Hey there CSI readers! I’m Barbara from Chase the Star, where I write about crafting and D.I.Y. furniture makeovers on a budget, as well as other fun topics like cooking, housekeeping, and more!
As a busy wife and mom I don’t have too much time to work on projects. During one of those rare moments a few months ago where I had about an hour to kill, I decided to finally paint an unfinished side table I had gotten at a thrift store ages ago. It looks like it was made from wood scraps by someone in their garage, but hey for $4.99 I can’t complain!
It’s quite sturdy actually, and I’d been using it in the playroom to hold knick-knacks and small toys.
As with many other projects, I used what I had on hand:
Chalkboard paint
Foam brush
Chalk
Mod Podge spray (matte finish)
Threw on some HGTV for company and started brushing on the chalkboard paint.
One full coat and a quick light second coat is all it took. Chalkboard paint dries super fast! I started with the legs, and by the time I’d gone all the way around, the legs were already dry.
I went over the edges with chalk, adding a little more linear detail on the bottom shelf, and around the screws, etc. Pretty much just winged it until I got the look I wanted. When I made a mistake, I had a damp towel handy–wiped off and did it again.
It was pretty fun actually!
Once it looked like I wanted it to, I went over the edges (only) with the Mod Podge spray to seal it. If you’re doing this, make sure not to spray too closely, because it’ll blow the chalk right off (I learned the hard way). The spray can should be a good 12 inches from your project.
If you focus just on just spraying the edges directly over the chalk, your kids (or you!) will still be able to doodle on the table without smearing or smudging the chalked edges. I figured I can always paint over the chalk lines if the kids want a different design and let them ‘decorate’ it, sealing it again with the Mod Podge at any time.
Two dvr’d episodes of The High Low Project later (I love Sabrina Soto), my kid’s had a new and fun side table!
Loving it flanking the TV along with the file cabinet in
their playroom!
I love chalkboard paint and have used it on other projects like the dinette I turned into a kid’s game table, and wine bottle centerpiece for my dining room, and more!
Have you tried it yet?
I’d love to ‘meet’ you! Stop by Chase the Star for a visit, and find me here:
