How to Create Writable Wall Decorations

There are products new to the market that allow you to write, color or draw right on your walls. You can manage your family's calendar and grocery list on the kitchen wall; let your preschooler color in her own coloring-book wallpaper in the playroom; or keep track of projects with a dry-erase office wall. If you are looking for something less permanent, there are dry-erase decals and art murals that attach to walls without changing or damaging them. Here are a few of the writable wall decorations available.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Use chalkboard paint. Paint a small square or a whole wall and use it like a regular chalkboard. This is especially popular in kitchens and works great on a pantry door. See Resources for tips on customizing the colors of chalkboard paint and how to create a family calendar.

2. Stick up dry-erase decals. These are essentially dry-erase boards in fun shapes. They have an adhesive backing like a sticker, but peel off the wall without harming the paint or paper underneath. They come in a large assortment of colors and shapes and are relatively inexpensive.

3. Hang an erasable wall mural. This is like a dry-erase decal, but already contains mural images, like fairytale scenes. These are exceptionally durable--even Sharpies erase from them. These are an imaginative tool for children, who can write themselves and other characters into a story. (See Resources for retailers.)

4. Use dry-erase paint. This is a new product that rolls on the wall like paint, but makes the surface compatible with dry-erase markers. It goes on clear, so it doesn't add a white square to your wall. These are gaining popularity in corporate meeting rooms and university classrooms, but they would also work well in a home office, studio or playroom.

5. Install color-in wallpaper. This wallpaper comes with black-and-white designs drawn in. It's like a giant coloring book for your walls. You can use markers, crayons, colored pencils or paints to fill in the designs yourself with your own custom color selections, or install it in a child's room and let her imagination run wild.

6. Use scrubbable paint on your walls. This is a very durable indoor housepaint that can withstand regular scrubbing. It is not designed to take heavy-duty scrubbing, like permanent markers or paints, but crayon and water-based paints come off it just fine. This is a good option for a kid's room.

7. Hang a standard calendar, dry-erase board or wallpaper pad near your desk or in your family's communication center for a less dramatic and more reversible effect.

Resources

• Dry-Erase Decals
• Erasable Wall Murals
• Dry-Erase Paint
• Custom-Colored Chalkboard Paint
• Wallpaper You Color