Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Make A Big Magnetic Chalkboard

It’s Tuesday the 30th… so it’s time to share this season’s (completely unofficial) Pinterest Challenge project (not sponsored by Pinterest or anyone else, just dreamed up by Katie to make us stop pinning and start doing). Huzzah!

Fall Pinterest Banner

This time John and I tried our hand at making a large chunky-framed leaning mirror – except instead of it actually being a mirror we made it into a giant chalkboard (since chalkboard paint is probably the most Pinterest-tastic material out there, haha).

Chalk 14 Clara Coloring1

By designing it like a large leaning mirror, it can move from room to room, and it can be a place where we write sweet notes, make lists, and enjoy Clara-scribble (we secured it to the wall with leaning mirror hardware so it’s kid-safe – more on that method here).

As per the challenge rules, I took inspiration (or Pintspiration, har-har) from the projects that I linked up to in last Tuesday’s post and did my own spin. Here’s a recap of them for ya:

  1. Top left: this big arse chalkboard from here
  2. Top right: this leaning easel board found here from this awesome blog
  3. Bottom right: this door-chalkboard from here

And here’s how we tackled our own version. The cool thing is that we were able to use a big board of plywood that we already had leftover from building in the fridge back in November of last year (yes, it was just chilling in our basement since then). But before we got to the chalkboard paint application, we rolled on some magnetic paint (since we already had a quart of that from this project in our first house). Sorry this isn’t a full shot of the plywood board, but it’s 68″ tall and 21″ wide if that helps.

Chalk 1 Magnetic Primer

After a four coats of magnetic paint (we wanted it to be pretty strong) it was time to add the chalkboard paint. So we grabbed this can from Home Depot for ten bucks and we rolled on two coats of it. We only applied it to the front side of the board, but you can see from this pic that we actually had some fun with the back side too, but we’ll get to that in a second.

Chalk 2 Chalkboard Paint

As for building this whole shebang, we set out to make it without the need of any fancy saws or tools. And because Home Depot is happy to cut plywood to size for you to make the board, and you can also get them to cut a few 1″ x 6″ boards to create the frame… this project calls for no cuts at home at all. Woot!

For our 68″ x 21″ piece of plywood we got two 29.5″  1 x 6″ boards for the top and bottom of the frame, and two 63″ pieces for the sides. This allows for a little bit of overlap when the frame is assembled so the board looks as if it sits inside the frame (but really rests behind it). The total height and width of the entire finished project is 29.5″ wide by 74″ tall.

Chalk 3 Frame Boards

As for the stain, we went with our old favorite (leftover from a bunch of other projects) which is Minwax in Dark Walnut. We stained the wood before we assembled the frame because it seemed easier not to have to worry about getting stain on the chalkboard part of the board.

Chalk 4 Stain

After the frame was all stained and dried, we just used our Kreg Jig to attach them (but if you don’t have one you could easily use metal brackets to hold them together from behind or just try to screw them together from behind without a jig).

Chalk 5 Screwing Together

Bam. A dark walnut frame. Without a miter saw, angle calculations, or anything else that could get complicated.

Chalk 6 Frame Done1

Then we attached the chalkboard part to the frame from behind. And… surprise! John got a wild hair and painted the back in Citron (a leftover pot of BM paint that we had), just because he said the bare beat-up back was bugging him. Sure, we’ll probably only see it once every few years when we carry it around the house (you know we like to move things around) but I love that man for adding that secret plane of color just because he knows it’s there. Haha.

Chalk 7 John Screwing

Oh and to be clear about how you attach the chalkboard part to the frame, you just screw around the edge of the chalkboard from behind because it overlaps the frame slightly, so as long as your screws are long enough to go through the plywood and into the stained frame (without poking all the way through the front) you’re golden. I think the length we used for those screws was an inch and a quarter.

Then we just let it air out/cure for a while (chalkboard paint + stain are both stiiinky until they fully cure) and it was finally time to bring it up into the living room along the wall where we wanted to lean it. Then we just secured it to keep it from tipping over (using the same dealio that we used here). Don’t want it bonking the bean!

Chalk 8 After Blank1

Next it was time to “condition” it by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk all over it and then wiping it all off. Boom. Conditioned.

