Paint a wall (or any surface) with a special paint to create an instant chalkboard. DIY Decorating & Design host Nancy Golden paints chalkboard wainscoting on a child's wall and uses a chair-rail topper to hold chalk and erasers. Materials:
Sandpaper
Tack cloth
Paint to use as primer
Chalkboard paint -- available in green or black
Paintbrush
Molding, 1" x 2" lumber and trim to make chair rail
Drill
Finishing nails
Hammer
Nail set
- The wall must be very smooth to form a good base for a painted chalkboard. Sand the wall smooth so there aren't any bumps (figure A), then clean with a tack cloth.
- Prime the wall with any kind of paint. The paint needn't be a primer: any paint will provide an acceptable base coat.
- Brush on a thick coat of chalkboard paint (figure B), and allow it to dry for at least 12 hours.
- Apply a second coat of chalkboard paint in a thin layer. Working carefully, brush on the paint in one direction to provide a smooth drawing surface (figure C).
- When the paint is dry, finish the chalkboard wainscoting with a chair rail. The chair rail is made from a piece of molding topped with a tray made from a piece of 1" by 2" lumber. A piece of trim molding is attached to the front of the tray to form a lip that will hold chalk and erasers. Drill pilot holes in the bottom molding and 1" by 2", and attach to the wall with finish nails. Countersink the nails, and add the trim molding to the front of the 1" by 2" tray.
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