DIY Chalkboard Wall
Do you have a wall that you don’t quite know what to do with? Give…
Do you have a wall that you don’t quite know what to do with? Give it a load of personality by turning it into a DIY chalkboard wall that the whole family will love!
This is my front door. Nice door. Now look at the wall next to it… Not so nice wall. A wall that is always dirty! Always dirty! Full of not so-little-hand black marks. I won’t tell who they belong to, I’ll just say that I got tired of looking at that wall.
Using some masking tape, I marked off sections of the wall on top and on the bottom. You can see the nasty dirt on the bottom of the picture. I wasn’t seeing red here, I was seeing black!!
Black? Yes Black!! Black Chalkboard paint.
The first coat went on and it looked…horrible. Like I let a two year old run wild in my house.
Four coats later, and we were doing much better, thank you!
But it was still not complete. These are foam crown moldings. They are used to connect the wall to the ceiling, creating ambiance. How about some ambiance for my dour black wall?
The crown moldings were painted using three different colors to give them depth.
A wall is a wall, except when it is not a wall. It is a blackboard, complete with frame.
I let it cure for 24 hours.
I then passed a piece of chalk, holding it sideways all over the surface, to cover all the pores. Then I wiped it with a rag.
And now for the fun! Time to see some black!
Now you tell me is that not an improvement from the before?
And now I’ve got the perfect wall for Thanksgiving. Maybe I’ll practice drawing turkeys next. Now is this not the best way to hide a dirty wall? Or should I say, I am seeing black, with a smile on my face.
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Whoohooo! I love chalboards. LOVE! And this is so clever Mary, you got rid of the dirty wall marks ( believe me I can so relate, my walls have fingerprints on them and all at one special height) and you created a fabulous chalboard that you can use for so many occasions!
Finally someone understands me. And now I’ve solved this problem for good! I also think it looks so much better than a blank white wall.
Awesome looking chalkboard wall!! Love the look it gives the wall and the painted frame added some clever detail!! It’s really great Mary!! Can’t wait to see a turkey drawn on the wall!! 🙂
Yeah about that turkey… you’ll have to wait till Thanksgiving, I’m gonna need lots of practice. 😉
This was a very creative and wonderful way to make this wall fabulous!
Thank you for visiting me as well, I appreciate your visit.
Jemma
Thank you Jemma. A new wall just in time to give thanks!
You’re going to love your chalkboard wall Mary. I did this to a wall in my kitchen a few years ago and I LOVE it! Right now it has my Fall/Winter To Do List on it – not so much fun but a good reminder!
I love it Marie. It filled up a dull bare wall and gave it so much life. Already the kids are eyeing it as to when they can change the message I put on there.
That is so much better! Stunning transformation!
Mami, anything would have been better than that awful bare wall. Thanks for stopping by!
I was not expecting that! Very nice Maria!!! I love it!!
Angelica, I had cleaned that wall so many times, I felt it was time for a more permanent solution.
This looks amazing! It takes courage to just paint a wall black like that, but this turned out fantastic!
Celeste, I was at the point where I had nothing to lose. I really love it. Everytime I walk into the room, I smile.
Perfect way to hide a dirty wall! What a great idea. I’m a chalkboard junkie so I just love it! xoKathleen
Now I don’t need to worry about … Well, I’ve noticed that since I turned it into a blackboard, no one touches the wall anymore!! Mission accomplished!
I love the new chalkboard wall! I want one now! It really turned out well.
Yes, and like I said above, I just realized that no one bothers my wall, so it will even stay clean now. Dianne, you too can have one, easy peasy!
I just love how your transformation turned out! Such a great idea for a space that just collected fingerprints. I have a short wall with the same problem. /: lol
I think everyone has this problem Theresa, whether we are big or small. I see that there is new found respect for my wall now.
Hello Mary,
that is a funky cool idea!
So great!
many greetings to you
Uwe
Thanks Uwe, no more dirty fingerprints! Yay!!
Thank you for sharing with us at #JoyHopeLive!
Thanks so much Mary
I love your wooden door and a brilliant idea to cover the finger marks!
Thanks Darrielle, something desperately needed to be done.
What a truly creative idea! You are just a girl on the go, always transforming. When do you sleep? 😉
Kim you should know that there is no such thing as sleep for bloggers! The more we create the more flaws we see and the more we want to redo … and on it goes.
