apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I plan to "chalkboard paint" my son's ugly sliding closet doors - I was thinking magnetized chalkboard paint, but I think I'll stick to just drawing on the doors and not more paper stuck to them.

That pic on the left is awesome. I just wonder if real young kids will learn that it is ok to write on any wall.

I'm thinking of painting the bottom half of a wall in our kitchen. We have a corner for our son with a little table and I think I could turn it into an activity space for him.

I did a chalkboard paint half wall, but instead of installing a chair rail, I painted silhouettes coming out of the top half. Might make more sense with the picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23927797@N02/3770923332/in/set-72157621763601659/

Obviously this was taken before we did any chalk drawing. It's now filled with drawings (mainly lines as my daughter is not quite two). We haven't had any problems with her thinking it meant she could draw on all of the walls.

I've been having a lot of fun experimenting with chalkboard paint. It's great for Halloween crafts. My favorite are these little cardboard chalkboard pumpkins I made -- they have been a huge hit around this house!

http://chickencounting.blogspot.com/2009/10/halloween-fun-with-chalkboard-paint.html

slobound, I painted a huge chalkboard on my son's bedroom wall. He's been using it for many years, and not once has he drawn on any other wall in the house.

(He did try my lipstick on the chalkboard though!)

ksg, that looks great!

We just painted the bottom half of two of the nursery walls in chalkboard and made like a little art corner... we also used the magnetic primer, and although is not very strong it is pretty cool how letter magnets and shapes stick to it :)

Yup . . . half wall is pretty good. We talked the landlord in our rental into letting us paint one wall in the nursery. I couldn't decide between color and chalkboard, so I chose both. My only complaint . . . I like to draw too, and with only half a wall the whole space is 1 year old reachable. If the whole wall were chalk I could put a little time into something more permanently.

Also, no real problems drawing on other walls . . . but he does draw on other "black" things around his room. I guess I need to change my language from "only draw on the black" to "only draw on this wall"

Question for nani8nani - can you use magnetic primer underneath any brand of chalkboard paint? What brand did you buy?

I just bought some of the Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint to use on some pumpkins (an idea I got from ohdeedoh), but have been thinking about doing a portion of a wall too. I think my daughter would love being able to put magnets on the wall in addition to coloring.

JCohen--I have a full chalkboard wall in my kitchen (I get the top half, the kids get the bottom). We used magnetic primer underneath, but it didn't work very well. Can't remember the brand I used, but it hardly holds just a light magnet, let alone being able to use a magnet to hold up papers or pictures.

I like the partial wall, thx!

???? How does everyone deal with all of the chalk DUST?!?! In your home?

I find it maddening...this is what I am imagining---they scribble chalk everywhere and incessantly in one spot over and over, then rub their hands through it all. Now I have chalk on the sofa, chairs, rugs, their clothes and mine as they travel through the house (not to mention those chalk board erasers that are soo much fun to bang the dust out of--ugh)

We do sidewalk almost every day-outside. They LOVE it and have so much fun, but as I mentioned--very messy!

love this idea! i have ordered a purple color from hudson paints and am anxiously awaiting the arrival. what brand of chalk have you found works the best as far being non-waxy and easily erased? thanks!