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This is a badge bit (BB) that is part of the PEP curriculum.  Completing this BB is part of getting the sand badge in Natural Building.

Clay paints are a simple, inexpensive, effective and beautiful way to finish, color and freshen homes or just about any built environment.





Minimum requirements:
- make natural paint from clay and similar natural materials
- use it on a 4x8 sized area

To get certified for this BB, post the following pics:  

- Raw materials. Your clay rich subsoil, other paint ingredients and the tools you used
- Paint a minimum area of 32 square feet
- Action pic
- Image of the final result

COMMENTS:
 
pollinator
Posts: 707
Location: 4a, high mountain dessert
322
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kids foraging rabbit fiber arts medical herbs bee
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Approved submission
I finished my she shed walls and now needed to paint them! Hehe! Trouble is, I was 6 months pregnant and didn't want to breathe in any toxic fumes, so I have been experimenting with different painting methods. I textured my walls with plain old mud from any home improvement store. Then I tried a company called MudPaint, out of Boise, Idaho. I like their shades and non-toxic ingredients, but I realized too late that the paint is made for wood, and didn't perform well on textured drywall. I used it on a couple walls, and it looks fine, but chips so easily. I have to keep touching it up. But not a bad option for someone painting wooden surfaces or wooden walls!

Upstairs in my she-shed, I tried a different approach. I used the same texture clay as a base, then added in food powders of different kinds to get the natural colors I wanted: shades of greens from powdered herbs. I like horsetail the best for a light, sage-y grass color! I also used cocoa powder and beet powder. I mixed in water to get a paintable consistency, and here is how it turned out. Pretty cool, I think! The only downside is, it chips and scuffs easily and mixing the exact same color is challenging. So perhaps a different method would be best in a high-traffic area or home with kids. I suspect that is the same with all home-concocted paints. I'm ok with it, since I didn't have to suck down any fumes which could hurt my baby.  All in all, I painted about 324 square feet with the paint I made. Bonus: it was super cheap!
20220209_142429.jpg
Empty drywall
Empty drywall
20220613_155051.jpg
The MudPaint wall
The MudPaint wall
20220303_134242.jpg
I textured in trees and bushes, like a food forrest
I textured in trees and bushes, like a food forrest
20220613_153902.jpg
The ingredients I used
The ingredients I used
20220613_154652.jpg
going around the trim
going around the trim
20220613_155125.jpg
painted walls
painted walls
20220613_155139.jpg
different shades, even on the ceiling
different shades, even on the ceiling
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.

 
pollinator
Posts: 273
Location: Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada, zone3a at the bottom of a valley
170
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Does milk based paint apply here? The title seem to say so but the description is less clear. I've made mine with raw ingredients like fresh milk and bigs bags of clay (my home clay is red so i'd to buy some white one) and hydrated lime and bulk pigments.

https://oldfashionedmilkpaint.co.uk/pages/what-is-milk-paint
 
Raphaël Blais
pollinator
Posts: 273
Location: Gaspesie, Quebec, Canada, zone3a at the bottom of a valley
170
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forest garden rabbit books chicken composting toilet food preservation bike building wood heat homestead composting
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Here's my BB for natural paint. I used home made milk paint for my bedroom ceiling. I didn't find the exact recipe i used, but it contained white clay and a bit of lime.
https://faircompanies.com/articles/avoid-voc-homemade-natural-paint-clay-and-milk/
lait01.jpg
Curdling sieving
Curdling sieving
lait02.jpg
Mixing curdling with lime, white clay and blue pigments
Mixing curdling with lime, white clay and blue pigments
lait03.jpg
Testing color
Testing color
lait04.jpg
More than 64 foot square ceiling paint !
More than 64 foot square ceiling paint !
20220721_074141.jpg
Bags of white clay and hydrated lime
Bags of white clay and hydrated lime
20220721_074647.jpg
Pigments
Pigments
Staff note (gir bot) :

Mike Barkley approved this submission.
Note: Excellent color.

 
Posts: 212
58
fungi foraging medical herbs
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I made a clay paint and paint one one my she shed walls with it totaling 48 sq feet. I didn't want a red clay so I used kitty litter and was hoping for more of a gray than brown.

Edited to add dried paint and ingredients.
20240914_121517.jpg
making the paint
making the paint
20240914_122930.jpg
wall before
wall before
20240914_123242.jpg
over 6'
over 6
20240914_123218.jpg
8' tall
8
20240914_125613.jpg
in progress
in progress
20240914_131659.jpg
done!
done!
20240914_173240.jpg
dried paint- closer to the color I wanted
dried paint- closer to the color I wanted
20240914_172144.jpg
flour, water and kitty liter
flour, water and kitty liter
Staff note (gir bot) :

Rebekah Harmon approved this submission.
Note: nice! You'll have to let me know how well that holds up to the weather!

 
Cheryl Loomans
Posts: 212
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So far so good and we have had some heavy rain. This wall even faces west (where most of our weather comes out of)
 
The only thing that kept the leeches off of me was this tiny ad:
Special fundraiser JUST for the permaculture bootcamp!
https://permies.com/w/bel-fundraiser
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