Kids love having a chalkboard in their bedrooms because they can draw, and write, and get creative. But if you have a cute theme happening in your child’s bedroom, a big, ugly, black or green chalkboard isn’t going to fit in well. What you need is a chalkboard in a color which matches or coordinates with the colors in the room. So, go get the leftover paint from that room and use it to make the most adorable chalkboard ever. Make your child’s chalkboard pink, blue, orange, white – whatever color you want.
Purchase a piece of wood from a large home improvement store and they will cut it to the size you want with no charge. Birch is a good choice because it’s smooth and has a light color which is easy to cover. The wood you choose doesn’t have to be especially thick.
If needed, sand the board a little before painting it. It’s very important that you wipe the board completely clean after sanding so that there is no dust on it at all.
Use any color of paint as long as it has a matte finish. Paint the front of the board as well as the sides. Allow the paint to dry and then sand away any imperfections, if there are any, but don’t sand the paint off of the board.
At a home improvement store you can find un-sanded tile grout and that’s what you need to continue with making the colored chalkboard. Mix two to three teaspoons of the grout into a cup or two of paint – make a larger or smaller batch, depending on how large or small your board is. Apply the grout paint to the chalkboard.
When the second coat of paint has dried, add a third coat of paint without the grout in it. Allow to dry completely. Then, use a piece of chalk – the side of it works well – to color the entire chalkboard. After that, wipe the chalk off with a damp cloth. This can help you determine if there are any places on the board which aren’t allowing the chalk to write on it. If that’s the case, apply yet another coat, this time with a little grout in it.
Hang the finished chalkboard on a wall as it is, with picture hanging hardware. Or, frame the chalkboard in a large frame and hang it. Use colored chalk for a white chalkboard or for any other chalkboard. Or, give them the standard white chalk – good for any board except a white one. Your child will love the new chalkboard and you’ll love that it fits right in with the colors of the room.
Colored Chalkboard