DIY: Chalkboard Craze

Summer has given us chalk fever.  Our driveway, deck, path and side of the house is covered in doodles and then one day I found doodles on the kitchen floor, dog bowls and garbage can.  The next day the coffee table and fireplace screen thanks to my sneaky chalk bandit.  Fortunately it was only chalk but it made me realize that maybe Ella needed her own place to doodle with chalk while stuck indoors (thanks to her nursing mama).  Chalk is so much less risky in the hands of an unsupervised toddler than crayons.

So I broke out the chalk paint and some scrap wood boards and went crazy.  A quick, easy nap time project.  Love those!

And so does Ella. 

I put one large chalkboard in the living room and one smaller one in the basement.  

The best thing about the smaller board is it's portability.  She can color anywhere right on her lap.

I also made one for my office/craft area.

And I couldn't stop there.

Framed chalkboards are perfect for greeting guests on the front door or just adding a little decoration.  I also use them for parties and entertaining.

This large chalkboard in our kitchen has many uses: entertaining, reminders, lists and messages.

And then I tried to create a space for Ella to eventually be able to write her own messages.  It is still a little high so in the meantime it is her time out corner.  My first real attempt at structured discipline.  

It's not working so well.  She actually likes to sit there - for now.

While I love all our chalkboards, there is one thing I learned in the process about chalkboards in the home.  They are messy and dusty.  While chalk dust is easy to clean up, it does get everywhere, especially when you allow your toddler to color.  So just keep that in mind when you plan your chalkboard project.