Chalk board Paint

I know that in this day and age….dry erase is just taking over where chalk boards used to hang. In offices….schools and Sunday school rooms.  I do think that dry erase has it’s place….and I actually have one…..but….Y’all knew I couldn’t have a post without a but in there!!! lol   I think that chalk  board just has it’s own charm….and it’s place too.  A-I still think it’s the BEST venue for children.  For one thing….if they write on your wall, furniture, floor or fabric….really no harm!  I know….dry erase is pretty friendly too….but seriously?  It has NO charm…and really….it comes in almost one color only!  I don’t ALWAYS want white!!!

Chalk boards used to be pretty bland…a two color choice…..black….or green.  The green wasn’t really all that pretty either!!! Here while back I decided with five Grand-babies….that I could do two super fun things….give them something fun to do at Grammy’s…and give them something to irritate their parents when they went home (writing on their parents’ walls!!!)!  Both I kinda got a kick out of!!!   I know that seems kinda mean….but really?  If I can’t get back at my kids for writing on my walls when they were little….by teaching their kids that it’s okay…..I haven’t lived!  And….if they don’t have to go through this ONCE while raising their kids….THEY haven’t lived!!! WIN/WIN!!!  ANYHOO….I  have a REALLY wide hallway and I decided to make the whole hall area a chalkboard!!!   The problem was that I really didn’t want those UGLY colors on my wall.  I wanted the walls to blend with the rest of my house, mainly because that hallway is open to my kitchen….and it’s not just a doorway opening!  It’s about seven feet across!! I got on the internet and began to search for colored chalkboard paint.  Now….I did find some, and I actually even bought a quart….NOT cheap…and when it came….it was NOTHING like the color on the computer screen.  Not only that….but they even give you paint color names/brands that their paint is suppose to match!  Frustrated by this….I went back to the site….and tried to adjust my choice by the color I thought would be closer to what I wanted….FAIL number two!!!!  ARGGGGGG!!!  So MORE money down the pipes!!! This is not how I usually go about doing things…but hey….I have the right to be asleep on the job too sometimes!!!   This sat me back into my frame of mine….and I began to experiment!….now since doing this….I have seen several recipes VERY similar to this out there….so now….I don’t feel so brilliant….but  I still want to share it with Y’all!  Now you can have chalkboard paint in ANY color you want!!!  I will say…this does change the color just slightly.  I do think there is a solution, but I was entirely too tight to do it…..because I had what I needed already.  What does chalk….and chalk boards have in common?  They’re both “chalky”.  What did I have that would make a chalky additive?  Grout!!! It doesn’t get any “chalkier” than that!!!  I had white…so it did lighten my paint slightly…but really if you are gonna do a big project…or several….you could seriously buy unsanded grout very close to the color of your paint.  Grout comes in SOOOOOO many colors that your options are almost limitless!!  In case you’re wondering…yes you can use this recipe to make your own CHALK PAINT too!

Now…I’ve made this out of all sheens…glossy, semi-gloss, eggshell and flat….it works with all of them.  The only thing you have to remember is raise the amount of grout if you are using anything other than flat.  Since my project was HUGE in terms of chalkboard projects….I mixed a gallon…but if your project isn’t that big….you can adjust.  I’ll give you a proportion for both…but seriously folks….it isn’t rocket science…..you just really have to “dry out” your paint!  I know that seems like an oxymoron….but I really can’t word it any other way.

I mixed about a cup of unsanded grout to my gallon of paint…and like I said….adjust for your sheen….mine was eggshell…and If I remember correctly….I painted a small area and let it dry.  This has been over a year ago…so forgive me if I don’t recall exactly.  But like I said before….it’s not rocket science…if it doesn’t seem chalky enough….add some more grout….and you can’t have it too chalky! lol   BUT….keep in mind before you get frustrated…and start mixing more grout in….let it dry completely…and also remember if you’ve ever used ANY kind of chalkboard paint….none of them work good at first.  You have to “prime” all chalkboards.  You do this by taking a LARGE piece of chalk turned on its side and completely cover your chalkboard with chalk….erase and repeat.  I’ve found that repeating this about three times is sufficient to get it where you can tell if it’s chalky enough.  Then try it out….if you don’t like the way it works…add more grout and go from there.  After your chalkboard has been primed and used a bit….you can actually clean it up pretty well whenever you want with a damp rag.  I wouldn’t suggest doing this until it’s been primed and used a few times.  The ratio of grout to paint for a smaller batch is approximately 2Tsp grout to 1cup paint.

The hardest part of this project might be finding what you want to turned into a chalkboard….but really mixing your grout and paint really well is your obstacle… just be persistent…..It’s SOOO worth it!!!   Here are a few unique home decorating ideas for you…..

Here’s one of those metal trays…you know the ones….those UGLY vintage trays you find all over the thrift store world….and in grandmas storage shed…..the nice thing about these….they’re also a magnet board!!! WOOT….A TWOFER!!!!

Check out that LIME green paint!!!! Tell me that isn’t color selection for chalkboard paint!!!! YUMMMO!!!!!

 

Here’s one of my dear friend’s (Cheryl Lewis)projects that hangs in her kitchen….how smart is she?Y’all remember Cheryl’s Yard! 🙂

 

Here’s a couple more of her cool/smarty pants projects!!!

Yep!  That’s a door!!!! Y’all know that’s probably one of my faves….since there is nothing I like more than a recycled treasure….and a new use for old door project…another TWOFER!!!! lol

Here’s one of the walls in my hall….keep in mind….if you decide to undertake a project this large….this isn’t a “day” job….this project took a LOT more work than just mixing the paint and painting.  I had to sand….add texture (too fill in the texture areas) and sand….and sand…and sand…and sand!!!  It took me probably a week or more to get this ready just for the paint!!!   I just thought I’d let you know….in case you hadn’t thought about all that texture on your wall….and it doesn’t sand all that well once it’s painted….so adding texture to smooth it out was easier than sanding straight out of the box.  BUT….adding texture doesn’t instantly make it smooth….there are ALWAYS lines where you cross the trowel.  Just know….it’s a LOT of work!! My suggestion is…if you’re gonna do this on a wall….start with a smaller project….like a small back splash area.

 

What would you like to have made into a chalk board?  Do you like the traditional chalk board look….or would you customize your chalk board paint color?

Love Y’all!

Tammy