The Lazy Lady’s Guide to DIY: Fun With Chalkboard Paint

I was wandering around my house yesterday looking for some inspiration for this week’s edition of Lazy Lady when I saw this:

The door to our pantry has been bothering me ever since we moved in. For whatever reason, the previous tenants thought a few random splashes of paint right in the middle of it would really tie the room together. Every morning as I blearily reach for my cereal, there it is, staring me in the face with its blotchy smugness. Your tyranny ends today, ugly door.

DIY Chalkboard Organizer

What you’ll need: Painter’s tape, a blanket or towel you don’t mind getting covered with paint, a small can of chalkboard paint (I used Valspar) or alternately a can of chalkboard spray paint, measuring tape, a roller, a paint tray, and chalk.

First you’ll want to lay down your towel or blanket. You should probably also get a cat to further stabilize your mess catcher.

Measure and tape off the area you want to paint. I fancied up my basic rectangle by taping off the corners.

I probably should have used primer at this point to make sure the surface was smooth enough for the chalkboard, but I’m Lazy Lady, not Super Industrious Lady! So let’s get right to the chalkboard.

If you’re using canned paint you should do two coats minimum, three is best. Coat your roller evenly and make sure to wipe the extra paint off the edges to avoid drips, and wait at least an hour between coats. You can use a paint brush for the edges if you can’t get close enough with the roller. If you’re using the spray paint you should definitely use a primer first and do multiple coats, giving each coat a half hour to dry in between.

Once you’ve painted the door, give it a few hours to dry and set. If you have a cat, you should probably put them away at this point so they can’t rub all over the door while you’re not watching and then track paint all over the house. Ahem.

I decided to wait overnight before I started drawing on it, just to be safe. Remove the tape and get drawing!

I used my chalkboard to make a monthly to-do list, but you could use it for just about anything. Grocery list, calender, reminders, chores, doodles, the possibilities are endless! For even more options, use magnetic paint as the primer for your chalkboard and use magnets to hold artwork, documents, or mail. Enjoy!

Have an idea for a project you’d like to see? Send me an email at alliepersephone@gmail.com or tell me here in the comments!