kclopez Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Has anyone made a DIY chalkboard or white board? I'd like something bigger than the 22 inch x 35 inch that I find at Target that is about $20. Has anyone tried shower wall? My home depot pieces looked kind of fragile along the edges - just thick cardboard. I was thinking of buying a sheet of plywood (don't know cost) priming it and covering with chalk paint. Would I need a frame? Seems like that all would be getting up there in price. Just wondered if anyone found anything large and inexpensive that worked. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sasharowan Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 We had a piece of plywood that had already been framed. It was a built in desk that was here when we moved in and didn't work for us where it was. When we took it down, we stuck it behind a shelf and last year we got some blackboard paint and painted it. We only used one can and it is thin in spots, so you might want to consider double layers at least. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 We have a five by six foot piece of showerboard that we bought at home depot. It's worked well. I think we've had it about four years now. We didn't end up framing it - though that would look really nice, my dh just screwed it into the wall. Not very asthetic but it is functional. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy in Va Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 I made and used a chalkboard using masonite and chalkboard paint. Very easy and inexpensive project. The masonite came in, I think, 4 or 5' x 8' sheet which they cut for free. Put on a couple of coats of chalkboard paint (following instructions) and you're good to go. I did not have a frame around; however, it could have been done. Because of the room we were in, my oldest ds used masonry screws to attach it to the wall. If you need one, here is a link to a DIY white board. http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/10/20/diy-whiteboard-on-the-cheap/ HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kclopez Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 We have a five by six foot piece of showerboard that we bought at home depot. Does this erase well? I just ran to Home Depot and saw a large sheet for $12 - can't beat that! Regarding the chalkboard suggestion - what is masonite? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 We got our whiteboard (tile board) from home depot for about $10. It was the same size as a sheet of plywood, ~4x8 ft I think. We cut it in half, and then cut one of the halves into smaller, lap sized boards for the kids. It works great!!! Best $10 we ever spent for school! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LaxMom Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 We have a five by six foot piece of showerboard that we bought at home depot. It's worked well. I think we've had it about four years now. We didn't end up framing it - though that would look really nice, my dh just screwed it into the wall. Not very asthetic but it is functional. That's exactly what we've used. It's just screwed to the wall in our dining room, slightly taller than the chair rail, so we have a spot to stick the eraser and markers. We had it cut a bit to fit in our car, and the piece the guy cut off has been used for a felt board/white board, as well. I see no reason why you couldn't paint it (or half of it) with chalkboard paint, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggy in Va Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Does this erase well? I just ran to Home Depot and saw a large sheet for $12 - can't beat that! Regarding the chalkboard suggestion - what is masonite? I can't really describe it, but it seems the more common name for it is hardboard. It is used for a variety of things. Since you seem to have a Home Depot near you, here is a link to a sample there: http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100087155 This one is to a link at Lowe's: http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=15483-46498-SS1254825&lpage=none Very inexpensive. The board I made has held up very well and is still being used 5 years later. No paint chipping, nothing. HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kclopez Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 Thanks for the tips! Those of you with DIY white boards - do they erase well? I am just deciding between the white board or chalkboard. Although, the white board has no labor so I may go with that if it cleans well. thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenaj Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Thanks for the tips! Those of you with DIY white boards - do they erase well? I am just deciding between the white board or chalkboard. Although, the white board has no labor so I may go with that if it cleans well.thanks Sometimes I get temporary shadows if items are left up for too long (like right now during summer break) but I bought a bottle of the dry erase cleaner and we try to use that once a week to really clean it off well and have no problems. The main problem I have is stray marker marks on the wall beside the below the board from small children drawing. Magic Erasers seem to take care of it thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WiseOwlKnits Posted July 5, 2009 Share Posted July 5, 2009 Definitely go with the showerboard! I used it when I was teaching - chalk gives me terrible allergies and the school said I could convert my chalkboards to dry erase if I paid for it. :glare: I wrote on and erased those things hours a day 5 x a week for a couple of years and didn't have a single issue with them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kclopez Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 Well, I did it. I bought a 4 ft x 8 ft sheet of shower wall at HD and had them cut to 4 x 6 and made the rest into lapboards. I'm so excited to have a HUGE area to write on!!! Dh will hang this weekend - ready to go when we start slowly next week. Rearranged my entire room, have workboxes ready to go - we needed big changes for this second year. It's amazing how motivating rearranging the physical space has been for me! Hoping it rubs off on the boys - I think so. They've been sitting at their desks coloring, etc. Much more work friendly room now. Just wanted to share :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rachserra Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 http://www.johnmurch.com/2007/10/20/diy-whiteboard-on-the-cheap/ thank you for this specific link! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigdogs29906 Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 We use our sliding glass door (and an occasional window or fish tank too) as a dry erase board. Works well for us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hedgehogs4 Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 we have a DIY whiteboard that we made from showerboard. $12 a sheet at Lowes, i think. we covered a wall with it, and it gets used every day. Commercial whiteboards erase better, but i use a mr. clean magic eraser on it and it gets it perfectly clean, no shadows or residue. i do this at the end of the day, though between things when it has a chance to dry, because you have to wet the sponge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cathy in IL Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 I found a showerboard piece at Home Depot that was damaged at the top. They cut it down to a perfect size and sold it to me for $1.75! Works perfectly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2squared Posted February 6, 2010 Share Posted February 6, 2010 You can use washable crayola markers on your showerboard too. You have to erase them with water, but they come clean everywhere - walls too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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