How to make a chalkboard

Just a quick tip for you all today - how to make a simple chalkboard. This is perfect tip if you have children or want to put up a notice board in the kitchen etc. I made a simple version of this last week and felt it was worthy for Home DIY Tips. Chalkboards generally arent too expensive, so you can create your own customised version with a few simple steps, you can also do a lot more with your design and functionality, which is an added bonus.

First of all i would recommend buying yourself some decent chalkboard paint - you can pick this up at your local DIY store - B & Q, Homebase etc. Second, you will need to build yourself a simple wooden frame and surface using some timber - this can be as extravagent or as simple as you need it to be. I have also seen some restaurants and rooms that paint directly onto walls - whichever is best for you. For a play room, i would probably just paint directly onto the wall as you can easily paint over it once you decide to change it. Do remember that you may need to paint the entire wall if you need to get rid of chalkboard, so make your decision before its too late!

If you are painting directly onto the wall follow these simple steps:

1. Clearly mark out the desired painting area with masking tape to avoid any unsightly marks on other areas of the wall.

2. Find yourself a paintbrush you dont mind throwing away, incase the paint is extremely tacky and wont wash out easily.

3. Leave the paint for a good few hours to dry before giving it a test run - so paints may require multiple coats.

4. Consider framing the chalkboard in some decorative paint for added effect.

Also dont’ forget that chalkboard paint can also be used to resurface tired chalkboards. Clean the surface and smooth down any rough edges with sandpaper, then give the board a few coats of paint - your old board will look good as new.