Magnetic Chalkboards: the Do's & Don'ts

This is the story of a Plan B Project. You know those types, right? You get a great idea, then somewhere in the process you realize that your plan's just not coming together, so you take a deep breath, pull out Plan B & try again. And occasionally, you meet a really tough challenge & you may even have to invent a Plan C. Every now &  then these things happen when you're a Domestic Artist, right? And then we have blogs so we can tell our fellow Domestic Artists how to avoid the headaches of Plan A & go straight to Plan B.

Such was the case for Lily's Magnetic Chalkboard. In my mind I had a picture of the perfect size & style of frame I wanted for a chalkboard for Lily's room. And after several weeks, my patience was rewarded when I found this mirror at an estate sale near my house one Saturday. I knew the frame would look great in white with just a hint of distress.

Plan A was to use my usual particle board that I always use for chalkboards & spray it with Krylon's Magnetic Spray Paint, then top it with Krylon's Chalkboard Spray Paint.

Here's where I tell you what Krylon fails to mention on their can: the chalkboard paint cancels out the magnetization of the magnetic paint, so you cannot use these 2 together. I know. Why didn't they say so? In fact, just FYI: when I talked to Krylon on the phone, they also told me the magnetic paint takes up to 5 days to actually become magnetic. Ahhemmm. Another detail you won't find on the can. And just so you know--I did try it after the 5 days & still there was no magnetization. SO- my personal recommendation is to save your $10.99 & don't try this paint. Maybe there are some success stories out there somewhere, but not here. I will add, though, that Krylon was very accommodating on the phone & they have promised to honor their satisfaction guarantee, so if I can find my receipt, I'll be in luck.

So, that is the road that led me to Plan B on this chalkboard. I started over, went to Home Depot, & found a piece of sheet metal near the plumbing supplies for less than $10. Be sure you don't look for this in the sheet metal section. Those cost more for what seem to be the same thing. The one you want for a project like this is the one that looks like this:

Remember, this is only a 24"X36", so be sure it's not too small for the frame you want to use it for. This metal is easy to cut to size with a pair of tin snips & BE SURE you use gloves when handling this type of metal because it will easily cut you.

After it's cut, just sand it a little to help it accept the paint, wipe it clean, & coat it with several coats of the Krylon Chalkboard spray (this stuff I do love). Then use a thin piece of board as a backer to stabilize the sheet metal when you place it into the frame.

For Lily's board, I made a few jeweled magnets out of some old brooches I had.

I used a pair of pliers to remove the pin mechanism & clasp, then glued on the magnets with E-6000.

That was it. Now my little artist has a chalkboard hanging above her desk, looking like it was meant to be.

Now, Lily's happy, I'm happy, & hopefully you'll be happy, knowing you can save yourself the trouble of Plan A & just go with Plan B. And we'll all live happily ever after.

You can read more about Lily's desk & chair here.

I'm linking this little story with a few of these people.