Chalkboard
Paint
By
Tabitha Chamberlain
Instead
of a coffee table I have a steamer trunk that has been in my family
for years. It belonged to my uncle when he was in the Navy and has
been passed around until it came to me. Looking at it the other day I
realized that it seriously needed a paint job. On the intention of
just getting some craft paint so I can paint it I got to looking and
found chalkboard paint.
Reading the back for instructions as given the size of the trunk I didn't want to buy something that would need some crazy things done to it. Like "needs to be baked to set". I found that this particular chalkboard paint requires two coats an hour apart and than a twenty-four hour "curing" basically leaving it alone. That works!
I decided to still buy some paint to give it a base coat as really it was looking kinda sad after thirty odd years. Giving it a solid base coat of black, I know creative but it was black to begin with and I live in an apartment so nothing too crazy to do is best. Waited for that to dry well probably 24-48 hours, actually I think I painted one weekend and did the chalkboard the next.
Following the instructions on the back of the chalkboard paint, I painted the trunk top only. Let it set an hour than repainted it again an hour later. Leaving it be for 24 hours I then rubbed chalk over the top as it stated to it in the instructions.
This is a really simple quiet project that has hours of endless fun involved. Admittedly, I have a few friends that I would hide the chalk from as there is no telling what kinda messages would be written on my trunk.
Now problems I ran into while doing this project: A- Don't use a foam craft brush for the chalkboard paint, for some reason it just absorbs it all up. Invest in a real paint brush. B- FLAT SURFACE, I just wanted to play around with my trunk so not a huge deal for me. I didn't realize how pitted and dented the top of my trunk was until I started to do the rubbing cure of the chalk over the top of it. Not a big deal for me, but did want to make sure you realize this if you do this project.
Now that my trunk is a chalkboard I leave notes to myself. The trunk is also where I do most of my readings at so I can draw out a spread for myself so I don't forget. Or if I need a clarifying reading done I can write down what it is that's being clarified.