DIY Chalkboard

After seeing several versions of DIY chalkboards, I really wanted to try one of my own.  The mudroom/pantry seemed like a good place to put one.

So one day, in between coats of paint on the kitchen cabinets, I went out to the cobhouse in search of pieces for a chalkboard.

To me the cobhouse is like my own private salvage yard.  During our remodeling last year, we put many, many pieces of trim board, scraps of wood, and more in the cobhouse.  Just in case we could use them later. I love to go out and look over all it all. 

After scrounging around, I found 4 boards that seemed perfect to me.  And one of them was a beautiful piece of trim with moldings that had been over a doorway.

 

A little sanding and wiping down, and a little paint would surely help them out.  (there were 4 pieces, but one of them was leaning out of this shot, against the house)

With some help from Kate, I sanded them down lightly, and then applied 2 coats of primer.  One coat of my trim paint was all they needed afterwards. 

Then my Handsome Carpenter helped me measure the length we thought would look good for the finished product.  He had to trim a little off the edges of one or two of the trim boards to even them up.  Next he went to Menards, bought a piece of primed plywood for the chalkboard, and cut it to fit inside the trim.

2 coats of chalkboard paint gave just the right amount of coverage.

Here’s what I used!

 

 

It took less than 2 hours to dry outside on a breezy, sunny day.

 

Glenn used a combination of wood glue and screws to put it all together.  And then I sanded lightly with a sanding block to give it a “loved” look.

 

I insisted on a picture. 

He’s so handsome. 

I love his dimples.

 

We let the paint cure for 3 days, and then I conditioned it.  This was easy!  I just took a piece of chalk, laid it on its side and rubbed all over the chalkboard.  Then I took a dry, soft cloth and wiped it all off.  And that was it!

 

 

It’s so heavy, we just leaned it up against the wall.  Don’t worry!  It’s not going anywhere.  :)

I think it will blend better when the rest of the trim is finished around the window and doorway, but at any rate… I love it!

It’s irresistibly hard to walk by it without drawing on it or writing something.

 

As for the kids…  what do they think of it?

This picture really sums it up…