I never had a place to make a note and could never find a pen and paper when I needed it. I purchased some chalk paint at Home Depot. I taped off a section on a pantry cabinet I have and spray painted the section with the chalk paint. I actually did 2 light coats and used a sponge brush to smooth it over. It's very easy to use, the craft stores have a brush on chalk paint that you can buy. It dried fast and looks really nice. Now I always have a place for a note or I can write a cute message for my husband on it.
By jill from Blue Bell, PA
This page contains the following solutions.
We have an old home. The doors have 4 panels in them. I painted the door panels with chalkboard paint carried at home improvement stores. I then painted the name of each grandchild on a panel.
I spray painted an old photo frame. Traced the inside on my kitchen door. Painted the space with black chalkboard paint and attached the frame with high quality glue.
You can make a chalkboard to fit any size of frame. Just take a thin, smooth board (smooth plywood works well for this), cut to the desired size and paint it with dark primer.
I loved the idea of using chalkboard paint in a child's room, but in our tiny apartment we just didn't have enough wall space. To give my son a place to draw, I decided to paint the front drawers of his dresser and armoire with chalkboard paint.
If you have an available wall in a playroom or basement, paint the lower half with chalkboard paint. The kids will have a ball writing on the wall! By Chell
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I AM DESPERATE FOR HELP!! I am trying to make chalkboards. They are 2'X2' so I want to paint them with a roller. I am now on my 3rd can of paint and no chalkboard.
Ann,
We painted the back of a steel door with chalk board paint and it worked quite well. The door was white when we started so two coats were necessary. We just used a regular paint brush and it didn't come out perfectly smooth but it was definitely functional.
I must admit I was concerned when we first started painting the door I could see lots of brush strokes and I was sure it would dry that way, but it looked great once it dried.
Good luck!
Stew
I just painted my son's closet doors with chalkboard paint. I've never used it before & the can said to use a brush,but I like rollers too so tried that-too much texture, like you said. Here's what I did that worked. Just keep in mind it's not going to look perfect like a chalboard you'd buy at the store.
First, if your surface is really bumpy or orange-peeled, you probably need to sand it down good before trying again. Also, stir well, I didn't & got some grit on my first coat-or throw a couple of nuts (as in nuts & bolts) in the can, put the lid on & shake well to mix.
I had a smooth surface with white primer. I put 3 coats on with a wide brush (use a good one with soft bristles,I used Rubbermaid brand from Walmart).
Lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper between coatings.
The secret to using a brush & not getting a bunch of lines- 1st just get the paint on & even, when the surface is covered, you have to go back over it to smooth it out. Hold the brush at an angle & starting at one end, BARELY let the brush touch the surface & very lightly & evenly, pull the brush across to other end. Keep doing this, overlapping strokes slightly. It should look pretty smooth, look even smoother when it's dried. If you have any small bumps or streaks, you can lightly sand it again.
Hopes this helps!
You may be using too much paint. Make sure you use a proper paint tray, load the roller, then roll on the tray a few times so that there are not huge globs of paint in any one place, and the paint is evenly dispersed.
I just painted my son's closet doors with chalkboard paint. I've never used it before & the can said to use a brush,but I like rollers too so tried that-too much texture,like you said. Here's what I did that worked. Just keep in mind it's not going to look perfect like a chalboard you'd buy at the store.
First, if your surface is really bumpy or orange-peeled, you probably need to sand it down good before trying again. Also, stir well, I didn't & got some grit on my first coat-or throw a couple of nuts (as in nuts & bolts) in the can,put the lid on & shake well to mix.
I had a smooth surface with white primer. I put 3 coats on with a wide brush(use a good one with soft bristles,I used Rubbermaid brand from Walmart).
Lightly sand with fine grit sandpaper between coatings.
The secret to using a brush & not getting a bunch of lines- 1st just get the paint on & even, when the surface is covered, you have to go back over it to smooth it out. Hold the brush at an angle & starting at one end, BARELY let the brush touch the surface & very lightly & evenly, pull the brush across to other end. Keep doing this, overlapping strokes slightly. It should look pretty smooth, look even smoother when it's dried. If you have any small bumps or streaks, you can lightly sand it again.
Hopes this helps!
Thank you so much for your comments. I do think one of my problems is too much paint on the roller, it just seems like no matter how much I roll up and down the tray there is still a ton of paint on it. I think I will try with a brush and see what happens. I do know it won't come out perfect, but I would like to see if I can't get a better finish. I will be making these all through the winter, so maybe in time I will get the hang of it.
Thanks again, you guys are GREAT! I will let you know how things go.
Ann
I know for sure that using a foam roller will give you that orange peel effect. I've used it to get that same effect on a frig, so it does not show finger prints. I don't know about regular rollers but it sure does with a foam one.
Try using a paint pad instead of a brush or roller. It doesn't leave a textured finish like a roller or paintbrush - it's meant to leave a smooth surface. It's much cheaper and easier to use since it's also much lighter.
