Color might be one of the most important things to consider in your home decor. It can elicit a multitude of emotions and feelings. It can help create a cozy space or give the illusion of more space. Having a color scheme can help you pull a room together, and with Chalk Couture, you can add decor pieces in just the right accent color for your color scheme!
This Chalk Couture Paste & Ink Guide will provide information on what colors are available in chalk and ink, how to seal or make your projects permanent, how to decide whether to use paste or ink, and how to choose colors for your project.
Chalk Couture Paste & Ink Guide
Table of contents
Chalk Couture Paste
Chalk Couture Paste is perfect for hard surfaces. It’s washable and forgiving when wet, and dries to a hard, matte, durable finish. It can be used on chalkboards, wood, and just about any surface you can find. When chalk paste is sealed, it will be permanent and can be used outdoors. It can also be used on textiles and glass if you do not need it to be permanent.
There are 50 colors of chalk paste to choose from including a glow in the dark paste. Chalk paste is available in 3 oz jars, paste packet singles for select colors and coordinated palette packs.
- 3 oz jars will last for many chalk projects
- Paste Packet Singles provides enough paste for at least 2 projects
- Palette Packs are great for creating projects in coordinating colors or using multiple colors in one project that will go well together.
How do you seal paste projects?
If you want to make your design permanent, apply a sealant. There are many sealants available including spray sealants, polyurethanes, and waxes. Your choice of sealant may vary based on your surface and if your design will be used outdoors. Read the label and follow recommended directions.
Apply sealants in light coats and wait for each layer to dry as your paste may bleed if it gets too wet. I typically use Krylon spray in matte finish on my projects.
Chalk Couture Ink
Chalk Couture Ink is ideal to use with fabric, apparel and glass. It comes in 24 colors and is available in 3 fl. oz jars. For best results, use an ink mat on fabric projects to help smooth out wrinkles, hold your fabric in place, and protect your surface since ink can bleed through your fabric. It is best to let your ink projects dry for 24 hours if possible, and ink designs will be permanent when heat set.
How do you heat set ink projects?
- Fabric – Once done inking, let your project dry for 24 hours if possible. To heat set your project, carefully remove it from the ink mat and place a barrier like a piece of parchment paper between your design and the iron. Heat an iron to medium heat and apply the iron to your project constantly moving it around in small circles for 4 minutes. Use this process to heat set on both sides of your fabric.
- Glassware and Ceramics – For items such as glassware and ceramics that can tolerate heat, preheat your oven to 300 – 350° F and then place your items in the oven for 30 minutes. Let your project dry for 24 hours if possible before heat setting. Note that Chalkology Ink is meant for decor items and is not formulated to come into contact with food and beverages.
Paste or Ink?
| Chalk Paste | Ink | |
| Surfaces | – use on and remove from most nonporous surfaces, such as chalkboards, glass, metal, and even painted walls. – use on porous surfaces such as wood or paper, but only as a permanent design. | Use on fabric, apparel, tote bags, glassware, and ceramics |
| Colors | 50 total colors (3 oz jars): Forest, Rust, Slate Rose, Sunset Drive, Dusky Blue, Berry, Sunnyside, Shadow, Dune, Colonial Blue, Lakeshore, Camel, Wisteria, Tide, Sage, Papaya, Pesto, Meadow, Mauvelous, Cadet, Guava, Raspberry Sorbet, Eucalyptus, Peony, Orange Peel, Storm, Black Velvet, Bright White, Currant Jam, Bark, Bumblebee, Candy Apple, Couture Teal, Couture Coral, Ocean Mist, Peachy Keen, Glow in the Dark Shimmers: Shimmer Moonlight, Shimmer Rose Gold, Shimmer Eucalyptus, Shimmer Orchid, Shimmer Melon, Shimmer Crimson, Shimmer Plum, Shimmer Frost, Shimmer Olive, Shimmer Harvest, Shimmer Copper, Shimmer Silver, Shimmer Gold | 24 total colors (3 oz jars): Orange Peel, Berry, Sage, Dune, Pesto, Ocean Mist, Mauvelous, Cadet, Bark, Currant Jam, Papaya, Tide, Eucalyptus, Storm, Bright White, Black Velvet, Couture Teal, Couture Coral, Bumblebee, Meadow, Candy Apple Shimmers: Shimmer Copper, Shimmer Silver, Shimmer Gold |
| Make Designs Permanent | Many different sealants are available including spray sealants, polyurethanes, and waxes. Your choice of sealant may vary depending on your surface and if your design will be used outdoors. Read the label and follow recommended directions. | Heat set with an iron (fabric) or in the oven (glass, ceramics) |
Choosing Colors for Your Project
Here are a few things to consider when choosing colors for your project:
- Your decorating style and home decor:
- What colors do you use in your home decor? What paste colors will match your color scheme or complement that color scheme?
- Do you want to create projects in an accent color or a neutral that will go with everything?
- Are you looking to create something specific for holiday decorating like Halloween or Christmas? If so, your current color scheme may not really matter! You can go for traditional or non-traditional holiday decorating colors!
- Is there a paste single palette pack available that would make your choices easier? If so, start there! Palette packs are groups of paste singles in coordinating colors! This is a great option if you are not confident choosing colors or are looking to create a series of projects that will coordinate well with one another.
You can get lots of great color inspiration from fabrics, rugs and other artwork in your home! You can pick an accent color to pull out and highlight or go with one of the anchor colors in your color scheme. There really is no right or wrong answer, so go with something that makes you happy!
I hope you got useful information and ideas for choosing a color from this Chalk Couture Paste & Ink Guide. There are many colors to choose from, and so many ways to use these great products! If you need information on everything you need to create a great Chalk Couture project, check out the Ultimate Guide for Chalk Couture Beginners or take a deep dive into available tools in the Guide to Chalk Couture Tools.
I can’t wait to see what you create!
Luana