These ideas aren’t new, lots of people have done them before me, but what’s great about each is how it can add a little interactive fun in your space, no electrical cord required.  They’re easy to do since chalkboard paint is so forgiving. It dries fast – you’ll see the second coat dry in about 10 minutes.  It dries smooth, too, despite the brushstrokes when wet.

For the framed chalkboard, I cut a piece of plywood to size to slip into the back of the picture frame. I covered it with 2 coats of black chalkboard paint.  You can still see the texture of the plywood through the paint, but I like the character-add quality.  Then, since I thought the black on white looked a little severe, I painted a border with blue semi-gloss, sort of a self matte.  To finish, I stapled the inside the frame with a staple gun to secure the board.

Project 2: Here’s an Ikea Lack table minus the lower shelf, I think, since I pulled it from a dumpster.  For this one, I added a painted border that looks like chalk.

Step one, I roughed up the surfaces of the table, but  just lightly since the laminate is thin as onion skin.  It was ripply in spots on the top but I went with it, more character-add. Then, 2 coats of chalkboard paint.  For the border design, I printed out a template for a swag design (pdf) from Martha Stewart.  I cut out the stencil holes then dabbed lime green paint with an artist’s brush on the table’s surface.  No need to be perfect.

Project 3:  A flower vase on which you can add a pattern or remind yourself what kind of flowers you bought. The flowers are courtesy of my neighbor’s yard – Bluebells and Jacob’s Ladder. The vase is courtesy of the alley.

I put 2 coats of paint on this, too, and love the way it turned out.  For more vases and ideas for chalkboard paint, Apartment Therapy has a round-up  starting here.
Got an original chalkboard project you’d like to post? Email me now.  I’d love to hear the details.  Great weekend, everyone!