Is there any recipient more deserving of the “most changed” superlative than the classroom chalkboard? What was once the plodding workhorse of the schoolroom has turned into one of the hottest, most ubiquitous trends in home decor, and its popularity doesn’t show signs of waning.
Not only does a board (bulletin, chalk, or magnet) help corral chaos, it also adds a dash of “institutional chic” to off-campus spaces. Yes, that’s really a thing.
More alluring, however, is the board’s DIY appeal. This is one home-improvement project that any do-it-yourselfer can take on and succeed — no Pinterest fails here.
Grab your No. 2s and a notebook: we’re bringing you some of the interweb’s best board-centric DIY tutorials.
Paint it black (or green)
With chalkboard paint, that is. A couple of coats of this specialty paint, and you’ll be able to doodle, draw, and jot in chalk upon nearly any surface. No, really — the beauty of chalkboard paint is its go-anywhere, paint-anything versatility.
Envelop an entire wall in the stuff and let the little ones go wild with artistic offerings that you can easily wipe away for tomorrow’s scribble sesh. Feeling especially bold? Consider coating your fridge in chalkboard paint for a running grocery list that’s impossible to misplace.
Nota bene: Dry-erase paint is also picking up steam; look for it next to chalkboard paint at home-improvement and craft stores.
Tutorials to try:
DIY Chalkboard Fridge with Jute Handles and Custom Magnets
Making a Chalkboard Wall with Frogtape
Giant Chalkboard Wall Calendar
Center of attraction
When it comes to getting organized, sometimes the shortest distance between messy and meticulous is a single panel of galvanized sheet metal. It’s a quick (and cheap!) fix too. This lightweight, magnetic metal, available in the plumbing section of home-improvement stores, needs only to be framed to create a magnet-ready board with a finished look.
More ambitious DIYers might opt to cover the sheet metal with punchy printed fabric before popping it into the frame. Crafty parents may decide to skip the store-bought sheet metal altogether. Why? Because cheap automobile oil-drip pans can double as massive, magnetic blank slates for young imaginations. How genius is that?
Tutorials to try:
All-points bulletin
Like its cousin the magnet board, the bulletin board is a surefire step toward instant organization gratification, but with an added perk — corkboard is easier (and safer) to cut and manipulate than sheet metal, and it’s more receptive to embellishment.
Cut corkboard into smaller squares to make party coasters in a pinch, or glam it up with a stencil or painter’s tape and a can of metallic spray paint to create a focal point worth framing. If you want to go the textile-covered route, swathe the corkboard in an open-weave fabric, like burlap; the wider weave will disguise those tiny holes made by pushpins.
As for the board’s use, the sky’s the limit. Hang one by your desk at work to pin memos, family photos, and motivational sayings at eye level, or place one in the bedroom to hang necklaces and earrings from pretty pearl-head pushpins.
Speaking of pushpins, think outside the cubicle: glue thumbtacks to the backs of thrifted rhinestone earrings, vintage buttons, washi tape–covered clothespins, game pieces, bottle caps … the possibilities are endless.
Tutorials to try:
Have you experimented with any DIY board projects? Share your successes (and, yes, your Pinterest fails) in the comments below.
