Monday, November 19, 2012

DIY Chalkboard Tutorial

I've been wanting a chalkboard somewhere in my home for a while now, but haven't gotten around to buying one yet. I really like the look of the Restoration Hardware chalkboards, but didn't want to fork over that much $ for a chalkboard. So I decided - DIY it was.

We headed to Lowe's over the weekend to purchase our supplies:
- plywood (I bought a 2x4 pre-cut piece for $13)
- chalkboard paint in the can (not spray)
- stain
- steel wool (sandpaper will work as well)
- paint roller
- painters tape

The process was simple, but time consuming. I spent a total of two days working on my chalkboard, but it could be done in one day if desired. I am very happy with the result, and am debating on whether or not we will purchase a frame for it - I kind of like the industrial look it has with the 'raw' edge.



Picking up our supplies - my assistant fell asleep on the job.



Step One: Use painters tape to make a border (this is if you are staining a border). I simply lined up the edge of the tape with the edge of my wood.  



Step Two: Apply chalkboard paint using a roller. Apply a generous (but NOT thick) layer of paint, let it dry completely, then sand or steel wool the first coat. Paint second coat, let dry, sand. Paint third coat...etc. I ended up with four coats of paint because my wood grain was still showing through. (It would probably work best to sand your board BEFORE you start, but I didn't). 



Step Three: After the final coat is completely dry, carefully pull tape off exposing your border.




Step Four: Stain time! Carefully stain the border of your chalkboard - make sure to follow the directions according to the stain you choose. 




Step Five: Chalk it up - cover the entire chalkboard with chalk. This step is VERY important. 



Step Six: ENJOY! Decorate and hang/lean your chalkboard in its new home. Super simple tutorial - give it a shot! 




13 comments:

  1. This is a fantastic DIY project! I'm pinning it to use for my son's First Birthday. Thank you :)

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  2. Excellent tutorial! You're right, it's better to make a chalkboard yourself - you can never find a perfect one in the shops! This looks like a simple project to do, I would love to give it a go once I move out to a bigger place. Thank you for sharing :)

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  3. Love this! I'm going to buy the supplies tomorrow!!

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    1. OOh yay! You'll have a great time!

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    2. I wanted to thank you so much for the kind words you wrote on my blog. Grief is a difficult thing, but things are getting easier.
      I hope you have a happy thanksgiving with your adorable turkey!

      Hopefull I can complete this DIY during nap time next week :)

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  4. I love this! My only question is- cover the entire chalkboard with paint? Did you mean chalk? Just checking! Found my Thanksgiving weekend project :)

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    1. OOPS - yes! Ha - thank you for catching that! :) xo

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  5. I love it! Such a cute idea for a kitchen. Def pinning this to my DIY projects that I am dying to try. Thanks for sharing and Happy Thanksgiving! :-)

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  6. I love this!!! I actually have a big cork bulletin board that has never been used and was wanting to do something with it! Think it might work the same or not?

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  7. Thanks for tutorial! Curious why you have to chalk up the whole board. Does the paint stay better?

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  8. I am planning on making all my own signs for my wedding so this is perfect!
    The only question I have is, who do you cover the whole board with chalk?

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