5 Reasons to Use Milk Paint

A fresh outlook is like a fresh coat of paint.  It doesn't cost much, but sometimes it makes a huge difference.  ~ Susan Gale 

I'm remodeling a little house on our property to be a farm school where I can offer classes on all these things I have been blogging about - and I am absolutely thrilled about it.  Right now, of course, it is in the planning stages...what to do with the items that are stored there now, will the furnace work, will the plumbing still work...lots to figure out.  But, I'm gathering photos and dreaming.  

One decision to make is going to be what kind of materials to use in the remodeling process.  I'm going to use as many low VOC, green, sustainable products as I can.  One of those products is going to be Milk Paint.  

Milk paint is one of the oldest forms of paint there is.  According to RealMilkPaint.com, artwork on cave walls from thousands of years ago were made with paint made with milk.  It is a testimony to the durability of milk paint that those cave wall paintings are still around for us to see. 

Milk paint is made with skim milk, hydrated lime and pigments.  Hydrated lime is made from limestone.  It is a bonding agent and what will make the paint work as paint.  You can make this paint yourself with milk(there is a recipe in Milk Cow Kitchen by MaryJane Butters) or buy it in powder form from www.RealMilkPaint.com and mix it with water.  The colors are stunning! 

So, that is where you can buy it or where you can find instructions to make it.  But, why would you use Milk Paint instead of regular paint?  

Here are the 5 Reasons I Choose Milk Paint

• The protein in milk (casein) dries to a durable finish
• Milk paint does not have fumes like regular paint does 
• Milk paint can be discarded into your compost pile!  You cannot do that with regular paint.
• The colors are beautiful. See some here  
• I love the idea of making it myself 

Have you ever used milk paint?  I would love to hear your experiences.  Now just to decide which colors I want for our farm school.....

I appreciate your visit today and look forward to our Saturday Skills post on bread baking when I'll share how I keep fresh dough in my refrigerator all the time so I can bake more bread easily.  I hope to see you then.  

Peace by with you, 

Star Schipp 

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