Before I made up my mind to embark on a DIY chalkboard project, I couldn’t help but notice these charming house-shaped chalkboards popping up repeatedly on Pinterest. I was in the process of seeking inspiration for my daughters’ playroom, and these little chalkboard houses just seemed like the perfect addition to our home.
As I delved deeper into my quest to find these adorable house-shaped chalkboards, I stumbled upon a few options available for purchase on Etsy. However, when I took a closer look at the prices, I realized that they were a tad bit on the expensive side for my budget. That’s when I decided to take matters into my own hands and try my hand at creating one myself!
As I was in the midst of working on another DIY project (a low picnic table for the kids), I had the idea to use the same type of wood panel for the chalkboard. To be completely upfront about it, looking back, I’d probably opt for a smoother wood panel if I were to do it all over again. You see, it required quite a bit of sanding, and considering this is a surface meant for coloring, a smoother one would have been more ideal. I’ll do my best to provide links to the smoother wood panel options I wish I had chosen, but since time travel isn’t an option, we made the chalkboard work, and the kids absolutely adored it!
The chalkboard we decided to make measures 3 feet by 5 feet in total size. To make things a bit easier on ourselves, I asked the staff at Lowes by the wood cutting area to cut the wood for me, since we bought it there anyways. It was a handy way to save some time and effort.
What you’ll need for this DIY Chalkboard:
- 3 feet by 5 feet Wood panel (smooth)
- Marker or pen
- Saw woodcutter
- Sandpaper for the rough edges
- Chalkboard paint
- Thin flat moulding for the frame
- Tool for cutting soft wood in angles
- Wood glue for the frame (if you don’t want to use nails)
- Chalk colors of course!
Here’s the chalkboard paint I used, you can also find it on Amazon, I know there is magnetic paint out there too, so that would super fun as well. Also, I’m linking a similar sanding machine we have, if you don’t want to sand the wood by hand, this is a cool electric hack, but if you don’t have much to sand on your wood panel, is probably not necessary.
I’m including a link to the softwood angle cutter for the frame here, but please keep in mind that if you’re not planning to frame your chalkboard or have a different frame idea in mind, you can skip this tool altogether.
By the way, that small electric wood cutter I used seems like a handy addition to your DIY toolkit, especially if you often work with small pieces of wood. What’s neat about it is that it provides some safety features and a helpful guide for keeping your cuts straight, making it a useful tool for various DIY projects.
I also want to mention a wood glue that I believe would be a good choice for attaching thin molding. In our project, we initially used a nail gun, but it ended up making our frame a bit wonky (haha), which meant we had to use caulk to hide the nail holes. So, looking back, if I were to redo this DIY chalkboard, I’d lean toward using simple wood glue. After all, it’s not like we needed heavy-duty bonding for attaching the molding to the chalkboard.
During my trip to Lowe’s, I made sure to pick up the chalkboard paint that came with a built-in primer for convenience. Additionally, I grabbed some thin white moldings to craft the frame for the chalkboard. Fortunately, my sister had already procured a small angle cutter designed specifically for working with moldings, which made the process smoother.
If you’re a newbie to wood cutting, I’d advise seeking assistance from a friend who has experience in this area or thoroughly reading the manual for the cutter you have on hand. Safety and precision are key when working with tools like these.
Once we had the materials and the wood at home, the next step was outlining the house shape with a marker. We used a small woodcutter to shape it to our design.
However, if you’re thinking of going the DIY route and cutting the wood yourself, I’d strongly recommend using a better cutter. Safety first! It’s essential to be extra cautious, especially if you don’t have much experience with woodworking. While a manual saw could work, it might take longer and potentially be riskier.
We patiently waited for the chalkboard paint to completely dry. We had a good amount of time to spare, so we left it for a few days and then came back to it. Next, we added the frame, carefully cutting the angles with the tool I mentioned earlier.
I have to confess that to make up for some of our less-than-perfect alignments, I resorted to using caulk. But I must say, it worked out quite well. The slight imperfections are hardly noticeable, and overall, we were really pleased with how it turned out.
My kids were absolutely thrilled with the chalkboard, and for one of my daughter’s birthdays, I decided to use it as a “happy birthday” sign that I personally hand-drew. It was such a delightful reminder of how enjoyable it is to create art on chalkboards!
In the end, our DIY chalkboard project was a satisfying experience. It had its share of challenges and learning moments, from choosing the right wood panel to fixing minor frame imperfections. But seeing the joy it brought to my kids, especially when we used it for special occasions like birthdays, made all the effort worthwhile. It served as a reminder of the simple pleasures of DIY projects and the happiness they can bring to our home.
Thank you so much for being here and making it to the end of this DIY chalkboard blog post, we hope you got some inspiration to create your own or if it inspired you to create other DIY projects. We want to know it all! Let us know how it went in the comment section below, or you can always contact us here.
