DIY Wednesday: The Chalkboard Table

  Well I don't know how many people use chalkboards in their homes, but we have two. Well had two. One is our menu, event, etc.. board and the other was used by the kids for drawing and letter lessons. 

However, the one we had for the girls also tended to become a hazard around the house.

Then last week, while Mommy was trying to sweep up the floors, some little ladies decided to leave it on the floor concealed by some blankets. Needless to say, Mom found it an unconventionally painful way.

Well the board had a good run but the Mom was not in the mood to buy another health hazard, I mean chalkboard.

Well hello Pintrest!.... What's that?.... You have a crafty solution. I'm all in.

It wasn't exactly a chalkboard table I found but a small kids bench (you can find the same table at http://www.shanty-2-chic.com/2012/07/playroom-kids-table-diy.html). I thought it was awesome, but a little big for our house.

Then I got to thinking, hey, why not make the top a chalkboard!
 We needed to buy a new one and I always need a good excuse to check out an antique store.

I went down to our local Old Town area and checked out one of the larger antique warehouses in the neighborhood. They were super helpful and I found the perfect table, and a suitcase...don't judge me.


I brought home the table and the next morning I began one of my favorite things, refinishing the tabletop.

Unfortunately when I started there was a veneer, or what appeared to be a veneer, on top. I had sanded down enough to find the true top but the sand paper was not doing the job to clear the surface.





Dad and HGTV luckily taught us when you have veneer, find an iron. Laying the heated iron on the surface will usually loosen the adhesive and allow you to pull it up easily.

In my case, I had sanded the hard top off so I just ended up bubbling up the remainder of the sheet and peeled it off, with the kids help. They were getting a kick out of it too, future DIYers???

Once the veneer was off, I used a sanding sponge to remove any remaining glue residue so I could get a nice smooth surface. Then I cleaned off the surface with some simple household cleanser to remove any sawdust and dirt.

Now the fun part, The Primer!. I put on a couple coats, then waited about an hour for them to dry.








Next, chalkboard paint. I bought some Rustoleum brand at Home Depot for about $9.57. They also make a custom color version, but for $13.97 a can, I was just fine with the black. I also picked up some molding for finishing.

It took about three coats but the final finish was nice and even.

Technically all the work could have finished there. But, I decided to put a boarder on so the chalk wouldn't fall off the table onto the floor. Ask any parent how fun it is to clean up shattered chalk....
 

 With my husband help, we measured, cut, and nailed in the molding. Then using some wood putty to fill in the nail holes. I then painted the molding white to give it more of a picture frame look. The finishing doesn't have to be perfect either, it's supposed to look like a weathered table.

 
  Viola! A brand new chalkboard and thanks to the little shelf that came with the table, a new storage area for the munchkins books and toys that are downstairs (I already had the basket). Altogether it only cost about $70.00 (I went a little high end with the molding). 

They were really enjoying it this morning. So happy!

So if you want to do this, I highly recommend finding a good piece of old furniture. This table is solid wood so it was easy to refinish. Particle board or MDF, unless heavily layered, doesn't do so good.

DIY List of Supplies:

- Sturdy coffee table or any low table that will fit your space.

- Sandpaper (and a sander to save some time)

- Sanding Sponge

- Primer paint

- Chalkboard Paint (I used Rustoleum brand)

Optional:

-Molding or edging to make a frame (or you can find a picture frame to fit).

-Nail gun

Hope you all enjoyed this, I'm going to go get myself another band aid.......don't ask.

Just kidding!

Happy DIYing!

-Lisa