Make a Chalkboard

Yup. It's that time again. The girls are off track (out of school on one of their mini-breaks). So, I have a whole advent calendar full of fun activities and crafts to occupy their time. First up: make a chalkboard.

These girls already have a ginormous dry erase board, but it drives me crazy. Everytime they "need" it for something, like practicing their spelling or playing school, the stinkin' markers are all dried up. I decided to paint the back of their dry erase board with chalkboard paint so they could use both sides - depending on the availability of writing mediums. So, I checked with their mom of course, then I bought some chalkboard spray paint at the craft store. It was only 7 bucks, but then, it only covers 12 square feet. I think they sell cans of it at Home Depot or Lowes that cover more area.

First, we lugged the big board outside and taped the edges with masking tape.

Then we decided it was too windy to use the spraypaint outdoors, so we moved it into the garage and cut up garbage bags to protect the floor.

I haven't really worked with spraypaint before, but it was really simple. My only advice for novices like me, is to spray one straight line from edge to edge (starting on the trash bag), then let go and start again. Then when you have done your whole project horizontally, do perpendicular lines - then diagonal as well. (Did that make sense?)

Then we had to wait - a full 24 hours. And that was the hardest part. But after the long wait, the girls had fun "breaking-in" the surface. The spraypaint can said to draw all over the surface with the side of a piece of chalk, then erase it.

This is my first time working with chalkboard paint too - and I think I'm in love. Don't you worry - I'm pretty sure you'll see more projects using this kind of paint in the future.