Our son is getting to the age where he can almost color without trying to eat his markers and crayons (the keyword there is almost), however, he still attempts to scribble on the wall any chance he gets. Despite getting him a small IKEA table for all of his creative pursuits, he seems not to want to be confined to paper so we figured if coloring on the walls is what he wants then coloring on the walls he shall get. We have always been admirers of chalkboards…the rustic kind that you see in old schoolhouses in black and white movies. We figured a chalkboard would not only be nice for doodling and writing the dinner menu on but also as a fun educational medium to teach letters, words, and concepts.

We did toy around with the idea of painting an entire wall, which has become popular these days, but in the end we decided a 6ft x 3ft area was plenty of space for all of us to use. Plus since we chose to put it in the hallway, adjacent to the kitchen, we wanted to preserve some wall space just in case we wanted to add wall art or organizers for a command center in the future. The awesome thing about making your own chalkboard wall is that for $10 of chalkboard paint, you can get a little over 100 sq. ft of coverage. That’s a steal when you consider that chalkboards the size of small picture frames are going for that and much more. The other really nice thing is that you can frame the painted area to achieve that authentic chalkboard look and you can do so using any type of wood you like in any stain you want. We went with an inexpensive white moulding from Home Depot that we nailed directly to the wall. We’ve come across DIY framed chalkboards that involve painting another medium and then hanging it up. Not only is a large chalkboard heavy and impractical to hang but it would be dangerous if you have little ones in your life. Just something to think about if you are not sure how you feel about painting a wall with chalkboard paint.

The only thing you need to be mindful of is if you have kids in the house then you will want to time your painting after their bedtime so the paint can dry without handprints all over it. Other than that, this chalkboard wall is super easy to put together and loads of fun. Our son loves scribbling on it, I love practicing my handlettering, and of course baba loves leaving silly doodles for us to wake up to. Yes, we are not ashamed to admit it… this chalkboard was as much for us as it was for our son.

Supplies
Chalkboard Paint ($9.67)
Wood Moulding
Trim Nails

Tools
Paint Roller
Paint Tray
Paint Tray Liner
Blue Painters Tape
Hammer

Chalk options
Chalkboard Wall Safe Markers ($12.95)
Regular Chalk from IKEA  ($0.99)

Note: If you end up taking on this project using similar dimensions to our chalkboard then know that you will have leftover paint. Don’t you fret though, we will probably come up with another DIY project to make use of it.

Directions
1. Measure the area you want to paint and outline the area with pencil.
2. Apply the painter’s tape over your outline, pressing down firmly as you go so you don’t have any air pockets where the paint can seep through.
3. Mix the paint using a paint stick and pour 1/4 of the paint in the paint tray.
4. Gently dip your paint roller in and start painting your designated area in a “W” pattern. Make sure you don’t use too much paint on your roller as it will start dripping and take away from the smooth surface of the board.
5. Let dry for 4 hours before applying a second coat.
6. After the final coat is painted, let it set for 3 days (per instructions on the paint container) before writing on it.
7. Test your new board with the writing medium of your choice: old-fashioned chalk or chalkboard marker.

Have you been wanting to put up a chalkboard wall? If so, what’s been stopping you?

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