I love chalkboards … it probably has something to do with my former career as a classroom teacher. I’ve had a bucket of chalkboard paint for ages, and one day I decided to spruce up Oliver’s room with a little chalkboard square of his very own on his bedroom wall (he is really into sidewalk chalk at the moment). Not only could I see him having fun creating art or practicing numbers or the alphabet on his chalkboard, but I also saw myself leaving messages for him while he slept (like the one above for his second birthday).
Adding a chalkboard to any wall of your house is really simple. The Benjamin Moore website provides the following helpful information for putting this type of paint onto your wall:
- Prepare your surface by cleaning it and making any necessary repairs (holes or imperfections).
- Use masking tape to tape off your chalkboard in the shape and size you desire.
- Paint the inside of the masking taped area with chalkboard paint (available at most hardware and paint stores, or if you’re really crafty and inspired you can make your own like Martha Stewart).
- Finally, frame off the space with decorative molding or a colourful painted border (as you can see above, I still have to get to this step).
It really is that easy, and your kids will love it. If they’re old enough they can even help decide where the chalkboard will go and with the actual painting it on the wall (although I found the paint really smelly and did it when Oliver was away for the weekend so he wouldn’t be irritated by the fumes). I’m seriously considering adding a small chalkboard to the wall of my kitchen for phone messages, memos, or listing the groceries we need to pick up.
As a child care professional, I am always looking for great stuff. When it was time to switch up the cubby room in the 3 – 5yrs side of the daycare I used to work in, I jumped at the chance to use this stuff! I painted a long and narrow strip right above everyone’s wooden cubbies, and voila! No more ugly tape on plastic bins to say who’s cubby was who’s! The smell was terrible, so the kids did have to be outside all afternoon, and it was still around a bit in the am, but it was so simple to use and clean up, and inexpensive to boot. I loved the product so much that when my parents put together a playroom for their grandkids, I used the chalkboard paint to add quite a large drawing area for them!
The product is so fantastic for so many different uses! I just love it! I would love a room with one wall being painted with this stuff, what kid wouldn’t love to have a wall in their room just for drawing on?!?!?!