I have had this outdoor chalkboard project pinned to my Home: Yard boards for over a year now. Making an outdoor chalkboard has been on the back of my brain in “projects to definitely do” file and I still can’t believe we actually FINALLY got to it. It was such an easy project– I’m not sure why we put it off for so long.
We have been busy making our teeny tiny backyard a family gathering place, and this chalkboard adds so much fun without taking up space.
This project cost us about $40.00. It helped that I already had chalkboard paint left over from this indoor chalkboard project. All I had to purchase was the plywood and primer.
Supplies:
Plywood
6 Galvanized Wood Screws
Small bucket + chalk + eraser + jute or rope to hang the bucket
My eleven year old Avery was the perfect partner for this project. She delighted in ever detail, and I made sure each step was a fun bonding process with her. This summer has been such a great time of slow living, and this project is the perfect example of how slow living doesn’t mean lazy & boring living. Just purposeful & meaningful living.
We took our jeep to our local hardware store. We asked for a 4×8 plywood sheet. They had one for $20.00. I grabbed a small can of Kilz primer and 6 galvanized wood screws. We had the rest of the supplies at home.
On the way to the hardware store, we stopped for a fun little snack of bubble tea. I am determined to learn how to make our own bubble tea, and visited the asian store next to the bubble tea cafe and picked up the supplies. I will share how in an upcoming post!
The super nice guys from the hardware store helped me tie the plywood to the top of our jeep, and even supplied the rope. They made it really easy on us. We drove the few blocks home carefully and with giggles, feeling quite proud of ourselves.
We untied the wood from the jeep, and I carefully slid it down the jeep to my girl. Teamwork! We saved the rope, it would be perfect for hanging the chalk bucket.
~We set the plywood on some plastic storage containers in the driveway, and started sanding. We did not go for perfectly smooth; we just got rid of potential slivers and made sure the front and edges were sanded.
~We dusted the plywood then applied a coat of Kilz to the front, back and edges.
~We let it dry for 3 hours, then applied a coat of chalkboard paint to the front and edges only.
~We let it dry overnight and applied a second coat of chalkboard paint to the front and edges the next morning, then hung it up that evening.
~I taught little one learn how to use the drill, and she pre-drilled 6 holes in the wood, 3 on each side.
~We were determined to hang the board all by ourselves, and did so with the help of some stacks of books to hold the board up. It would have been easier to wait for Dad to get home from work, but we wanted to do it ourselves! It was a bit humorous as one book stack fell and we had to re-stack it.
~Using the power drill with a screwdriver bit, we screwed it into the wall making sure we hit studs (it is the side of our garage, and the studs were easy to find as they are exposed in our garage), and tied a little bucket of chalk with holes drilled into the bottom for water drainage. We are counting on the rain to be our friend and help us wash the board clean…or the hose will do just fine too! No chalk mess! We used a nail to hang the bucket and then gave each other a high-five.
The chalkboard paint we used suggest drying time of 48 hours, then directed us to cover the entire chalkboard in chalk and then erase it. This layer of chalk dust primes the board for future artistic fun.
The board has been much, much fun. We have played many drawing games & had fun with our shadows at sunset.
It gives our family one more thing to do while we are hanging out in the yard. While Avery and I were busy making silly shadows, Dad relaxed with a book, sister Colsie took over the hammock, and Teagan shot some hoops. Being purposeful with creating an outdoor space is working and it makes my heart so happy to see the family out there enjoying it!
This project came about thanks to Project Denner ‘s awesome post, who was inspired by OhDeeDoh.