DIY Chalkboard Paint and Lake Projects

Chalkboard paint has become quite popular over the last decade, and as it’s popularity grows, so does its price.

But crafting doesn’t necessarily have to cost a lot of money. In fact, you only need two ingredients to make your own chalkboard paint right at your kitchen table!

What You Need:

  • Any color flat finish, latex paint. This can be purchased at your local Walmart, Home Depot or Lowes.

For smaller projects, you can buy eight ounce paint samples for less than $5 at most major hardware stores.

chalk in the rainbow spectrum arranged in circle

Larger containers can range from about $7 up to more than $40.

  • Unsanded tile grout. This can be found at most hardware stores for about $13.

DIY Chalkboard How To

With only two ingredients, it’s fair to assume the chalkboard paint recipe is fairly simple.

  • First,  mix 1 cup of paint and 2 Tablespoons of grout.
  • Next, stir the mixture well, making sure it is free of clumps. Remember, you can use any color paint so get creative!

What to Make

Now comes the fun part: you get to start creating!

Look to sites like Instagram and Pinterest for ideas about what to make with your chalkboard paint.

Of course you can use the paint to make an actual chalkboard to hang on the fridge or wall, but there are plenty of other things you can make too.

Other neat things you can decorate with chalkboard paint include:

  • Holiday decorations or name cards; a custom tree ornament, wine glass or personalized name card at the table could be great, and inexpensive, favors to give guests at holiday parties.
  • Birthday gifts; sometimes, handmade gifts are just better. Give a truly unique present by making someone a chalkboard paint coffee mug they can decorate day to day, or a chalkboard/cork board wall hanger.
  • Home décor;  take your chalkboard painting to the next level by painting an entire wall, or a section of one, in your lake house. Paint the back of the pantry door with chalkboard paint to record your grocery list on, or paint a wall in a kids’ play room for a fun time.

Chalkboard Paint at the Lake

While making small things here and there is a fun use of chalkboard paint, you may be thinking about how you could use it on a grander scale.

At the lake, there are plenty of places to utilize it, like on the boat dock for instance.

chalkboard paint menu

Imagine mixing up a big batch of chalkboard paint to paint a section of your boat dock with.

By using chalkboard paint, you can create a reusable, and erasable, game board for such outdoor activities as tic-tac-toe, hopscotch, bean bag toss and more!

Or think about painting an old piece of wood to hang from your boat house which names the rules of the water.

This can also be erased and decorated with phrases like “Happy Fourth of July” and “Welcome to the Smith’s 15th Annual Cookout” for events hosted at your lake home.

 

Be sure to catch our other “DIY” and home decorating articles for more tips and tricks on how to make your lake home truly one of a kind!