Dry Erase Board Turned Chalkboard
Do you ever find yourself hoarding items that you think you will be able use again, but they just end up gathering dust? No? Me neither.
Just kidding. Check out this cool chalkboard…
It used to be a dry erase board that I used a lot back in my real estate agent days, but that was a long time ago. Recently, it has been hanging out in our daughter’s room with this hand drawn octopus on it, just taking up space.
However, I have been really wanting a large chalkboard and it just seemed right to try and get a little more use out of the dry erase board. For my supplies, I used some blue painter’s tape, a foam paint roller, chalkboard paint and some chalk.
To start, I taped off the edge to make sure my sloppy painting didn’t get everywhere.
Next, using the paint roller, I applied several coats of paint, letting them dry in between.
Finally, I primed the chalkboard with the side of a piece of chalk, which kind of seals all of the nooks and crannies. This keeps the chalk from leaving a permanent mark when you first write on the chalkboard.
Didn’t it turn out nice? I haven’t had any problems with the paint peeling or coming off of the slippery surface of the dry erase board.
So, tell me, have you ever used chalkboard paint? If so, what did you paint with it?
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Patty
We painted a cabinet in our work / bar area. We used to have our son draw something on it every time we had a party. I would leave it up to him to put whatever he wanted. He usually made sure it was party related. When he passed away in 2013 I didn’t have the heart to wipe clean the cabinet. Til this day his drawing for our St. Patricks party in 2013 is still on the cabinet. Its like having him still there.
Susanne
So sorryfor your loss. I enjoyed reading your comment and I am glad his art is there to lend some comfort.
Patty
Thank you
Erin
So sorry to hear of your loss. However, I bet it is such a special memorial to see his drawings. Thanks for sharing your story.
Patty
Thank you
Alicia
This helped tremendously!! I have a white board in my play therapy room that I would like to turn into a chalkboard, but was not sure how to do it, and if that surface would work…..until I found your website! Thank you. I haven’t painted yet, but seeing how yours turned out gives me HOPE!!!!
Judy
I too was wondering if you could successfully use a white board as a blackboard. Thank you for posting as now I know it will work out.
mary
After you primed the chalk board with chalk, what did you do? Did you paint over the chalk or wipe it dry?
Thank you for clarifying.
Erin
Hi, Mary! After Priming, I wipe my chalkboard off with a damp paper towel or washcloth. With priming, you are getting chalk down into all of the little porous holes of the chalkboard so that when you write something on it, it doesn’t leave a mark behind. In my experience, using a damp cloth to gently clean the chalkboard gets up all of the surface chalk dust while leaving the primed chalk dust in those pores. Hope that helps!
Misty
I am making a scoreboard for dart games and pool for my husband’s man cave. I bought a dry erase board and removed the frame. I am rolling the chalkboard paint but I am realizing that it is going on very thin… Wondering how many coats I need to put on it for it to have fully covered look?
Erin
Hey there, Misty! This post is nearly 3 years old, but I believe that I ended up having to do 3 coats to get full coverage for my dry erase board. I hope that helps and would love to see how your scoreboard turns out! Best of luck!
Lei
Hello,
I was just wondering if your dry erase board was magnetic and that if it retained magnetic after you painted it with chalkboard paint?
Erin
Hello Lei,
My dry erase board was not magnetic, so I’m not 100% sure if painted over one would retain its magnetic qualities. I’ve heard of people painting over metal oil drip pans with chalk paint and that those do remain magnetic. You can also purchase magnetic primer which you could paint on first before the chalkboard paint. Hope that helps!
Patricia
I just painted over a magnetic board and it does retain that property.
Trudy
Hi Erin
Would chalkboard spray paint work as well that’s what I have available.
Erin
Spray chalkboard paint should work fine! Just make sure to tape/cover anything you don’t want the paint on. ?
Kimberly
Hey Erin! I have been wanting to do this work my old dry erase board, but I was wondering if I void use chalkboard markers, or if it would wipe the paint off when I washed off the marker?
Erin
Hi, Kimberly! Once the chalkboard paint is dry (and seasoned) you should have no problems using chalkboard markers, pencils, or regular chalk on it. You should be able to wipe it off just fine. If it is a little tough to get the marker off, I’ve used some water with a paper towel and that seemed to work just fine. Hope that helps!
Erin
Hi! We’ve just moved out of a small home business in to an office (yay!) and there’s a huge whiteboard in there that doesn’t erase very well.
I’m thinking of painting it with chalkboard paint and was wondering how yours is holding up?
Kris
Hi! I have an older dry erase whiteboard I got at a yard sale from a closing daycare and it doesn’t erase that well anymore. Wondering as Erin mentioned above – how is it holding up now 3 years later? Is it getting a lot of use by kids, or just being changed up once in a while by a grown up? :)
Erin
Hi Kris,
The chalkboard is still in great condition! It has gotten some use by kids on and off over the past few years, but not constantly. We haven’t had any issues with the chalkboard paint coming off. If you are at all concerned about the paint adhering, you could lightly sand the surface of the dry erase board first, but we didn’t have any issues. Hope that helps!
Jessica Miller
I am contemplating doing a chalkboard on a wall in my kitchen.I am certain my 3-year old will be in there using it every chance he gets. I am concerned about the chalk dust. Does it get everywhere?
Erin
It can get pretty dusty, but I like to wipe it down with a damp cloth and that seems to help!
Sarah
Hey Erin ,
I am having a white erase board which I am wanting to do this experiment on . But , I am not having any chalkboard paint so what should I do ? Is there any other way ? If not then it’s OK !
Diane
Thank you so much for this! I have a white board that is 6 years old & doesn’t erase well anymore & I started wondering if I could turn it into a chalkboard & I found your post on this! Hopefully I can give it a try soon. :)
Amber L Werling
Was this also magnetic than too??!?