Need a chalkboard for your decor or new homeschool routine? It is easy to make a cardboard chalkboard and you might have most of the supplies sitting around your home already.
Chalkboards have been extremely trendy for a while now. Adding a chalkboard to your home decor can add a romantic and rustic feel to any room. It can also add functionality to any space. Plus, it can be the nice touch of black that can make any room pop. Purchasing chalkboards at a home decor store can be very expensive.
I found an old empty frame in my basement. The glass that came with it broke during our move to Iowa. I thought I would conduct an experiment, to see if chalkboard paint on cardboard would make a sufficient chalkboard. I was pleasantly surprised that it did.
I’ve found that for best results using chalkboard paint (which is different than chalk paint) make sure your surface is smooth.
When the surface is textured or bumpy it is harder to write on with chalk and harder to erase.
Cardboard makes a great surface because it is so smooth. Remember, you will probably need multiple coats.
How to make a Cardboard Chalkboard
Supplies Needed
- Chalkboard paint
- Paint roller
- Cardboard box or a piece of cardboard
- Scissors
- Pen
- An old Frame
Instructions
1. Find or purchase cardboard. I used a cardboard box that was waiting to be recycled.
2. Using a pen. Measure the size you want your chalkboard to be. I traced my chalkboard using the old frame as my base.
3. Cut out your cardboard slab.
4. Paint your cardboard piece with chalkboard paint. I painted the inside of the box since it was tape free!. I found that the cardboard really soaked up the chalkboard paint. You will need 2 or three coats of paint.
5. Let the chalkboard paint dry. It will take about 2 hours.
6. Decorate your chalkboard and display it!
I wrote on my cardboard chalkboard and erased the chalk several times. I found that a damp washcloth was the best way to erase the chalk off of this chalkboard.
I do find it interesting that after many schools have switched over to whiteboards from chalkboards, that chalkboards have become so popular.
Creating a cardboard chalkboard is a very inexpensive way to decorate your home with chalkboards. These would also be a great project to make for your children.
One final thought- you can do this project with chalkboard spray paint as well. Just remember to paint outside or in a very well ventilated area.
The following post is from contributing writer Kristen.
Carmen at Old House Mercantile says
Love it! And I went and had hubby buy wood to put in my frames! Who’da thunk? LOL!
Hyedi says
Hi! I love this idea! I have a brand new very large framed mirror that broke. Underneath the glass is cardboard. At the end of this month (May 2018) my daughter graduated from High school and I was thinking that a chalkboard would be cute for the party!
So I looked it up and I found you.
My question is, doesn’t the paint cause the cardboard to ‘wilt’ or wrinkle? If so, what did you do?
Thank you for you well thought out post.