Mary, the perfect spot for a chalkboard and I love the crown molding trim! Thank you for sharing @Vintage Charm!
Cecilia, this is the first place they put their hands on when they walk into the house. So it is only logical that I should elminated their spot!.
Mary!! OMG!!
This was such a fantastic and unique project and the perfect idea on what to do with what you thought was a “problem” area! Think of all the fun you can now have with this wall!! Love this idea! I wish I had enough wall space some where to do this . Hmmmmmmm…..
Maybe out in our Den….. I’m thinking now…….
Thanks so much for stopping by and for your kind comment on my post about the wreath. I have always been leary of doing any advertising on my blog but it was an opportunity that I could not pass up because it truly is a magnificent wreath!!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie I hope I have inspired you just like you have inspired me so many times before. And yes you should take care of yourself, you work so hard at your magnificent blog.
I love it! We have a few chalkboard walls throughout the house! I love them. Have a great weekend!
Susan this is my first one and I was a bit scared at first that it might be overpowering. But with the frame it is so pretty.
What a great idea. I love that you can use the space for seasonal decor. Pinned and Tweeted. Thanks for partying with us at Snickerdoodle Sunday!
Yes Beverly it can be changed up at whim!! I am so happy with it.
I love chalk board wall, and yes, this is absolutely a huge improvement! I did this to our old refrigerator a couple of years ago. It wasn’t covered on one side and that bothered me. Since they, the fridge went kaput and we had to replace it, but it was a practical solution nonetheless.
Here’s a tip just in case: coke on a lint free cloth will remove the chalk without that awful residue left behind.
(thank you for your sweet comment this weekend!)
xxx
I was so enthralled by your life story on Kim’s blog. What an exciting life! And your daughter’s wedding was something else. May you always enjoy your life with an RV!!
Thanks for the tip about the chalk. xxx
Love the idea of this being at the entryway! It looks great! Thank you for sharing this inspiration at Making Broken Beautiful! I hope you will come and inspire again!
Have a great day!
Smiles!
Terry
thecuratorscollection.wordpress.com
Thanks Terry, I’m just getting used to it now. But I like the way it fills up the wall. Will see you at the party.
Mary,
Wow, what a difference, it looks great. So much better…no finger prints and a pretty display area for messages, thoughts and sayings!
Happy Tuesday! 🙂
Kimberley
Kimberly, it’s like day and night. I love it, so much it fills up an empty space that was just an eyesore before.
Very clever and really nice! I appreciate you showing us that it took several coats to make it come out. It can get discouraging when you are doing something that should be simple but it is not working like you thought it should, The frame really added a nice touch.
Thanks Krista. We have to keep it real. Sometimes these projects take on a life of their own. We don’t pretend to be perfect around here. In fact, I enjoy revelling in imperfection. There is beauty in that! Thanks so much for visiting.
Oh my! I absolutely love this. Such a fantastic idea!
Thank you Erica. It solved a big problem for me.
I love chalkboard walls but don’t have a good wall in my kitchen to do this. Love how you framed it.
Thanks for taking the time to come over and share your projects with us at Brag About It!
~Laurie
Laurie, the pleasure is all mine. I don’t have any free walls either but this was a necessity
It’s a bold statement to paint a chalkboard wall and I love how yours turned out. I’d like to do something similar on the wall in the passage leading to my kitchen.
Thanks for sharing this, Mary
http://Runwright.net
Karen it’s so good to hear from you. This is a bold but in this case practical idea. Hope you have a chance to try it.
Hello Mary,
Wow the wall looks so nice and fun for chalkboard art!
Thanks for sharing this idea with us at Cooking and Crafting with J & J.
Julie xo
Julie I surprised myself here. I never thought I’d do something like this. But it turned out fine.
What a great idea! No grimy handprints and a nice message to give you a smile on your way out!
Exactly Carlee! Especially the part with the grimy handprints!
ha, I have a lumpy chalkboard with all sorts of flaws and textures and have taken to using the chalk markers to get better control. They still wipe off easily with water. You might want to try those for intricate designs…this is a perfect idea for a high traffic area…! Thanks for the tutorial. I’ve heard that the chalkboard paint is a challenge to use. Sandi
Sandi, It was no problem at all, althought I should have sanded down the wall a bit. Otherwise I’m very happy with it. Thanks for your tip about the chalk markers.
