium dioxide powder
- 1 cup acrylic gesso or medium
- 3-5 tablespoons water
This basic recipe makes a bright white paint with acrylic binder, perfect for paper, wood, canvas, and other porous surfaces. Thin with water for consistency needed for your application method like brushing or spraying.
Ultra-Bright Heavy Body Acrylic Paint
- 2 cups titanium dioxide powder
- 1/2 cup acrylic modeling paste or gel medium
- 1/4 cup water
Increase the pigment concentration for an extremely opaque paint. The gel binder allows thick application mimicking heavy body acrylic artist paint.
Glue-Based White Paint for Kids
- 1 cup titanium dioxide or chalk
- 1 cup white craft glue
- 2 tablespoons water
The glue binder makes this paint safe and washable for children’s crafts. Add a few drops of food coloring to tint it pastel colors.
Fast-Drying Epoxy Resin Paint
- 1 cup titanium dioxide powder
- 1 cup two-part epoxy resin
- 2 tablespoons water
Epoxy binds the pigment into a tough, durable paint that dries quickly. Use for paint effects on wood, metal, and resin crafts.
| Recipe | Pigment | Binder | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose | Titanium dioxide | Acrylic gesso | Canvas, paper, wood |
| Heavy Body Acrylic | Titanium dioxide | Acrylic gel | Thick paint techniques |
| Kids’ Craft Paint | Titanium dioxide or chalk | White glue | Children’s projects |
| Fast-Drying Epoxy | Titanium dioxide | Epoxy resin | Wood, metal, resin crafts |
This table summarizes the different homemade white paint recipes, ingredients, and ideal use cases.
Tinting and Color-Matching Paint
For anything beyond pure white, homemade paint can be tinted using pigments or dyes. Here are some options:
- Acrylic craft paint – Mix in drops of acrylic paint to tint the shade.
- Tempera powder pigments – These powdered pigments mix well into homemade paint.
- Liquid watercolor or food coloring – Use just a few drops to lightly tint the paint.
- Universal tinting colors – Special concentrated colorants designed for tinting paint.
Start by adding just a small amount of tint and increase as needed to match the desired color. Powder pigments, liquid dyes, and acrylic paint can all be used singly or in combinations to produce a wide spectrum of paint colors.
For specific paint colors, collect paint swatches from hardware stores for color-matching. Test swatches of the homemade paint on white paper or cardboard. Adjust the tint color and amount until achieving the closest match to the paint swatch.
Storing Leftover Homemade Paint
Transfer any unused paint from the mixing container into smaller leak-proof containers for storage. Glass jars or plastic containers with tight lids work well for storing paint.
Seal containers tightly to prevent paint drying out or leaking. Store paint in a cool, dry place away from direct sun. Homemade acrylic and glue paint will keep for several months in sealed containers. Paint with epoxy binder has a more limited shelf life of a few weeks.
Stir or shake homemade paint thoroughly before using again to redistribute pigment that may have settled. Adding a bit of water will thin the paint back out if needed after storage. Discard paint once it starts drying out, becomes stringy, or doesn’t remix well.
Cleaning Up After Painting
Clean brushes and equipment with soap and water after using homemade white paint. For dried acrylic paint, let brushes soak in an all-purpose cleaner or ammonia water solution to loosen paint residue. Avoid using very hot water as that can make cleaning more difficult.
Mineral spirit solvents can help clean oil-based paints from brushes. However, homemade white paint recipes avoid using traditional oil-based paint ingredients. Rinse all equipment with clean water after cleaning.
Any paint splatters or drips can be removed from surfaces with household cleaners once fully dry. For stain-resistant surfaces like tiles, glass, or metals, most household cleaners will remove dried acrylic paint. Use gentle cleaners and test on a small area for painted walls or finished wood.
Conclusion
With just a few basic ingredients on hand, white paint can be easily made at home. Finding the right ratios of inexpensive white pigment powder and acrylic, glue, or resin binder lets you produce paint customized for your project needs.
Tinting with dyes or pigments allows matching any shade. Homemade paint makes painting affordable, while avoiding harsh chemical fumes from commercial paints. Understanding optimal paint mixing methods and proper storage means your homemade paint will be readily available for all your DIY painting tasks.
