I see chalkboards everywhere...

My friend Kathleen said it first...

If you want to invest some money in something, I say invest it in whomever manufactures chalkboard paint. Everyone is into painting something in their house with chalkboard paint. Are we rebelling against the white board?

Yup. I see chalkboards everywhere.  And alot of them are pretty darn cute.  That's why we went a little bit chalkboard happy when it came time to think about wedding decor.

Making your own chalkboard is remarkably easy.  Here's how I made mine out of picture frames:

1. pop out the glass and the cardboard backing
2. Cut a piece of hardboard (or any other thin material with a smooth surface) to the same dimensions as the glass
3. If you don't have any scrap material (or a handy husband with a table saw) and want a quick and easy solution try using cardboard-- I ran out of scraps of hardboard for the last few "reserved" frames so I cut up a bunch of my cereal boxes, painted the inside (the brown side) with chalkboard paint and once it was dry I used my scissors to cut it to size.  They worked just fine... but this probably isn't the best solution if you plan to use your chalkboard regularly.  Don't use corrugated cardboard-- your going to end up with a "wavy" looking chalkboard.  Flat and smooth works the best!!
4.  I used brush on Rustoleum chalkboard paint-- it went on nice and smoothly with a foam brush.
5. I did 2 coats-- instead of rinsing out my brush I put it in a plastic bag and tied up the end so that it didn't dry out.  It's ready to use at a moment's notice!
6. Let it sit for a few days before using!

Now... just for fun... here are a few ideas of how you could use chalkboard paint!!

You could create a chalkboard for your super organized home office... 

You could paint a calendar on your wall...

If the fancy frame isn't appealing and you'd prefer a more clean modern approach, all you've gotta do is paint a big rectangle on your wall.  You could do it in your kitchen to write out your meal plans, recipes, to-do lists for the hubby... so many options.

I have no advice on how to remove it from your wall however.  If you start painting your wall with chalkboard paint you'd better be ready to commit.

I personally love chalkboard with fun fancy frames.  I always love the white...

But how about this red one!!

These are totally drool worthy... so are the chalkboards.

You could paint a piece of furniture and label the drawers so your husband kids have no excuses when it comes time to put things away in the correct drawer...

You could label your herbs and other potted plants... how cute.

You could paint an entire wall in your house with chalkboard paint and go chalkboard crazy.

You know how some people like to take weekly or monthly photos of their kids with a sign or object to track how big they are getting at each stage?  Why not take a picture of them in front of a cute chalkboard... you just write their age or another cute message and snap away.  I LOVE this one :)

How about using a chalkboard at a wedding in place of a guest book?  Just have the guests write out marriage advice for the couple on the chalkboard and have the guests photographed with it!  How cute is that?

And finally, the most GENIUS idea of all.  If you absolutely hate your ugly fridge but cannot afford to replace it... paint it!!  I can't believe how awesome this fridge turned out.  You can read all about this kitchen's transformation here.

Happy Chalkboard making everyone!!

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