I love how you did this project, and yes it does look so much nicer! I have an old chalkboard in my home, the kids used to love writing on them, well they still do at times. Thanks for sharing!
So far mine haven’t been tempted to bother it. They like the flowers and the Thanksgiving sign, but I’m sure they’ll start doodling soon enough. Thanks for dropping by.
This is a fabulous idea! I love this! Thank you so much for sharing at my craft party on Thursday! Hope to see your newest posts this week, which starts at 7pm EST.
Thank you Denise for stopping by. And of course you’ll see me on Thursday.
That looks great! If it’s the door on the way out you could also jot reminders to yourself on it 🙂
Absolutely Heather! I’m sure the kids will take over it soon enough.
The thought of planning freak me: that makes a perfect command center!
But your “give thanks” is a much better application. 😉
Thank you so much for sharing it on Tip Tuesday!
Debbie, when I look at that wall I want to smile not stress out. The before was stressful enough.
Mary, this is GENIUS! I have 3 little ones who I have to CONSTANTLY clean walls after. Maybe I should chalboard paint all of the corners of my home? Hahahaha, anyway, I feel your pain and love your solution! Thank you for sharing with us on Welcome Home Wednesday =)
Lyn, it’s only good in small doses….lol. I think it would be too much on a large wall. My home is pretty small so that’s just fine. On the plus side, no one goes there anymore to touch the wall.
I absolutely love this idea Mary and have been thinking about doing the exact same thing to a small wall inside my front door! Great minds think alike 🙂 Thanks so much for linking this up to the Bewitchin’ Projects Block Party this week. Hugs, Lisa
Lisa, you should definitely do this. It really transforms the space and gives it texture and interest. It puts a smile on my face every time I look at it.
Mary, I love this! It looks fantastic! I love the way you’ve come up with a great solution to a problem, and I hate those hand marks on the wall too. This is perfect! The way you framed it makes this a work of art, it matches your home and your style! Love it!
Thank you Nikki. I am really happy with it. It totally transformed the space. And now we can just change up the messages and no grocery lists on that wall, I want happy thoughts.
Nice way to cover up that spot. I love that you can change out the message too.
Thanks Erlene. I was thinking that even if it didn’t have the fingerprints it was still a pretty boring wall. So I’m really glad I painted it, it makes a huge difference.
That’s so clever Mary. I get fed up of wiping hand marks around the light switches. If only someone would invent paint that was anti-it!
I love the fact that you can write whatever you like now.
Sally @ Life Loving
#LifeLovingLinkie
Sally, I love it more and more each day! It has really grown on me. and I wonder how I ever put up with that blank wall before.
Your new chalkboard wall looks fantastic Mary! 4 coats, ouch!!! I am featuring it tomorrow @ Dream. Create. Inspire. Link. I hope you are having a great week and take care, Tara
Thanks so much Tara. Four coats but well worth it. I was just saying how did I ever live without it! Thanks for the feature.
Loved that this chalkboard wall got featured on Two Uses Tuesday. I pinned it already a few days ago, because I thought it was such an awesome idea. 🙂
Thanks Ilka. At first I was scared it would over power the space. But instead it has given it much needed warmth. A surprise I did not expect.
This is a great idea! I have little ones and I am always finding my walls look like this. Wish I could use chalk board paint on all the walls but I may have to stick to the most high traffic area! Thanks for sharing and linking up with us over at the Welcome Home Wednesdays Link Party!
Lisa, I only did this in this one strip of wall. For my small house it would have been too overwhelming to do more. But it turned out great and r eally warm. which I was not expecting.
What a great idea and what an improvement! You’re amazing. Congrats on the feature on Dream, Create, Inspire. Have a beautiful day!
Thank you Jas. It really makes a huge difference. My wall looks so pretty and clean. (Now they don’t touch it anymore!)
I’ve always wanted to try the chalk board paint! Looks good. Thanks for linking to #frifree4all. sorry i’m late!
Hayley I am not an adventurous sort when it comes to my decor but this was the best thing I ever did. I just love the depth it gives the room.
I think we all have one of those walls in our houses that catches all the fingerprints! This was a super cute and functional solution! XO
It makes a huge difference. And since I added the blackboard effect it has changed the whole look of the room. I couldn’t be happier with it.
I got what you mean , regards for posting .Woh I am glad to find this website through google. “Success is dependent on effort.” by Sophocles