3 tips for chalkboards in a kids bedroom

Well, I talked last week about chalkboards options for a kids bedroom. Then I realized, I didn’t share general tips for using chalkboards. Ooops!

So, let’s talk about that a bit.

In my book, there are three things you need to take into consideration before adding a chalkboard to the room. Oh, besides whether you have space. We did address that in the last one because using paint, wall decals and furniture are great ways to deal with the space issue. Here’s what else you should think about:

• Cleanliness – Chalk is messy and the chalkdust has to go somewhere. Will you be good about keeping it cleaned up? Do you want to be good about keeping it cleaned up? Dry erase boards are a little better in this regard, but still create some dust. Keep in mind your desire to clean as well as whether your child is impacted by dust.
• Multi-purpose – How can you get more out of a chalkboard than just chalk? If you’re painting a wall or piece of furniture with chalkboard paint, consider doing a coat of magnetic paint under the chalkboard color. Then you can use it as a play surface for magnets as well.
• Flexibility – Will you want a chalkboard in the room long term? If so, how easy is it to move or change the one you’ve chosen? Painting around the bottom of a wall – under a chair rail say – is great for a toddler, not so much for a teen. Consider painting the entire wall instead so your child will always be able to reach a chalk space. (Another good reason for magnetic paint. No holes to hang posters!) The wall decal options are also great here because you can move them higher up the wall as your child grows.

Happy chalking!

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: chalkboard

Ideas for using chalkboards in a kids bedroom

It’s got to be that it’s time for school to start soon. But I have chalkboards on the brain lately.

A friend of mine had a chalkboard across one end of her bedroom as a child. (She’s a really young friend.) It was a great way to provide creative space for her without taking up floor room. In my painting business, I did a custom child’s table with a chalkboard top that was totally cute and functional.

So how could you add a chalkboard to your child’s bedroom easily? If it’s a small room, you might not want a dedicated easel taking up floor space. Which takes us to vertical and horizontal surfaces and three different ways to do it.

Paint it

Like the examples I mentioned at the beginning, you can use chalkboard paint on just about any surface. (I remember my dad painting plywood to make chalkboards back when I was a kid, so this isn’t a new idea.)

Great places for applying are a low section of the wall or on a flat piece of furniture. Just keep in mind (since these won’t be moveable) to put the paint in places where your child can easily reach. I just ran across the line of FolkArt chalkboard paints, which come in all kinds of colors to make it easier to coordinate with your child’s room. Or look into tintable dhalkboard paint to get the exact right color you want.

Stick it

Easier and less messy would be looking into the myriad of chalkboard wall decals available, like the chalkboard truck in the picture.

Wall decals are easy to apply and remove, so there’s less commitment. And they come in all kinds of shapes like elephants and puzzle pieces and well, square, even. Most of the time they come in black, although I’ve found a few that have a choice of purple, pink or blue. Or ones like the truck where you have a choice of 14 colors for the non-chalkboard parts.

Oh – and I love this, but they’ve come out with chalkboard contact paper in a six-foot roll. I’m not sure how well it would work on a wall, but it would be an easy and inexpensive way to put a chalkboard on a smooth furniture surface.

Note that you do need a smooth surface for decals. If you have rough textured walls, head back up to the paint idea. You can paint an elephant, right?

Buy it

Last option would be to just buy a chalkboard, just not an easel style. You can get furniture with chalkboard sections already included, like the kids storage unit with chalkboard pictured here. Just a great way to do double duty.

It’s less interesting and cool, but there are options for getting framed chalkboards to hang on the wall. Some of these have the advantage of a tray for chalk and eraser and certainly great flexibility to move around the room as needed.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission, probably enough to get a stick of gum. I generally only recommend products or services on this blog that I would use personally and believe you will find cool as well. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Tags: chalkboard