Magnetic Chalkboard Wall Project

Since Liam has started school I have been researching different ways to show off his artwork.  Our stainless refrigerator doesn't hold magnets and I have tons of magnetic letters for the boys to play with.  I knew I wanted something magnetic somewhere in the house and had different ideas of places to put it until I came across this picture on Pinterest -

I knew right then that I wanted to do that and I had the perfect wall in my breakfast nook to do it on!

I knew it was going to take me a few days to do so I was off of work for a week and decided that would be a perfect time to start.  I made a trip to Home Depot after lots of research on the best way to do it.  I taped off the edges with Frog Tape, laid down a plastic drop mat and got to painting.  It recommended using a foam roller so that is what I used.  I also read that if you have them shake up the paint at the store that it is easier to stir when you open it.  It has small specks of iron in the paint that settles to the bottom and can be time consuming to stir.  I noticed that it was very thick when I opened it up but it didn't take long for it to smooth out.  Here is the wall after 2 coats of paint.  I bought 2 cans of the Rustoleum Magnetic Primer.  Each can was $20.  After using both cans which was about 4 coats of paint I wasn't happy with how magnetic it was.  I made a trip back to Home Depot and bought another can giving me 6 coats of paint total.  I kind of wish that I would have painted another coat or two but I was so over painting at this point that I decided it was magnetic enough for what I wanted to do and moved on.

The next day after I finished up with the magnetic paint, I started on the Chalkboard paint.  I also used the Rustoleum Chalkboard Paint in Black.  I applied two coats of it, pulled off the frog tape and let it dry!

Before you can use it you have to season the chalkboard.  If you don't season the board then whatever you write on it gets burned into the board and hard to clean off.  Before you season the chalkboard you have to let it dry for 3 days.  I hung up some of Liams art that he did on Tuesday in that time.

Here it is in the process of seasoning it.  I took a stick of chalk sideways and ran it across the whole board. 

It sure did make a mess!  I did this at the boys nap time because I knew they would be all in it if I didn't!

After, I wiped it down with a damp cloth.  I had to do it twice because after the first time it was still really white and not what I was going for.  I didn't expect it to be a long process but it took me about 2 hours!

Liam was the first one to get to draw on it.  I was in shock when I saw him write his name!  I feel like a horrible mom because I had no clue that he knew how to do that!  I was AMAZED!

Here it is finished!  I am so proud of it and cant wait to change it up each season!