Chalk 9 Conditioning1

Ta-daaaaa! I know in the pics it seems to be one of the only wood tones in the room, but the console behind the sofa is the same finish and we’d love to build/repurpose a cabinet for the TV in the same rustic finish, so we think it’ll be more balanced and make more sense as the rest of the room comes together. One nice thing we didn’t even think about is that the color of the chalkboard paint ties into the sofa and the beams, so it sort of “marries” the wood console and the gray items in the room. Gotta love a “bridge piece.”

Chalk 10 After Full Room

I’m sure the scribbles will constantly be changing (we have a fun Thanksgiving idea to implement when November rolls around) but for now I just wrote a quote that I love up on the top. It says “the happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”

Chalk 11 Quote1

Then Clara woke up from her nap to see it hanging out in the living room and cautiously approached it. For a second she didn’t know what to think, but when we told her she got to draw on it and handed her a box of chalk…

Chalk 12 Clara Calm1

… let’s just say she got pretty darn excited. Haha.

Chalk 13 Clara Crazy Tongue1

Here’s a video of her in action for ya:

It must be a mom thing, but I totally think my kid’s scribbles are THE BEST. I mean, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

Chalk 14 Clara Coloring1

So that’s how it all went down. As for the money stuff, here’s a little budget breakdown:

  • $0 – leftover plywood board, leftover stain, leftover magnetic paint (a guess for buying all of these might be $45?)
  • $10 – chalkboard paint from Home Depot
  • $16 – four 1 x 6″ boards to make the frame
  • Total: $26 (this project could potentially cost around 70 bucks if you don’t have leftover materials)

Don’t forget to check in on Katie, Carmel, and Sarah to see what awesomesauce projects they’ve whipped up (they’ll all be sharing theirs sometime today as well)!

Pint Banner

And now here’s the part where we tip our homemade hats to you guys and invite you to share all of the fun Pinterest Challenge projects that you’ve tackled in the last week (right along with us, well at least virtually with us). If you’ve already blogged about it, just:

  1. click on the blue “Add Your Link” button with the odd cartoon head at the bottom of this post (you might have to do some scrolling, depending how many projects are added)
  2. add a link to your specific blog post about your project in the url field (not your home page)
  3. where it says “name” write a descriptive name for your project (ex: “Homemade Leaf Wreath”) as opposed to your actual name
  4. we’d also love if you could quickly link back over to our project posts within your own (here’s Katie’s, Carmel’s and Sarah’s) – it’s also nice to link to your inspiration project on Pinterest as well as to directly link to the original project/site, just so they get some love too.

And if you’d rather just link over to your project in the comment section, feel free to do that – or even add a link to a free photo sharing site like Flickr with your pics if you don’t have a blog (remember to set the gallery to public so we can all see it). We’re crazypants excited to see what you guys have been up to!



Comments

  1. Taya says

    Love the Pinterest challenge framed chalkboard!!!

    Glad you are safe! We made it through the storm and maintained our power, too. Unfortunately, the CT shoreline got hit pretty badly.

    Reply

  3. Megan says

    Love how cute that girl is! My favs are “There we go.” when she gets her plate on her lap, “It’s a date!” and “I can’t fry right now.” Oh, and yes, that chalkboard is Pintastic!

    Reply

  5. Sabrina says

    Our friends and family on Long Island did not fare to well either. Did John’s granny get the snow in WV? I took your pinterest challenge even though I don’t have a blog and turned an old dresser into a entertainment stand and a Latt kids table and chairs I modgepodged the seats and table top with Target wrapping paper and sprayed it a deep teal. Kids love it!

    Reply

  8. Cate says

    I love it. I’ll be making one of these soon.
    The funny thing is- it was your Pinterest challenge and I just pinned it! So the cycle continues…

    Reply

  9. Kay says

    This looks wonderful (gotta love the kid scribbles!) Question for you: are you at all concerned about the chalk dust? I’m trying to do a chalk wall at my library (for quotes, announcements, and general doodling by patrons) but I worry about what the chalk dust will end up.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Clara has only used it a few times so far but it’s just like markers or play doh (we wash hands after and I wipe down the board with a damp cloth – just like I wipe down the table after play doh). We figure we can switch to chalk pens if the dust annoys us though!

      xo,
      s

  10. Joanna Banana says

    Nice easy project! My concern would be chalk dust having to be cleaned frequently. Have you had the time to use it much and any thoughts on chalk dust? I’m too lazy to clean!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Clara has only used it a few times so far but it’s just like markers or play doh (we wash hands after and I wipe down the board with a damp cloth – just like I wipe down the table after play doh). We figure we can switch to chalk pens if the dust annoys us though :)

      xo,
      s

  12. Stephanie says

    LOVE LOVE LOVE the leaning chalkboard. It is sooooo pretty. This kinda gives me hope that I could DIY a really cool leaning mirror.

