Thursday, July 12, 2012

DIY Magnetic Chalk Boards

In August, I'm going to be headed to Illinois for my freshman year of college. I'm super excited! But I've been trying to think of ways that I can make a plain, white-walled dorm room feel like home. Like most college kids, I'm on a tight budget. So what better way to make my room feel like my own and be thrifty, than Do It Yourself projects?!

After some Pinterest inspiration, I came up with the idea to make two-colored magnetic chalk boards! I also made button magnets to go with them.




This is where I found the recipe I used: http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2012/02/how-to-mix-chalkboard-paint-in-any-color.html (They have a great blog by the way!)

There are some things I will do differently next time I do this project. But I can give you a simple tutorial for making 2 boards, along with my sugestions for next time!


1. Gather Your Supplies:
  • 2 cookie sheets (I got mine for $4 each from Dollar General. They also had Pizza pans which would be great for making circular boards.)
  • 2, 2 fl. oz. bottles of Acrylic paint in 2 different colors (I used Anita's All Purpose Acrylic Craft Paint in Violet and Turquoise. I got them at Hobby Lobby for $0.67 each.)
  • 2, 1/2 tablespoons of non-sanded tile grout in powder form (I used White Dry which I got at Home Depot for $5.47. Beware- it comes with 5lbs. of the stuff! Now I've got to find another use for it.)
  • 2 paint sponge brushes or rollers (I used this kind of brush so that my paint would dry smooth, I don't know how well a normal brush would work. You can buy them cheap at Walmart, they are also available at Hobby Lobby.)
  • 2 containers or bowls to mix your paint in
  • Something to mix with
  • Some newspaper or trashbags to lay the project on top of (So you don't make a mess!)
  • Chalk (I got mine at Walmart, but it was the last pack and was broken in lots of pieces.)
  • Painter's Tape (I didn't use it but I am going to next time!)


2. Mix Your Paint:
  • Pour one bottle, or 2 fl. oz. of paint in each container. Put 1/2 tablespoon of dry tile grout in each container.
  • Stir until mixed well and no longer lumpy.
3. Paint You Masterpiece:
  • Paint the inside of one pan and the outer rim of the other board one color. (I did both boards the same, but it makes more sense to do them differently so that you have enough paint.)
  • I did not do this but it might be a good idea to use a second coat. I only used one, and mine chipped some.
  • Let Dry.
  • I did not do this either, but it may be a good idea to tape it off with painters tape so that you will have straight paint lines.
  • Paint the remaining inside of one board and outer rim of the other board with the other color. Again, you may use a second coat if you want.
  • Let Dry.

4. Slate It:
  • After it is completely dry, lightly rub chalk over the entire board and then gently wipe it off. This will prepare it to be used.

Ta-Da! Your board is finsihed. You can also create magnets if you still have the urge to craft. I glued buttons to magnets that I bought at Hobby Lobby. I also put a magnet along the bottom to create a little shelf to hold chalk.


 


Have fun with lots of colors and whatever else you can think of. Thanks for reading!
Brittany :)