Outdoor Chalkboards

I've been wanting to make outdoor chalkboards for the boys for a very long time, mainly because I wanted a designated "chalk area" in our yard instead of allowing them to draw all over the patio. I wouldn't mind artwork on the patio so much, but the baby inevitably ends up crawling through piles of "fairy dust" that Suton insists upon creating by grinding his chalk down to dust. No bueno.

The back corner of our yard is the boys' rock pit/digging area. We intended to turn the corner into a kids play garden with a bean teepee and sunflowers, but weather and sickness derailed us this year...maybe next year! Honestly, they probably enjoy digging in the rocks even more than they would have liked the teepee, but at least we got a few sunflowers planted in the corner! I figured that the corner would be the perfect home for the outdoor chalkboards.

We got a 4'x8' standard sheet of plywood from the hardware store (check to find the smoothest one you can get), and then we filled the knots and blemishes with outdoor wood putty. Sawyer loved helping with that part. After the putty was dry we used the electric sander to create a smooth surface. I reserved a 2'x4' piece of plywood for another project I have in mind, and then Mitch cut the remaining piece into two 3'x4' pieces and gave it a coat of primer.

I had seen a recipe on Martha Stewart for homemade chalkboard paint and since we had a half gallon of dark blue paint sitting in the garage, we decided to make our own. The basic recipe is 2 tablespoons of non-sanded grout to each cup of paint. We gave our boards three coats, but two would have probably been sufficient - I just made way too much paint and didn't want to waste it!

(He's trying to model his new mama-made pajama shorts here LOL!)

It works great, and the chalkboards were a {HUGE} hit with the boys!

The 3'x4' size worked out really well. It's a great big canvas to let your imagination run free, but it's also big enough that there's plenty of room to share when friends come over to play.

It seems like every time I turn around this guy is back out there making new masterpieces.

This guy loves his too, but he's been a little bit distracted by the empty garden bed that has turned into digging area #2...and digging in mud is even better than rocks!

I added a couple of hooks to hold a bucket full of chalk, a rag and a spray bottle for erasing. It does erase dry, but a light spritz of water works even better. I'm SO pleased that my patio is no longer a giant canvas, and Simon is even happier that his knees aren't constantly covered in chalk dust any more! :)

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