You're back? Great!
I saw a really cute idea at a local children's bookstore for a chalk table. I wanted to try it, but didn't want to ruin the kids perfectly good picnic table, so I was on the look out at garage sales. I came across this little school desk and got it for $5!
Here's how I turned it into a chalk table:
1. Bought the desk.
2. Took desk home and sanded off some of the small rust spots.
3. I also sanded the top of the desk to get rid of any finish that was left.
4. I used an enamel spray paint for metal and painted the legs and drawer area of the desk. I wasn't sure if it was going to live inside or outside yet and wanted it to be protected against rusting. I already had the spray paint, but you can get it at local hardware/home improvement stores. Sometimes a Meijer type of grocery store or Wal-Mart will carry it as well. It usually is about $4 for a can.
5. I let the paint dry overnight. (I think the can said it can be handled in 8 hours.)
6. I bought the Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint. You can buy it at Amazon.com or local hardware or paint stores often carry it.
7. I put on 3 or 4 layers of the paint and let dry (letting the paint dry between each coat). The paint instructions said to let the paint set for 3 days before using!
ALTERNATIVES:
If you don't want to do a desk, you can also do an old mirror, back of the playroom or bedroom door, or even their wall! If you are going to do an upright surface, like a door, you might want to use the Magnetic Primer! That way they can stick magnets to their door and use chalk. Rust-Oleum also sells a Dry Erase Paint (from what I read, the Dry Erase paint only has a shelf life of 2 years. If you buy an older can, it won't work as well. The date is on the bottom of the can). I haven't tried the Magnetic Paint or Dry Erase Paint, but they did look super neat.
 |
| Chalk table at bookstore. Has a hole with a basket insert for the chalk. |
That is too cute!!! I'm going to pin this to my pinterest board :)
ReplyDeleteBtw, new follower from the Aloha blog hop. Feel free to swing by and check out my blog The Importance of Being Reese
-Reese
Thanks for stopping by and following! :) I'm glad you like it. Heading over to check out your blog :)
ReplyDeleteI love how you made that chalkboard desk. I like picking up stuff from garage sales too. It is amazing all the cool stuff you can find. Unfortunatly, I am not much of a crafter, though. I want to be but it just doesn't seem natural to me. I always mess up everything I try. But I totally relate to the picture at the top of your blog. It made me laugh. I thought, "how did she get a picture of my home." He he. However, my son is older now so it is more dvd's, video games, controller's, and lots of stuff with cords or wires all over the place. I am stopping by from Aloha Blog Hop. I am your newest GFC follower. I am still really new at this blogging stuff and have a lot to learn but I am SLOWLY getting the hang of it. You can check my blog out at http://myblogginghiccups.blogspot.com I'm glad I saw your blog. Thanks a lot and I hope you have an awesome week.
ReplyDeleteHi again, I just wanted to let you know that I am following you on Twitter too. You might already know this but just in case you don't there are also some cool Twitter hops out there to gain followers. If you do a search on Google for Twitter Blog Hops or Twitter Hops, you'll see a bunch. Many Blog Hops will also let you link up your Twitter account, blog link, Facebook, and any other link a person has. I just wanted to make sure you knew that. Sorry for rambling.
ReplyDelete