9/4/14

DIY: Life-Size Magnetic Chalkboard

It's DIY day again here on Fawn Over Baby! You're going to looooooove this one!

I posted to my instagram that I just can't seem to leave Kenzie's playroom alone and that pretty soon she will have no room to play! Although the photos don't seem like it is filled with toys and a crazy amount of diy projects, you are only seeing the cleaned up side of the room! :/

We have somehow collected several magnet toys over the past year and poor Kenzie just uses them to stack or line up in a row, since we do not have a magnetic surface anywhere in our home. Our stainless steel fridge had us fooled - it is not magnetic. So, I decided to add a magnetic board to her play space, so she has a place to actually use her collection as they were meant to be used. I look at it as a science activity that would be fun for her to experiment with. Even as an adult,  if I have two magnets in my hand, I find myself clicking them together and sometimes watching them slowly connect. I'm weird I guess but you have to admit it's pretty fascinating. 

So project "Magnent Board" was called into action! I found so many clever/genius parents hanging oil drip pans on their walls, creating a nice spacious area to display their magnets (here, here & here). So I went to wal-mart and found one for under $12, score!!

With me being chalkboard obsessed and all, I decided to take it a step further and apply my own homemade chalk paint (because I have so much of my ingredients left from my last project) in the color white to create a crisp clean canvas. I then went on to fancy up our magnet letters, I purchased from Target's $1.00 clearance aisle, and painted them gold! I hung up the pan with velcro command strips and it was ready for magnet mania! 

So here is the short and skinny on How-To Make Your Own Life-Size Magentic Chalkboard!

Supplies:
  1. Xtra Large Oil Drip Pan
  2. Chalkboard Paint (I made my own, here)
  3. Magnent Letters
  4. Gold Spray Paint
  5. Large Velcro Command Strips
Instructions:
  • Roll on your chalkboard paint and let dry (Just Spray Paint if you prefer it without chalkboard.)
  • Condition your chalkboard by rubbing chalk over entire area, then wipe off.
  • If you want to pretty up your magnents: Just lightly spray paint magnet letters. Several coats needed.
  • That's It - Your Toddler Life-Sized Magnetic Chalkboard is ready for display!

I added a little garland to cover up the embossed lettering that peeks out a bit & plus a little bit of frill never hurt anyone :)

Just a side note: McKenzie's playroom is never this tidy. I cleaned it up just for you! :)


I loved how the gold letters turned out, so I decided to add a few more colors. 
Outfit Details: Cami-Target, Floral Shorts- BabeeLu Handmade, Headband - Sadie Sky Boutique

12 comments :

  1. I spray painted our letters metallic silver and they turned out so cute too! Great idea :)

    XO Kelly
    www.dettecakes.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. That is a neat idea.......never would have thought about oil pan......very clever....turned out really cute!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is amazing! I'm so excited to do this in my daughter's room - it actually totally matches her nursery. Pinning for when she's older!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just tried it and was wondering if the mixture is supposed to be very thick and uneven? I tried the measurements your recipe called for and the grout soaked up all of the paint! I added more paint and it came off quite uneven despite only doing brush strokes in the same direction. Your seems very even and pretty, any ideas what I did wrong? :( I made sure it was "unsanded grout".

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Just double check the measurements weren't swapped. There should be 1/2 cup of paint and only 1 tablespoon of grout. The consistency should be grainy not so much clumpy. Hmmmmm...

      Delete
    2. Thank you so much for the response! The measurements I used were correct, but after a minute or two of stirring, the grout absorbed all of the paint! It dried out and turned into some big clumps. I added another half cup of paint and it didn't dry out, but the paint mixture was still uneven. I let it dry overnight, but it's not even throughout the whole board.

      Delete
  5. you linked to a drip pan at WalMart...did you really spend $250 on this? Or did you find a drip pan for cheaper somewhere else?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh, saw that you found it for less...wow!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Blog Design by Get Polished