How to make a large DIY chalkboard

Ever wanted a big chalkboard to use in a spot in your home?  If you have checked prices you know they aren’t cheap! But it is so easy to make a large DIY functional or decorative chalkboard and today I am going to show you how. 

Supplies needed:

• thin plywood in size of your choice
• 1x3inch x 8 foot board
• Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint
• stain color of your choice- I used Varathane Classic in Dark Walnut
• nail gun or screws/drill

I make the the back portion of the chalkboard with a very thin sheet of plywood.  The same underlayment plywood I use for my DIY shiplap.  If you don’t need a whole 4 foot by 8 foot sheet of plywood you can also buy a small project piece of the same plywood- this is a 2 foot by 4 foot project piece. 

First thing I did was to cut my plywood to size, and then sanded the front of it extremely smooth.  (My school room chalkboard is 3 foot high and 28 inches wide.)  Then I painted on 2 coats of brush on/roll on Rust-Oleum chalkboard paint and let it dry. 

I did a simple blunt cut for the corners but you could do a mitered cut if you wanted to.  I stained the 1×3 boards with Rust-Oleum Dark Walnut Classic Stain and then screwed the plywood from the back into the frame.    Before you write on your chalkboard you will want to season it by rubbing a piece of chalk all over the whole thing and then you can erase and use. 

Making a DIY chalkboard is easy and so inexpensive especially compared to the cost of buying a large chalkboard. I made this large one in our kitchen several years ago and I love the touch of black it brings to the room and its the perfect spot to display a wreath or seasonal décor.

And I love how this chalkboard turned out for my little girls school area in my office.  I hope we can use it for lots of writing and learning in the coming years.

Where would you use a large chalkboard like this?  So many ways you can customize it – do a white painted frame, and they even sell green chalkboard paint so you could do a vintage green chalkboard if you wanted.