DIY Magnetic Chalkboard wall

Once again Pinterest was the inspiration for my project. I did a small magnetic wall at our old house maybe 9 or 10 years ago. It was in the space between the cabinets and the counter top and I just painted regular paint over it... not chalk board paint. Well on Pinterest I saw someone's pin to a link at the Martha Stewart website about how to make your own chalk board paint. Not only is that less expensive than chalk board paint, but you get the color you want. So I asked for some magnetic paint for Christmas (and got it). Then I spend more of my Christmas money at Home Depot and bought another quart of magnetic paint, some unsanded tile grout, and a quart of my color of choice for my chalk board (which in this case was dark blue). I also bought accessories needed to paint (tape, roller covers, tray liners, etc) and the PVC pipe for the previously made play house, but I digress.

First I painted a border around the wall... a lighter color to set off the chalk board wall.



I let that dry and then I taped off where I wanted the magnetic paint. How I decided how big I wanted it was basically I did it as high as I could reach and then on each side and the bottom I went in 6 inches.



Then I painted the magnetic paint. This area, which is approximately 64 square feet, took 2 full quarts of magnetic paint. I did several coats... I lost count after 6 or 7. The more coats of magnetic paint, the better your magnetic hold.



I took the tape off and allowed it to dry. Ideally it probably should have dried overnight, but I just wanted to get it done. I let it dry while I went grocery shopping then I retaped the wall and mixed the grout into my paint. I put 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout per cup of paint (so I did 8 Tbsp for a quart of paint) into a gallon bucket and then I poured the paint in. I mixed this for several minutes.

I painted two coats and that used up almost the whole quart.

Then I used the side of a piece of chalk and seasoned the board (covered the whole thing) and then used a damp cloth to wipe it off.



Then our magnetic chalk board was ready to use. I had hoped this would be an attraction to Little Brother and occupy him during school. So far it doesn't hold his attention very long, but the rest of us have been enjoying it. :)

Some hints and tips: The magnetic paint has a powerful odor. Paint during a season of the year that you can open the windows. All of us were getting a little light headed by the end of the day. Also the magnetic paint splatters. Wear clothes you don't care about and don't wear rings or watches or bracelets. It was several days before the magnetic paint was off my hands. Keep the tape on the baseboards too. And use green "Frog Tape", not the regular blue painters tape. It costs more, but the quality is worth it. You get a crisp edge that doesn't pull the paint off with it when you remove it. I was concerned about that with 6, 7 or 8 layers of magnetic paint, but it pulled off perfectly.