How to Decorate a Play Room With Chalkboard Paint

Decorate a play room with chalkboard paint to give kids writing room.

As you work to design a play room for children, consider the opportunity for creative expression on the walls. If you apply chalkboard paint to the walls of a play room, you can make vertical surfaces for writing with chalk that your children might enjoy. Because chalkboard paint adheres to walls in the same way standard paint adheres, the process to decorate a play room with chalkboard paint is no more difficult than painting the room in the typical fashion.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• Tape measure
• Level
• Masking tape
• Drop cloth
• Chalkboard paint
• Flat paintbrush (3- to 4-inch width)
• Paint roller
• Paint tray

Instructions

1. Determine the area you wish to apply the chalkboard paint. As you plan the placement of the area, keep in mind the heights of your children to ensure they will be able to reach the chalkboard area.

2. Examine the chosen wall area for protruding nails or rough spots that would be difficult to write over after painting with the chalkboard paint. Tap nails in flush with the wall and fill any holes with putty (sanding the putty smooth after it dries).

3. Mark off the area you wish to paint by drawing lines with the pencil, measuring it to make the length and width even between the top and the bottom of the area. Use the level to make your borders even and level.

4. Tape the area with masking tape, placing the inner edge of the masking tape along the pencil lines you drew. Cover the floor beneath your painting area with the drop cloth.

5. Apply the chalkboard paint with the paintbrush along the taped edges. Pour the chalkboard paint into the paint tray and apply the chalkboard paint with the paint roller in the inside area after edging the perimeter with the paintbrush.

6. Allow the chalkboard paint to dry completely, consulting the paint's instructions for drying times. One coat of chalkboard paint should be sufficient.

Tips & Warnings

• Chalkboard paint is a topcoat paint that you must apply over a base coat of paint.

• Place stools and chairs nearby the chalkboard area for children to sit on while they use the chalkboard.

• You may wish to frame the chalkboard to make it look like a real chalkboard. Alternatively, omitting the frame can make the chalkboard area seem more like a standard wall in the room and not a special chalkboard, which may better serve some decorating themes.

• Paint an entire wall with chalkboard paint to give children a huge chalkboard surface in the play room.

• Place an area rug beneath the chalkboard area to catch chalk dust that will accumulate on the floor beneath the chalkboard. Regularly shake out the rug to minimize dust in the room.

References

• Benjamin Moore: Chalkboard Paint