From the Make blog comes this fabulous idea for those of us who like the idea of blackboards without necessarily wanting to cover an entire wall with black paint. All you need to get started is a used classroom globe, spackle and sandpaper (for creating a smooth surface), and a small can of chalkboard paint.
Make This: Blackboard Idea Globe
What we love about this idea are its countless creative and practical applications. You could use colored chalks and decorate the entire globe with a beautiful floral motif. You could draw the continents and illustrate them with their native animals. You could pretend that the globe is the moon or Mars and indicate where their geological features are. (Where exactly is the Sea of Tranquility, anyway? Maybe now's the time to finally get to the bottom of that.) You could even do some worldbuilding and invent your own planet.
See the post at Make, and the original photo -- complete with how-to -- on Flickr.
Comments (7)
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What a fun idea! I would use it for phone messages or house mate communications and chalkboard paint comes in a gillion colors now.
view EconGrrl's profile
This totally reveals the nerd in me, but I think that would be a fantastic way to map out the geographical features of a new fantasy world you might be creating.
view Mrs.Mack's profile
LOVE this! Wow, just when I think there's not another object that could possibly benefit from a couple coats of chalkboard paint... along comes something else!
This could be a great teaching tool, too. As in: ok, here's the earth, now fill in the continents, etc.! I like the idea of a fantasy land, also. Very cool!!!
view mirandabee's profile
This is fantastic. And I love the potential applications offered ... and though of another few...
You could map the Earth at night, with metro areas lit up.
Sketch the ocean currents, jet stream, or other atmospheric effects.
Adapt a pie chart to 3D display **or, would that be a "(pi)d^2" chart??**
With magnetic primer underneath the chalkboard paint, and some DIY printed magnetic tiles, it would be fun to play at tessellating a sphere.
What a fabulously fun reuse idea for an out-of-date globe.
view Splomo's profile
Mrs.Mack: What a cool idea!
As for the blackboard globe idea, I'm not sure. Wouldn't it be easier to write on a flat blackboard (and one that doesn't try to spin while you are writing)? I give it high marks for cleverness, low for practicality.
view aj's profile
ew. no.
view rosaleen's profile
I have an old globe. Not really a useful tool since about half the countries don't exist anymore. My kids would love it.
view sue3465's profile