Tuesday, August 4, 2009

My chalkboard obsession.

I am starting to develop an itsy bitsy problem. It started a year or so ago with my first chalkboard experience, and I just keep adding to my collection. I'll show you my first one in a minute, but first, my most recent chalkboard from Goodwill...

I showed you this goody on Twitter during a recent shopping trip:
I actually passed by it a on a couple different occasions, and this time -- I saw the potential in those hideous little bears. Here's a close up just to show you how cauuute they were circa 1986: I needed a new spot to hang our clean clothes since I removed the door in this room, and I thought with a little bit of work, this could do the job.


I gave it a quick sanding, took off the board that the bears were on off the back and spray painted the shelf like mad. I turned the bears over and painted the backside with chalkboard paint, replaced it with glue and then put hooks were the pegs were:
I stacked some little bowls I got at Goodwill for a buck each and a little vase on top, and it's good to go for now. Love it! And since I put it in with anchors, it will hold plenty of clothes. When I do the laundry that is, which is not so often.
Not bad for $2.99. Not bad at all.


I've shown you this chalkboard I already had in the laundry room:
It says "I love chalkboards," for those of you who can't read my scratchings. Good thing I'm not a teacher. I wanted a clock, I wanted a chalkboard. Perfection -- a clock and chalkboard in one.

My first chalkboard creation was well over a year ago, and it's still my favorite. When the Bub was little, I thought it would be adorable for him to have a chalkboard to play with in the kitchen. We have an odd wall in there that was perfect. This is it most days, like 363 days a year:
This is it when we have parties or I need to show it off on a blog:Ahhhhh yes.

It was super easy to do -- I taped off a large rectangle with painter's tape. Then used magnetic paint and did about three, nine twelve coats. It really helps to shake the can a lot. Alotalot.
Then a couple coats of chalkboard paint and that's it! I added some molding I just wiped down with a quick stain:
But you can just leave it as is -- no need for molding. I was just fulfilling another obsession. :)

I found a container I screwed into the wall for the chalk and magnets, but I need to find something that will hold up to a two-year-old:
This is the second one we've had and they fall apart immediately. Something a bit stronger perhaps?

The day I created it, I stood back to admire my handiwork, asking Hubby, "Isn't it the cauutest thing ever?"

His brilliant response -- "So if we let him to color on the walls there, what will keep him from coloring the walls all over the house?"
Crickets.

Chirp.

Chirp.

Excellent question Hubby. Didn't have an answer for that one. It was just cute, so I told him to shut it. Luckily this hasn't been issue. Yet.
Crickets.

Chirp.
 
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