One of my boys’ requests when we redecorated their room was a chalkboard. We thought it would be super fun to do a giant one. Our walls are not overly textured (luckily!) but there are definitely a few steps you need to take if you are going to paint your walls into a chalkboard.
Materials for How to Create a Chalkboard Wall:
- Sandpaper
- Spackling Paste (if you need to fill nail holes or minor imperfections)
- Painter’s Tape (not pictured)
- Chalkboard Paint
- Paint stir stick
- Paint can opener or flat head screwdriver
- Smooth paint roller
- Mallet (optional – I use this to close my paint cans after use)
Time needed: 3 hours.
How to make a Chalkboard Wall
- Fill in your nail holes
Use spackling paste to fill any nail holes or imperfections in your wall.
- Sand Sand Sand!
Sand the entire wall smooth. If you have textured walls, you’re going to want to make it as smooth as possible so you can actually write on it when you’re done without it being bumpy. No one wants that.
- Always tape before you paint
Tape the edges of your wall, including trim or anywhere you don’t want paint, obviously.
- Paint it black!
Using your paint roller, apply a thin coat of the chalkboard paint and let dry throughly. It dries pretty quickly but make sure it is totally dry before you go adding the 2nd coat. Next, apply a second coat of chalkboard paint and make sure the wall is completely black.
- Prime away
Prime the wall. Not with primer. When the wall is 100% dry (check your paint can for details – some brands of paint recommend days or weeks before applying chalk), you will want to prime the wall with chalk. Using the side of a piece of regular white chalk, cover your entire chalkboard with chalk.
- Start over! Erase the chalk
Erase the entire wall and you’re done! Now you and your little ones can doodle to your hearts content.
See the full Superhero Room Reveal here.
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- Spackling Paste
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- Painter’s Tape
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- Paint Roller
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- chalk paint
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- Paint Stirring Stick
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- Mallet
31 Comments
Lynda T
August 29, 2014 at 4:32 pmLove the chalkboard wall. Checking where you got your paint and what brand you used?
Mallory & Savannah
August 29, 2014 at 7:20 pmRustoleum actually sent the paint to me but it is Rustoleum brand and available at most (if not all) home improvement stores. I know Home Depot has it. 🙂
Cathleen
September 5, 2014 at 4:46 pmOne thing I learned when we did our giant chalkboard wall is to plan on having about a foot in front of it clear of everything. The chalkboard dust falls and falls… It’s fine, but you do have to dedicate the full wall.
Cynthia
March 16, 2018 at 1:28 pmDo you wash the chalk wall as you would with a chalk board?
Mallory & Savannah
April 30, 2018 at 3:17 pmYes!
Svsp
October 18, 2018 at 11:33 amHow easy it is to cover it up in case I want the white wall back again?
Angela
January 24, 2019 at 9:55 pmTo SVSP~
I was just about to comment/question the very same thing! I wanted to do this for my niece in her room but my sister said she wasn’t allowed to paint any of the walls b/c it was a rental…
I wonder why that haven’t responded to your question yet??
So girls…will we be able to return our walls back to white? And if so, how difficult will it be? Thanks! ?
Mallory & Savannah
January 31, 2019 at 9:51 amHey! All it takes is a quality paint and primer! You can see how we did it here: https://www.classyclutter.net/dining-room-refresh/
Andre Zuidema
January 30, 2019 at 3:28 pmI would think it would be very difficult to turn it back into a white wall. I fell like I am going to have to sand down my wall when I’m done.
Mallory & Savannah
January 31, 2019 at 9:46 amHey Andre! Nope, it’s a simple primer and paint procedure. You just need to use a quality paint!
Rachel
March 12, 2019 at 10:06 amKillz paint would completely cover it with one coat. I’m sure of it.
PD
October 11, 2019 at 2:35 pmDo I or should I use chalk paint wax if I am using the painted surface as a chalk board?
Callie
February 20, 2020 at 6:25 pmThis is ssso cute! I love the galaxy wall on top ssso pretty and your boys are the cutest! Can’t wait to see your next DIY! 😀
Amy
March 15, 2020 at 7:00 pmThat turned out beautifully! I never knew about priming the chalkboards either and failed to see that noted when I made my first one. Your EAT letters look great hung up there, it’s a good thing they are so light ? and easy to hang.
Susan Dubose
May 21, 2020 at 6:42 pmI love this!! Our home Is farmhouse style too and this would be so cute! Ive been wanting to frame one of our bathroom mirrors like this so thanks for the DIy tips ?
Lori
July 15, 2020 at 12:58 amI’ve always wanted one of these in my room!
Emily Stimpson
August 29, 2020 at 6:24 amThis is essential for a child’s development
Allyson
September 29, 2020 at 5:36 amWhat type of chalk did you use? I heard you need to use soft chalk but not sure what that is.
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July 27, 2021 at 5:51 amThis is a great idea for the kids. When painting my old house, I let the kids draw all over the walls before painting because I knew I was going to paint over it but this is a more permanent option!
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July 28, 2021 at 4:29 amI am also interested in the DIY wall, is that safe and invironment friendly?
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