June 10, 2012

Chalkboard markers out of the classroom and into the house

Special paint turns furniture, accessories -- whatever -- into blank canvases just waiting ...

By STACY DOWNS McClatchy Newspapers

(Continued from page 1)

The ABCs of chalkboard projects
click image to enlarge

Detail from a chalkboard-painted door.

McClatchy Newspapers photos

The ABCs of chalkboard projects
click image to enlarge

Chalkboard markers come in every color of the rainbow.

Additional Photos Below

• New idea: Painting the surface of a deck with chalkboard paint.

• Obvious choice: Cheese trays. Not so obvious: your car. (We've spotted a VW Bug).

• Pictures on Pinterest.com are inspiring us. We especially love walls with chalk drawings, such as a family tree in a nursery. A hint for precise outlines: rent a projector and create a transparency at a print shop.

• Quotes on chalkboards = instant inspiration.

• Resources for chalkboard paint include craft stores, home warehouses and paint shops.

• Spray surfaces with polyurethane to make chalk-art creations permanent.

• Tired of the mess or the design? The best way to clean it is with a damp cloth.

• Understand that when you apply chalkboard paint, it goes on gritty. When it dries, sand surfaces with 150-grit sandpaper before you first write on them.

• Variety. Think beyond white chalk on a blackboard. Chalk comes in a crayon-assortment of colors these days; Crayola has a 52-count pack.

• Wet chalk is a secret for creating large-format designs, says Annie Huff, the 18-year-old daughter of Restoration Emporium owner Chrysalyn Huff. Annie Huff does chalkboard creations on doors and walls at the Kansas City, Mo., store. She dunks sidewalk chalk in a bucket of water. "It doesn't look like anything when it's wet on the surface, but then it dries vibrantly."

• Xpiration date of chalkboard paint: Six months from date of purchase or after it's mixed. (Yes, creative spelling is permitted on creative chalkboards.)

• Yummy surface for appetizer trays? To be on the safe side, use a nontoxic food-safe clear coat (available at craft stores) on top of chalkboard painted plates and platters.

• Zero writing. Chalkboard surfaces look great even with nothing on them. They're full of possibilities.

 

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Additional Photos

The ABCs of chalkboard projects
click image to enlarge

Chalkboard paint transformed this desktop into into an erasable writing surface, perfect for a to-do list. Black – as in blackboard – is the most typical color of chalkboard paint, but it can be any color.

  


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