How to Use Chalkboard Paints

There is almost nothing in your home that cannot be decorated with chalkboard paints. Projects using chalkboard paints are a wonderful way for you and your family to creatively express yourselves on any flat surface including floors, tables and walls. You can also use them to make crafty flower pots for leaving notes. Chalkboard paints are available in a vast assortment of colors and special effects, and you can choose either aerosol or brush-on products. Here are some great project ideas that utilize these special paints.

Things You'll Need

• Disposable gloves Foam core board or piece of plywood Frames for boards, if desired Aerosol chalkboard paint primer Aerosol chalkboard paint White chalk Colored chalks Felt chalkboard erasers

Instructions

1. Put on a pair of disposable gloves. Lay the core board or plywood on a flat working area. Spray the entire surface of the board with the aerosol primer and let it dry before moving forward.

2. Spray the primed area with aerosol chalkboard paint. It is best to let that coat dry for several days.

3. Cover the painted surface with a layer of white chalk. Press the side of a piece of chalk to the board and rub it over the entire area. Use the felt chalkboard eraser to remove all of the chalk. The chalkboard is now properly prepared to receive future masterpieces. Frame and hang the finished board, if you like. Or use some of the following suggestions for other creative ideas in your home.

4. Use the basics in Steps 1, 2 and 3 to make chalkboards on the tops and sides of toy boxes for your children's bedrooms or play rooms. If there is a desk, create a chalkboard on the desktop. They will never tire of decorating and redecorating their own furnishings. Bins can be turned into chalkboards, which label the contents, making picking up toys a much easier task for your little ones. A large empty area on the wall is a great place to paint a chalkboard for you to create fancy murals and decorations that can be renewed with more appropriate characters as the children grow. Or just suggest that they create their own wallpaper on the chalkboard mural. The back of the room's door, or closet doors can accommodate "Parents Only" chalkboards for posting reminders to the kids.

5. Use the basics in Steps 1, 2 and 3 to create a large chalkboard on the floor of a playroom or even in the cellar or attic, provided that the humidity is controlled there. Draw a hopscotch game on the board. As the children become adept at playing the game that you have drawn, just erase it and draw a more challenging game for them. Add a checker board for them, and have them make their own checkers by cutting out and decorating pieces of felt. Draw and designate a separate area of the chalkboard as a renewable doodle area for the kids to decorate with their own graffiti. Challenge older children by drawing a shuffleboard court for them, and allowing them to create their own game pieces.

6. Use the basics in Steps 1, 2 and 3 to add a handy quick message board to a spot on the wall near the phone. Or use it to record emergency numbers.

7. Use the basics in Steps 1, 2 and 3 to create a decorative menu board for your dining room. Make the chalkboard from a piece of core board or plywood. Use a fancy frame from a yard sale or second-hand store to dress it up. Encourage your kids to participate in meal preparation, including writing the day's menus on the menu board with colorful chalks. Add a chalkboard to the top of your kitchen table to decorate with either hand-drawn food items or seasonal themes.

8. Use the basics in Steps 1, 2 and 3 to make a chalkboard on any flat kitchen surface for drawing decorations. Embellish cabinets, walls, counter tops, back-splash areas, refrigerator or microwave or any other appliance which does not produce heat on the outer surfaces.

Tips & Warnings

• Always ventilate your working area well when using aerosols. Never expose aerosol cans or their contents to heat or flame.