UPDATE: It has been four and a half years since we did this project. The blackboard still works so well! We keep it behind our couch in the family room and pull it out any time our toddler gets in a mood to scribble on the furniture. This project turned out so well, and I wouldn't have changed a thing! You can buy the paint that we used for this project here.
My kids love to play with chalk. Unfortunately, we don't have much for a sidewalk, and I get tired of them scribbling over and over on the tiny front stoop we have in front of the house. To make matters worse, while they do have a chalkboard easel in their room, it's bulky and awkward, is only large enough for one kid to use at a time, and has sure seen better days!
Since my experience with the outdoor kids picnic table makeover project, hubby and I have had a kind of love affair for all things Krylon, so we headed to our local Walmart to see if they had a spray-on chalkboard paint. They did!
The first step to creating a chalkboard was picking the perfect piece of wood. I admit that the first one we selected was too porous and not a very high-quality wood. For this project, make sure you pick wood that:
1) Is sturdy enough not to bend and flake off the paint
2) Is light enough that you can carry outside and back in again
3) Can be primed (you may need to sand)
Next, you'll want to prepare the surface for the chalkboard paint. The first time we did this, we did NOT prime first. The paint kept soaking into the wood, and while it did work as a chalkboard, it wasn't very smooth and we used way too much paint. You will definitely want to add a layer of primer and allow it to dry completely before you start with the chalkboard paint.
Now that your wood is ready, you can add the Krylon! Follow the directions on the container and be sure to do this outside!
After it has dried completely, and you have the number of layers you are comfy with, you may want to "prep" the surface by having the kids draw all over it and wipe the chalk off again. We, however, just went ahead and used it for the first time with no problems, at all:
This board is the perfect size to hang outside on the side of a fence, lay on the ground or a large picnic table, or even work on inside the house.
This is a picture of the chalkboard -- almost 5 years later!!
You can find the Krylon chalkboard paint, as well as a large selection of primers -- and of course, chalk -- at your local stores!
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