Adding a Little Chalk to Our Lives

I've been wanting to do something about the garage entrance to our house. I'd love a mudroom, but considering you walk into our house and head straight into the pantry/the refrigerator/hit a wall, there ain't much room to work with! So, I thought a chalkboard wall might spice things up a bit, without taking up much space. I wanted the color of the wall to stay the same, within the chalkboard part. Since the kitchen wall is Eggplant, I thought black would look strange next to it. I looked on Pinterest (of course) for some inspiration and make-your-own chalkboard paint recipes, and I found this website/blog to be the most helpful.
http://thedecorologist.com/wp/dont-use-chalkboard-and-magnetic-paint-until-you-read-this

I still had many questions while working on the project [What color grout?, How much paint do I need to make? How many coats of paint is best? How long do you sand?], and it was hard to find a comprehensive explanation that answered all of them. I hope to provide clear step by step directions for you!

How to Make a Colored Chalkboard Wall:

Supplies:
Tape Measure
Plumb line
Level
Painters Tape
Paint
Un-sanded or Non-sanded Tile Grout in White
Paint brush
Tarp
Chalk
Sand Paper-medium or 100 grit
Trim-3 pieces of normal trim/baseboard
Trim-1 piece of large trim to create ledge
Nails
Hammer
Wood glue

*Disclaimer on the pictures: This is a very small, awkward, dark part of our house, so I had a hard time getting the lighting right. Also, the purple doesn't look Eggplant, it looks very bright. It's not, please don't think I have a ridiculously purple kitchen! :)

Directions:
Step One: Getting your surface ready
Mark the general area that you would like the chalkboard to be. Use a plumb line and level to ensure that your lines are straight. Use painters tape to mark the boundary of the area you will paint. Using a tape measure, make sure that your heights and widths are equal for the top/bottom and side/side.

Marking the general dimensions

Using the Plumb line 

Step Two: Painting your chalkboard
Gather your painting supplies and get ready to mix!  Add 2 tablespoons of Tile Grout for each cup of paint. If you use White Tile Grout, your paint color will not change. Mix well, it will be grainy, but it should be well mixed. Paint! I did 3 coats of paint because I was nervous about what would work best. I think 3 was good coverage and provided a great chalkboard. To start I made one batch of paint/grout (1 cup/2 tbsp) and that lasted almost 3 full coats. I had to add a little paint and grout to finish the bottom 1/4 of the last coat. I didn't perfectly measure it out, I just added some paint  and some grout.

Paint Supplies

 Step Three: Priming the chalkboard surface
When the paint is dry, you will sand the entire surface. 150 grit was recommended, but I didn't have that, so I used 100 grit and it worked well. I was nervous that my sandpaper was taking off the paint--see picture--and if that would be a problem, but it was fine.This part is messy! I sanded until every part had been sanded well once and there were scratches all over the board. I sanded in various motions, as well.  Next, use chalk to completely cover the board. This is supposed to "prime" the chalkboard for all of your later drawings. I used the side of the chalk and rolled it over the entire board.  Last, use a wet  rag to gently clean the surface. I had read to use a "slightly damp rag," but that wasn't getting the chalk off. I found that a pretty wet rag cleaned better and didn't have any negative effects on the chalkboard.

Sanding the surface

Sanded and scratched up chalkboard surface

Priming with chalk

All cleaned off and ready to draw!

Step Four: Framing your chalkboard
You'll need to choose the type of trim you want, which I found was the most difficult part. I used three of the same pieces to frame the top and sides. I cut the trim to the correct length and nailed the trim into the wall. Tom and I tag-teamed on this part. It was nice to have someone hold the level and trim, while another person nailed. I wanted to have a ledge for the chalk to sit for easy chalkboard use, so I used a different piece of trim for the bottom. This worked very well. Tom used his carpentry magic (and a little bit of wood glue) to add those little corner pieces-Good work Tom!

Regular trim is up!

Adding the ledge

Gluing on the small corner piece

The finished corner

The finished chalkboard

Step Five: Draw
Enjoy your chalkboard! I'm really pleased with how mine turned out.

If you try creating your own chalkboard, or have already tried one, give me your tips! Happy Chalking!