Create inexpensive gifts, kids' crafts and home decor projects with magnetic chalkboard paint that can transform plain surfaces into areas for doodling, jotting notes and displaying everything from reminders to art projects. Even when they're left "as is," items coated with the wall paint have the classic black or white surface that matches most room decor. Use the following steps to apply the versatile medium and the accompanying project ideas to decorate with magnetic chalkboard paint.
1 Prepare the surface you want to decorate with magnetic chalkboard paint. Ensure large areas are smooth and consider sanding even small items like wide picture frames to give the primer the best surface to help it adhere.
2 Prime the surface with magnetic primer. Mix the primer thoroughly before applying it by stirring for at least fifteen minutes and stirring the can again if during the application process. The primer should be a solid, dark gray color when you're done mixing. If you'll be painting a large, porous surface, consider adding a coat of traditional primer first and letting it dry before applying the magnetic primer. Add three coats of magnetic primer with sufficient drying time between each coat.
3 Buy chalkboard wallpaint in the color that will best coordinate with your room or project. Paint is typically available in black, white and the typical green seen on a kids' chalkboard. You can also blend a little white chalkboard paint into black chalkboard paint to achieve different shades of gray.
4 Apply two thin coats of chalkboard paint over the magnetic primer after letting the primer dry at least overnight. Using thin coats of the wallpaint will ensure you'll still get the magnetic pull from the magnetic primer.
5 Consider trying to decorate with magnetic chalkboard paint by applying the primer and paint to walls, cabinet doors, inside closet doors or on playroom tables and easels. You can also create magnetic chalkboard photo frames, pencil holders, decorative boxes and recipe holders, for example.
6 Collect items like decorative magnets and clips, colored chalk, erasers, magnetic picture frames or small magnetic baskets to use and hang on the surfaces you've decorated with magnetic chalkboard paint. Adorn a magnetic chalkboard frame with small Magnetic Poetry words, paint thin lines to turn an entire wall into a blank monthly calendar or clip memos to the front of your desk pencil holder, for example.
