How to Make Your Own Giant Homeschool Chalkboard

I am excited to share one of my most favorite DIY projects with you today! My husband and I have done our fair share of do-it-yourself projects over the years, and he is pretty handy like that – so I was confident he could help me create exactly what I envisioned. I want to share this simple process with you so that you can create your own custom sized chalkboard for your homeschool.

I first must confess, that I honestly thought to do it myself would be a hassle. I knew we could do it, but I procrastinated for a couple of weeks prior shopping for a giant chalkboard I could hang or mount on the wall where I wanted it.

But talk about sticker shock! Giant chalkboards are not cheap unless you score one on craigslist or a local garage sale. I am not patient enough to wait for the right opportunity when it comes to shopping sometimes; I wanted this chalkboard now!

I realized that I was not feeling frugal about spending $250-$400 on a large chalkboard; so we decided to take this project on.

 

I like simplicity, farmhouse style, and the look of a traditional chalkboard. Many of the ones I found online were labeled as “vintage” or “farmhouse” however it was challenging to find one that was around 5 feet wide. Most of the ones available in that size online were custom order only.

I found a couple of chalkboard tutorials on Pinterest that I liked. But they used  MDF board which is heavy, and I wanted to have this mounted on the wall easily. I also needed to be able to use it without worrying if it would stay put, and I needed a lighter weight base for the chalkboard.

We took a trip to Lowes and found plywood that has one side already smoothed and primed, the weight was considerably lighter and ended up working out perfectly. One 4X8 sheet is only $13.98.

The most expensive item I purchased was the paint that I used on the trim for the 1 X 4 pieces. It isn’t necessary you use the paint I chose, but it covered so nicely. This paint didn’t require a sealant and is tintable in many color options. Those are big timesavers for me, and the color I chose was spot on for what I wanted.

So here are the steps we took to put this 4 X 5 chalkboard together in a matter of 2 hours, and for less than $50.

8 Simple Steps to Your Own Giant Chalkboard

1. 1. 1. Choose where you plan to hang this chalkboard and measure out the size you want before you make a trip to the hardware store.
      2. Have your measurements in hand of your trim pieces and base when you visit the hardware store.
      3. Visit your local hardware store and find your 4X8 plywood and 1X4 trim pieces, have them cut it there for you.  We chose pine, it’s cheap and works perfectly for the simple trim border. Take advantage of them cutting it for you; it will be exact and save you time.
      4. Grab your chalkboard paint & trim paint before you head to checkout, don’t forget the sponge brushes. I prefer those for smooth surfaces; you don’t want rigid hairlines from a paintbrush on your chalkboard surface. The smoother, the better for writing on and cleaning.
      5. Don’t forget the screws. If you are using the 5.0MM board I link to above, you can use these.
      6. Once you get these items cut and home, start to paint. I laid my trim out and chalkboard, then just toggled between them both, painting a coat on each one until I had three coats of paint on each piece.
      7. I held the trim pieces to the plywood as my husband screwed them on from the back. That way you never see the screws, yet the trim isn’t ever going anywhere once screwed in.
      8. Lastly, we nailed the entire board through the trim to the wall with a nail gun. You can use brads with no heads on them, and touch them up with paint and caulk for a seamless look.

   

   

   

   Note: It wipes clean easily with a wet cloth.

   

2. This is a simple and rewarding project! We are enjoying the chalkboard in our kitchen, for home and homeschool fun. Send me a picture of your finished chalkboard once you complete the project I would love to see.

 

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