How about not using chalkboard paint that needs a brush and simply purchase Krylon Chalkboard Paint in a spray can? Spraying on the paint is what gives the smooth surface without any orange peel (roller) or brush strokes. You need to spray it on lightly, not to get any runs. Two coats are best. It works on all types of surfaces. A much simpler solution.
i dont think that its anything that you are doing, as i have had similar effects with both brushes and with rollers. The solution as far as i am concerned is to get up a good few layers and then sand it down progressively (with finer emery cloth). The paint seems to be designed so that this is required however the manufacturers seem to give no instruction to this effect.
Use Chalkboard vinyl instead.
After using a clean sponge roller (not the yellow type, but the white ones) take a large sponge brush and gently pull it along the wet surface. This will help smooth out all the lines. I have done this oodles of times and it works super well each and every time!
We are having a family get together soon. For the grown-ups, I wanted to try to paint a strip of chalk on plastic cups so everyone can write their name on the cup. I end up doing so many dishes over a weekend, it would be nice to have less to do. What do I prime the cup with and then can I paint a strip of chalkboard paint on top? Will it adhere? I wanted to use insulated plastic cups. Thanks.
By Sarah
Why not paper cups instead? The ones that hold about 3 oz. That's about all most people drink at one time anyway.
Instead of the chalk paint, put a container with permanent markers next to the stack of cups. Make a sign asking guests to write their name and decorate their own special cup. They won't want to part with it.
You could save yourself alot of time and expense by simply supplying a sharpie pen of a different color from the cups for people to use to write their names on. I am assuming you're going to be using disposable plastic cups that will be recycled. Sharpie pens work and adhere quite well on any surface and sometimes too well on surfaces you don't even want them to - LOL ;-)
Oh, one more thing! If you're talking about your regular plastic kitchen cups just place strips of painters masking tape (easier to remove than regular masking tape) around the cups. Have your guests write their name with the sharpie on the tape.
For re-usable plastic cups, just put a piece of Scotch "Magic Tape" on the cup You can write on it with a pen or sharpie. I usually fold a tab on the end of the tape so that it's easily removable. It doesn't have to be Scotch but it shouldn't be the shiny cellophane tape - that doesn't work so well. If you find that your writing smears, put a piece of tape over the ink!
A better bet is to use chalkboard vinyl which you can cut into any shape you want. It is self adhesive and used by crafters in cutting machines like a Cricut machine. Maybe you can find it at a craft store, but I've only seen it online.
I have a very inexpensive chalkboard which I have used liquid chalk markers to write on because they come out so vibrant! When I wanted to erase and change the message it wouldn't come off. I scrubbed with everything until the finish came off in several places.
I went to the craft store and told them I needed black chalkboard paint and they handed me a bottle. I was in a hurry and didn't look at it until I got home and saw that it is shiny, like black gloss paint! I can't use that and have it work can I? I've never seen shiny chalkboards before. What should do? Can I fix this paint so I can use it? Or do I need to buy different paint? What is this gloss chalkboard paint used for? Please, any help would be appreciated.
Get regular chalkboard paint and return the glossy one.
The glossy is usually used on glass. Hopefully they will return it and you can fix your board with a good matte paint!
I'd take the paint back that they gave you, and buy the correct one. Simple exchange. Don't settle with something that isn't correct. :)
Can anyone tell me what is the best chalkboard paint to use when painting your board so you can use liquid chalkboard markers? It has very vibrant colors, but is very hard to get off most boards.
I know sometimes people in restaurants use them for menu boards, so they can change their specials.The material your chalkboard is made of is key. You need non-porous material like slate or ceramic. If your material is porous, you need to seal it. Otherwise, the liquid markers will be hard to erase.
This article is what my friend used before she did up her entire kitchen wall:
versachalk.com/
Once you know your surface type you can pick your tools. She did a concrete wall (porous) so she was not able to use the chalk markers, but found good quality chalks (I think it was Versa Chalk) and it looks just lovely and cleans up nice.
Another friend does chalk on glass (not porous) and she uses Versa Chalk markers for her samples of how you can customize your wine glass or beer steins. Her items are sell quality (which she does at craft shows).
Happy crafting!
I have a round plastic picnic table with removable legs that I set up in the children's play room for our grandchildren. They like to use it to color, play with playdough, etc. I was wondering if I could paint the top of this plastic table with chalkboard paint, and if it would adhere. Does anyone have any experience with that?
By Deb S.
I have no experience with this, but my first guess would be to say no. Paint doesn't like to adhere to slick surfaces, and plastic is always slick. However, you could contact the manufacturer of chalkboard paint; most manufacturers have a website with a Q & A section, and you could ask if their product will adhere on plastic.
I want to paint an 8' tall mirrored closet door with chalkboard paint. Is this possible? Can it be removed at a later date?
By Linda Sue from Windsor, CA
Not sure, but if you contacted Lowe's or Home Depot they may be able to tell you.
I was thinking about recycling my old table and using the top as a chalk board using blackboard paint, however the table is veneered. Is this possible to do and if so will the chalkboard last if used often?
By Lyndsey
When I paint on the plastic jar with the chalkboard paint it comes out in a light gray color. What should I do?
By Bernadette H
Use special paint on a flat surface to create this easy chalkboard. This is a page about making a magnetic chalk board.