    Also glad that everyone is safe. The storm barely hit us up in Boston. Lots of rain and wind but nothing like they got in NY/NJ. (They never do. I’m convinced they’re scared of the water.) But I work in finance so I’ve been having an interesting few days at work.

    My street totally tried to become a river last night though. I think it was a Halloween costume. Maybe a failed Pinterest challenge?

    Reply

  16. Christa @ a*typicaljourney says

    I love that you made the chalkboard stable but mobile – cuz you never know how your home is going to evolve, and maybe that chalkboard you stuck in the kitchen will just be a pain in a year. This is exactly what I need to do! Love it!

    Reply

  17. Laura says

    This is awesome! I would love to make a really loonggg kitchen table with the same worn-wood appearance. What would you suggest using to protect the wood since people would be eating off of it?

    Thank you :)

    Reply

  20. Emily says

    Thanks for hosting this event- always a fun one to participate in!! I love your giant chalkboard (and Clara’s reaction to getting to use it- CUTE)- can’t wait to see what you do with it in the future!!

    Reply

  21. Aly Chilcott says

    hahha Clara is so cute. :-)
    What kind of wood did you use? Pine?
    Also did you wipe off the stain after a few minutes? I’ve used Dark Walnut and I got a rich beautiful tone but it wasn’t nearly as rustic as that. I want it for my headboard!!

    Reply

  22. kristen says

    You guys are awesome. The way you treat Clara like a person instead of a 2 year old is evident in the way she responds to you when you asked her to draw a C. She was like ‘Nah, I don’t feel like it, I’m just going to keep drawing 1’s.’ and you rolled with it.

    Love the chalkboard! :)

    Reply

  23. Erin @ WriteTasty says

    I had such big aspirations for my project this time… but as it turns out, post-Halloween party exhaustion sucked out most of my mojo. Instead I just did a little toddler-friendly-between-holidays felt decor: http://writetasty.blogspot.com/2012/10/pinterest-challenge-fall-felt-decor.html. I was really reachin’… your project, on the other hand, is amazing. I’ve been wanting to do the chalkboard thing forever but keep getting scared that it’ll be “over” before I jump in haha. I especially love that chunky wooden frame you made– and its color-pop back! (I clearly have a hyphenating problem).

    Reply

  24. Crystal says

    The look Clara gives John when he asks her if she can write a C is priceless, I had to rewind and watch it again. Still laughing.

    Reply

  25. heather says

    wait a second….at the end of the video does Sherry say “oohhh your brothers marking…” ? If so, it cracked me up. If not…it sounded like it, and it cracked me up. All I can picture is Burger scooting across the rug.

    Reply

  26. Jenn says

    Sherry- You totally need to try the chalkboard pens. They make a huge difference in the look of your board. Love the look of the board ya’ll have created. You’ve inspired me. The poor boyfriend will be thrilled (light sarcasm there) to see this post. :)

    Reply

  27. Caroline says

    I love the chalkboard (or ‘blackboard’ for us readers in the UK). I have fond memories of my mum teaching me to write on one we had in the kitchen when I was a wee girl. I still have one in my kitchen, though it mostly says ‘Buy cat food’.

    Reply

  28. Meghan says

    Love this!!

    I bought the same magazine that the paint tray is sitting on in one of the pics- has some cool ideas in it that I can’t wait to try out like spray painting a chevron vase!

    Reply

  29. jessica says

    I love this one!
    We live north of Philadelphia…so our Pinterest project will be late. I was sanding it down in the basement last night to finish it when the power went. That was at 8 pm, and we still have nothing. Most of our town is without power….we managed to find a burrito restaurant with wifi and power outlets for now…huzzah! But man, could we use some showers ;)

    Reply

  31. Amy says

    Hi Sherry! Please keep us posted on whether your CT stop will be postponed (I’m secretly hoping it will be so i can still come – hubby can’t make it now on Friday and i don’t feel comfortable coming alone with my 7 week old!)

    Reply

  32. Jessica says

    Glad you all are okay. As we watched the news last night I popped onto Facebook and a few of my favorite blogs (yours included) to check on everyone. Then I felt silly for checking on total strangers LOL

    Great project – I love that you included estimates for those of us who are occasional-at-most crafters/DIYers. So many blogs post adorable things that cost them just $2 to whip up…only to find out they used another $100 worth of materials from their stash (not to mention a bunch of specialty tools) and I realize that without that stockpile of goodies it’d be much cheaper for me to just buy it pre-made.

    Reply

  33. Becca says

    Love it! I’ve been thinking about painting one of my walls with the magnetic/chalkboard paints. Have you tried out the magnet part? Is it strong? I want to hang the kids papers/art work from school but was not sure how great the magnet part turns out once it is painted over. So glad you guys are safe! Can’t wait to see you at the book signing in Chicago!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      It’s great so far with those small disk-like magnets that look like Altoids (they’re really strong and would definitely hold up paper/art. The key is just applying thin and even coats (multiple coats seem to make it stronger). Good luck!

      xo
      s

  34. Jill says

    Love the chalkboard. I just made and shared a chalkboard dresser for my part in the challenge. Chalkboard paint is definitely the most Pinterest-tastic material ever!

    Reply

  36. Chris says

    AW! That video totally reminds me of my daughter that age – she’s now FOURTEEN. I so clearly remember her talking like that. She’d gotten a time out and I could hear her saying to herself “if I be sweet, I can come out”. It goes so fast.

    Reply

  37. Jill says

    i love this! and I love the frame. We did this same thing (I was “pinspired” as well), except we used a hollow core door- painting the edges a pop of color and the door front with blackboard. We originally planned on hanging it up, so we wanted something lightweight. But we ended up doing just what you did- leaning in against the wall. and our 2 year old loves coloring on it as well. I can’t wait to “steal” the ideas you guys use on yours for ours! We love it for birthdays- to display pictures over the past year with a birthday love note written on it.

    Reply

  39. hollyloo says

    fantastic!! want to make one for me???

    so, i think john blew clara’s mind when he said her name started with a C. her reaction was so precious. and i love that she’s a lefty!! one of my twins is a lefty, too!

    Reply

  40. Lucy S says

    I’m so glad to hear that you are all ok there in Richmond! We’ve left NoVA, and now are in Germany, but I’ve been checking up on all my friends across the pond, and sorta’ consider you all among them. By the way… the chalk board is awesome! Did you give Clara chalk to match her cute outfit on purpose? Or was it a lucky accident? :)

    Reply

  42. Janis from Scotland says

    Just wanted to say my hubby and myself are thinking of everyone who has been affected by hurricane sandy – just watching on the news. Stay safe folks….cars, possessions can be replaced – humans cannot.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Janis! I have heard from my Dad (in NJ) and my mom (in NY state). Still hoping to hear from my brother in Jersey City (where there is extensive flooding). Hope everyone’s ok!

      xo
      s

  43. Linda says

    Restoration Hardware has some chalkboards/pinboards that are are kind of similar to what you did here but for $500 or so dollars for a similar size!!!

    Also thanks for the post about magnetic paint from way back. I am definitely going to use magnetic paint around the house :) For the future kiddos and for myself!

    Reply

  46. Morgan says

    Love the rustic wood frame!! Reminds me of West Elm :). I’m on a little bit of a chalkboard kick now too, and it’s perfect for toddlers. Yours is awesome!

    Reply

  47. Jess says

    At the end of the video, do you (Sherry) say “Oh, your brother is barking!”? Because I’m preeeeetty sure that happened. And it made me really happy :)

    Reply

  48. Maggie says

    I made a my pantry cupboard door into a chalkboard a while back, after seeing it on Pinterest. No store-bought chalkboard paint needed!
    Two tablespoons of finely sanded grout mixed into 1 cup of any color house paint you have/want, voila! Chalkboard paint. Worked like a charm, and I now have a lovely grey/blue chalkboard in my kitchen :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I guess if you rub chalk all over it and wipe it down it’s conditioned so the scribbles you make won’t “stain” so that when you erase them they disappear instead of leaving a shadow.

      xo,
      s

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