Using plywood, black chalkpaint & wood trim I created this amazing art space for my tribe of 8…

My little ones and not-so-little ones LOVE to create (and make messes). They color all.day.long.

I decided to construct this chalkboard “wall” for them.

The goal was to give them a larger work space for their artwork while simultaneously decreasing the waste of paper in our home.

I had a very specific sized space I had to work with.

*It’s cool. I’m used to it. 10 people living in a small-ish home with 2 dogs means space is constantly being taken by someone or something*

Crazy enough, Home Depot had my exact required sizes in precut and sanded pieces of plywood. They will cut-to-size a larger piece of plywood for you at no charge, but I was pretty excited to be able to just buy and leave!

I decided to go with 2 different pieces for this project instead of one large one for a few reasons.

#1 it was easier for me to handle and construct on my own. #2 I wanted 2 separate “areas” for chalking (one for the really little ones and one for the sorta little ones). #3 It’s what Home Depot had in the store and I made it work.

Next, I painted my pieces with black Rust-Oleum chalkpaint. It’s by-far my favorite brand to use. And because my pieces were already sanded and I was planning on “trimming” them out on the sides, I literally just brought them in from our abnormally large van and start painting right away.

I did do a good 3 layers of chalkpaint on the wood. Maybe it’s over-kill, but I knew these bad boys were going to get A LOT of use. So, I wanted to make sure they would last.

I went a step further and created a stool for my lil’ peeps to use to assist them in reaching new heights while Picasso-ing their day away.

This was made from an old fireplace mantle and surround that someone had taken apart and given me as well as 2×4 pieces.

Once they were hung. I took a bit of white chalkboard paint and hand stenciled a sort of scalloped look around the boards. I love the fun and “framed” look it gives their pictures!

Plus, it really makes the chalkboards stand out in our dining room!

I also attached a lantern to the side of our chalkboard wall that matches the ones hanging from the front of our home library.

They were a set of 3 outdoor lanterns I had found at a garage sale for ridiculously cheap. I love the “Narnia” look they give our library.