Another Chalk-Tastic Project

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Yes, the title of this post is lame (what is chalk-tastic?), but I’m not always that great at puns…


I decided to take my old can of chalkboard paint out for another spin project. This time, it’s expanding into our kitchen as a fun addition to our pantry door.


I did some rummaging through our garage for free upcycling, and found (er, just remembered that I had it) this framed beach print that used to hang in our apartment bathroom:

I’d bought it ages ago at Goodwill, but the blue fit well into the décor, so I just never did anything to it… until now!

I considered using the door itself as the chalkboard surface, but I didn’t like that the chalkboard wouldn’t be flush with the frame, so I again cut a piece of MDF to fit. All of the materials were already owned, so this was a FREE project (my favorite kind). And this probably doesn’t need to be said, but make sure you let each coat dry between steps!


Materials:
frame – FREE
chalkboard paint – FREE
chalk – FREE
MDF – FREE
acrylic paint – FREE
Total cost:  $0

Step 1:  Before you can begin with the door, you first have to free the frame you will use. Remove the backing and hanging hardware.

Step 2:  Measure and cut the MDF to fit the frame (or if you choose to use the door itself, tape off the area on the door that is to be painted).

Step 3:  Prime the chalkboard surface with spray paint primer (or if you want the surface to be magnetic, magnetic primer).

Step 4:  Paint the surface with chalkboard paint. Use several coats to ensure a thick, erasable surface.

Step 5:  Paint the rest of the door whatever color you want (I chose white to go with the rest of the house trim).

Step 6:  Glue (or screw) the frame to the door, and rehang the door (only if you took the door off in the first place – see my tutorial here for painting a door while in place).

Step 7 (Optional):  Stencil some fun artwork onto the new chalkboard (I haven’t gotten a chance to do this yet!). Also, a tip I received a while back is to lightly rub some chalk over the entire surface and then erase it. This way, your next chalk message will come off easily rather than having to scrub. You can kind of see the haze from rubbing the chalk in the photo above.

Step 8:  As with all of my projects, the last step is a celebratory beer (what else should we do with a beer fridge?). Mmmm… hoppy!

I think I may have a hard time not using the chalkboard paint on everything now. I keep trying to think of ways to use it and a slew of other multi-function paint products. I think I’m going to have to try dry erase paint for Scott’s office next. Have you tried any of your own? Which type of “special” paint products are you hooked on?

Happy Friday, everyone!