I know I know there are thousands of tutorials on the internet about how to make a chalkboard this and how to make a chalkboard that...
Everyday when I pick my son up from daycare, he is standing at the chalkboard by the door drawing circles and lines, he is two so this is really all he can draw!!!
But he absolutely loves it and I have to tear him away from it. I decided about a month ago that I was going to make him a chalkboard for at home. I didn't want to paint it on the wall, I wanted it to be something we could take with us when we move, so I did some research and decided I would use my big vanity mirror that was gifted to me out of a bathroom form a theater. Well, three hours after working ont his mirror and making it perfectI took the tape off and it was ruined and when I tried to write on it with the chalk it was ruined. Maybe it was the paint I used or maybe Ijust did it wrong, I do not know, but I decided I wasn't going to let that get me down and went and bought a piece of 2'X4' plywood from Lowe's. I also discovered my new addiction while I was there Valspar Paint!!!
I absolutely love this stuff! they have so many bright colors and a wide variety of things to choose from. The main reason they are my favorite new addiction, Lowe's has their chalkboard spray paint for $6!! I was skeptical, and didn't think it would work but for $5 I couldn't turn it down!!
Now onto the actual project:
Materials needed:
- Plywood,
- size is at your discretion, I wanted something small, but big enough to sit on the floor so it didn't have to be hung up.
- Valspar Color paint
- Valspar Chalkboard Spray paint
- You can pick up either one of these products online at this link!
- Elmers Glue, or any other washable glue
- Small paint brush
- Masking tape or painters tape
- printed letters of the word you want on the board
Step One:
Paint the plywood the color you want. Do not make the same mistake I did and think you can spraypaint plywood like you can anything else, it seeps in, and looks all spread out, you really have to go slow and double over each strip. I put three coats of the blue on my plywood.
What the board should look like
Step Two:
Make sure you have applied at least two coats, but if possible three. While you are waiting for this to dry go to your computer and print out letters you want. I put my son's name at the top, I used Ariel Black Font, because I wanted it to be something I could easily cut out. I printed them letters in size 500. Use what you think will work best for the size of board you are using. After printing cut out the letters!
Step Three:
Check and make sure your board is dry, now take your washable glue and apply it to the back of your letters using the small paint brush. Be sure to lay the letters down before hand and get them where you want them, with the washable glue you can move them around a bit, but not too much. You may remove the paint or tear the letters. Once you are sure of the placing remove them one by one and apply glue then put on board.
Step Four:
If you want to make a design, here is where your masking tape comes in. Simply lay the tape where you don't want chalkboard paint, be as creative or geometric as you want! I chose to do simply lines. I forgot to take a picture before I applied the chalkboard paint ((( I was too excited to get through )))
Step Five:
By this point the glue on the letters should be dry! You are ready to spray your chalkboard paint. At this point you should know how to spray the paint onto the plywood. It is not going to "seep" into the wood like the first color did, but you still have to go slow, and make sure you cover every inch. I applied two coats of chalkboard paint!
I am not sure why it looks purple here :/
Be sure to spray straight at the wood, if you spray at any angle it will get underneath any piece of paper or tape that is sticking up!!
Step Six:
Set the timer on your oven, microwave, or phone for two hours! The can says one, but I always add an extra hour. Sit back and enjoy a cup of coffee (( or share a book with your child, here is one that I recommend, Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons )))
Step Seven:
After your two hours are over you are ready to take your tape off and see the finished product!!
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