DIY: chalkboard for the cheap college student
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I’ve had this idea in my head that it would be awesome to have a chalkboard in my room. I’m not talking about one of those little notebook-sized ones that you can stick to refrigerators or put above your computer desk. I’m talking about a full chalkboard, like the sort found in a classroom.
After searching around on various Web sites, though, I found that even if I can find a cheap chalkboard for sale, the shipping will ruin it. Being the poor college student that I am, I looked instead for a cheap alternative, and I found it.
Who is the brilliant mastermind who came up with this stuff? It’s basically paint that can be applied to a smooth surface such as wood or plastic, creating a finish that more or less looks and behaves like a chalkboard. The potential uses are practically limitless!
So here was my plan. The college I attend is situated at the edge of the Appalachias, so the nearby city isn’t exactly teeming with big businesses and specialized stores. Fortunately, it does have a Lowe’s, where I was able to purchase a couple of 2′ by 4′ sheets of oak wood for a reasonable price. I wanted a relatively large board, but because of the nomad-ish nature of college life, the board had to be fairly easy to cart from one place to another in my old Corolla. So, I purchased a few hinges to connect the boards together, thus making a 4′ by 4′ chalkboard capable of fitting into a space half the width.
Since then, I have run into a few snags with this plan. First of all, I lack the tools to create the holes necessary for the screws that hold the hinges on. Second of all, these boards are quite thin, and even the smallest screws will poke out the other side – a minor problem that may be solved with the deft use of a hacksaw.
So, for now, I’ll settle for two unattached but adjacent sections of blackboard hanging on my wall. Only I’ve run into yet another problem: I didn’t have enough double-sided sticky tape left over from hanging up all my posters to sufficiently mount both pieces. I’ve gotten through the annoying process of painting the boards – and I have to add here that chalkboard paint is not easy to clean off brushes and rollers, especially when you lack things like a hose or a basin. I even had the ingenuity to stick a couple of plastic bags next to the board, to hold chalk and board wipes (or, in my case, old socks with lots of holes in them). The project will not be complete, however, until after another run out to the nearby stores – or, rather, the lone Walmart – for more sticky tape.
Despite the shortcomings, I have to say that the project was a success. On reflection, I should have done a better job prepping the boards, sanding them more thoroughly and applying a primer beforehand. Though the wood texture still peeks through the black paint, the chalk goes on rather smoothly – or as smooth as it should on a chalkboard, at least. Now I just have to figure out a good way to keep chalk residue from falling on my bed, which sits below the wall where I am mounting boards.
For anyone considering a similar project, here is some advice. Even coats are desirable, and you can get a more uniform coat by using a roller rather than a brush. Depending on the size and shape of the surface you are painting, this might not be an option, but it’s something to think about. Also, be sure to stir your paint before and during application. I neglected to do so, and the second coat was noticeably bubblier than the first. Speaking of which, apply multiple coats, with two being a minimum – the surface will appear more solid, and any minute flaws in the original surface will be more effectively hidden.
And, of course, if you have any questions on the process, feel free to leave a comment or contact me for feedback. It’s a relatively cheap way to make something useful, and even the paint alone has many uses – from labeling the names of plants on pots to providing a place in the kitchen for family members to leave messages for each other.
Also, in my search for a cheap alternative to buying a chalkboard, I found instructions on how to make your own chalkboard paint, a possible project for anyone who has various paints and other home-building left-overs lying around.
In the future, my housemates and I plan to use this stuff to convert a beat-up TV stand we picked up next to a dumpster into a table with a chalkboard surface, if only just for the awesomeness of it.
Until next time: Fridge mods. Also, finding storage for all my foodstuffs.
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Personally, I don’t think that double sided sticky tape is a good idea… this is not a poster, and you are hanging it above your bed. Plus if you put hinges on the back of it… it is not going to be flush against the back of the wall, creating another type of pull on the tape, besides the pull of gravity. I think you should go home, borrow your dad’s drill, I’m sure he would comply since we are talking about a heavy piece of wood you are hanging over your head while you sleep, and mount it appropriately. Sorry to lecture, but I’m just stating the obvious. – The Sister-in-Law
If that were an option, I would go for it, but I don’t really have the jurisdiction to poke holes – even small ones – in the wall of a house that I am renting. The pieces of wood aren’t actually that heavy, and the sticky tape holds them up rather well. I’m going to look around for a more effective means, but drilling holes isn’t an option.
As for the hinges, I’ve decided to go without them, at least for now. The boards aren’t perfectly flat, though, so that also causes a bit of a problem.
[...] how poor college student types such as myself could make their own giant chalkboards using chalkboard paint. Now I am here to tackle another issue that many college students (and countless others) face: [...]
I came here to see how effective Clocky actually is, but I got distracted by your mention of the DIY chalkboard…
I don’t know if you were dead set on wooden boards or if it even matters now that you’ve basically finished, but my friend made a dorm/apartment chalkboard for me a few years ago, and he used the same paint but put it on six of those cardboard “canvases” you can get in the craft section of Wal-Mart. They’re really light and can be held up by some of those 3M sticky things that don’t damage walls. I think he only needed one or two coats of paint on them, too.
That’s a good idea, I’ll have to check that out. Currently, the chalkboards are just kind of leaning against the wall.
Also, as far as the effectiveness of the Clocky, it gets me up real quick because I fear that if I sleep in too long, I will have to chase it around the room. The default setting is one minute after the alarm goes off.