Ever since I spiced up my spice cabinet with new organizers, I’ve been obsessed with trying to find chalkboard labels. I thought they would be perfect to tackle my pantry which is next on my long list of organizational projects. But surprisingly chalkboard labels aren’t that common and they certainly aren’t cheap! I have no shortage of regular labels around the house, so I thought I’d work with what I had on hand and make my own chalkboard labels!
HERE ARE THE SUPPLIES I USED:
- Small can of chalkboard paint – $12 at Lowe’s
- Spray can of chalkboard paint – $6 at Ace Hardware (also available at JoAnns, Michaels if you can find it in stock – use in-ad coupon to save).
- Chalkboard pen – About $2-3, used 40% off coupon at JoAnns
- Regular chalk
- Clear packing tape
- Labels – I like the kind the Avery Easy Peel variety (Amazon) that come off easy.
- Newspapers – For protecting your work area
I cringed at the cost of the canned paint – but it claims to cover 100 square feet, whereas the spray paint only claims to cover 12 square feet – making the canned paint a much better bargain. AND, I think once you try chalkboard paint you will want to paint everything with it – at least I do, so 100 square feet sounds better to me!
HERE’S WHAT I DID:
1.) Find a well-ventilated spot. I worked on the back deck.
2.) Gather these supplies: paint, paint brush, labels, packing tape, piece of cardboard and old newspapers.
3.) Lay out the newspaper and create a large work area. If you opt to use the spray paint it will end up farther than you expect.
4.) Tape your labels along the top and bottom edges to the cardboard. I did this to hold it in place and to keep it from curling up from the moisture of the paint while it dried.
5.) Spray a light coat of chalkboard paint onto the labels. Let it dry. Spray another layer of paint if needed. I ended up using a brush to even out the layers.
6.) Let it dry at least 24 hours before you try and write on them. But that should do it! It’s really that simple.
NOW THE REALITY CHECK:
These didn’t work as flawlessly as I had hoped. Although they look really cool – don’t count on being able to erase and reuse these labels (see example below). Which was kind of the allure for me.
I wrote on these labels with the Chalkboard pen, which doesn’t erase very easily.
I found that I had better luck with regular chalk erasing on the labels. . .
I used regular sidewalk chalk for these labels. I kind of like the look of these better than the chalkboard pen and they erased easier.
Granted I was working with ginormous sticks of chalk that had been outside on the front step for awhile, so who knows if I would have had better results with some new, smaller chalk. 🙂
Will I make them again? I think so! Even thought hey didn’t function as smoothly as if I had a real chalkboard, they achieved the general look and function that I was looking for. It’s certainly a cheap and easy solution and you can make enough at one time to last you a while – just replace the label when you want a new one. I will have to break down and BUY real chalkboard labels for a comparison, which I’ll do some day. Until then I’ll be happy with my homemade ones.
Other ideas for chalkboard paint:
- Take a sturdy box or shoe box and paint on the side or top of the box. Use these to store: toys, toiletries, office supplies or anything you have cluttering up your place. Cheaper than storage containers.
- Paint the top of a kid’s table to create a chalkboard station in a playroom or office
- Paint an old dry erase board.
Here’s an example of a sturdy box that I painted the side of. My plan is to use these in my hall closet to organize my stockpile items. It’s much cheaper than storage bins!
If this all sounds like way too much work, you can wait for a commercial version to come out that won’t cost an arm and a leg. A lady at Staples told me they should be getting a new Martha Stewart line after Christmas that includes chalkboard labels. I’ll be anxious to see how those work and how much they cost.
I’d love to hear if you have ideas for chalkboard paint! Have you experimented with it at all? Have you found affordable chalkboard labels?
Erin @ Simply Frugal Mom says
Ditto Kendra…chalkboard contact paper. Can be cut to any shape or size. And it is really easy to work with.
Kendra says
You can also buy chalkboard contact paper. I think I paid ~ $6 for a piece 18 inches by 6 feet (amazon). I then cut it to 6″x12″ pieces and put it through my cricut to get fun sizes. I haven’t tried a chalkboard pen on it but normal chalk rubbed off it quite nicely.