Easy Chalkboards from paned Cupboard doors

This is a story about a couple of chalkboard/magnetic boards.  Have you used magnetic paint? I have a couple of times, with very little success.  I decided to break it out again, and give it another try.

I was making two chalkboards. I cut some luan (very thin plywood) to size.  I proceeded to tape off the wood so that only a portion of it would be magnetic, but all of it would be a chalkboard.  When I opened the paint and stirred it, I noticed it had a pinhole in the bottom of the can and it was leaking. I poured the paint into a plastic bowl and continued stirring.  The plan changed-I decided to paint one board completely and the other board as planned.

SEVEN coats later and the magnetic paint will still only BARELY hold a very strong magnet.  So the moral of this story is I will not be using this paint again.  Too many failed attempts.   I did apply a couple of coats of chalkboard paint over the magnetic paint, so it wasn’t a total fail. 

Please excuse the (saw)dust on the camera lens.  This is the reason I do not have a big expensive camera! 

Let me blow that dust off—wewh  wewh

That’s better . . . This magnet is barely hanging on.  After taking these pictures I decided the divided chalkboard panes needed a little something more.

I used my Silhouette to cut out some vinyl days of the week.   The font is MV Boli, and it weeded very easily.  I put boxes around my words so that it is easier to weed.   As I was pulling the waste off I noticed how the “stickers” would make great stencils. 

I placed them on the chalkboard (which you can see is not exactly smooth due to the layers and layers of magnetic paint) and dabbed on some white paint.  Because of the rough texture, there was a LOT of bleed. I had to work very quickly, and I’m surprised I thought to grab the camera before I washed this off.

Meanwhile I used the letters and placed them on the other chalkboard. (the one that only had two sections of magnetic paint).

I bought these glass-less cupboard doors at Tickled Pink recently.  I knew they would make great chalkboards and more!

After I got done with the lettering, I decided to make another set of labels.  Again I pulled off the “waste”  and applied them onto the second chalkboard.

I picked out these two cupboard doors and paid for them.  As I was about to drive off, I got back out of the car, and picked out two more.  Why didn’t I get more…. I think they are sooo cute!  

I’m working on building something out of the other two.  I may not be able to show you that till next week, you know that whole “waiting for paint to dry” thing.

 

Besides these, my favorite would be the one hanging in my kitchen that I use all the time. It was made out of a curbed armoire door.

What’s the best thing you’ve made into a chalkboard?

gail

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