Chalkboard Wall

We finally got around to making a chalkboard wall.  I have been wanting to do this project for a while and my hubby jump started the project for me.  We purchased Rustoleum Chalkboard Paint at Home Depot and we purchased the magnetic primer there as well.  We thought it would be nice to be able to use magnets on the wall but unfortunately the magnetic primer did not work.  Once we painted over the primer with the chalkboard paint, the magnetic capability went away completely.  So that was a waste of money.  I would be interested to know if others have had success using the magnetic primer.  We certainly didn't.

Anyhow, we applied one coat of primer and one coat of regular chalkboard paint using a small sponge roller.  The chalkboard paint is slightly stickier and thicker than regular paint .  It does have s strong smell but it's not over powering.  You need to let it dry for 24-48 hours before you can prep the surface for chalk.  Being patient was difficult because I couldn't wait to start drawing on it. 

So after the wall has dried completely, it's time to "cure" it which essentially just involves taking a piece of chalk on it's side and covering the wall completely and then erasing the whole thing.  Don't ask me how this ensures the success of the wall but I figured I would follow directions so as to avoid problems later.  

Now I was ready to get creative!  I found some inspiration on Pinterest and set out to make a base template with our family letter that I could add to later.  There are lots of great methods for creating beautiful chalk drawings but the easiest one I have found is to just print a letter, saying or drawing with your home printer, rub chalk sideways on the back side of the paper, then tape the paper to the chalkwall and trace over the outline of our project.  

It will leave a chalk template that you can fill in with your chalk pens.  You can find chalk pens on Amazon in a variety of sizes.  Some are more erasable than others so be sure to read in the reviews if they are permanent or erasable.  I love the chalkboard wall and I look forward to changing it up with the different seasons and holidays! Here is one that I did for fall.