Chalk It Up

On a whim, I asked my better half whether it was possible to paint the pantry door with chalkboard paint.  I immediately received a lecture about chalk dust, cleaning, messes, and any other obvious issues associated with having a large surface area receptive to chalk in a key living space.  I acknowledged that, although it was a whim, I had thought of all those things, thank you very much.  Further, I was only asking whether it would work . . . not for permission.  Heh heh heh.

DH picked up chalkboard paint the next day and removed the door off the hinges.  He realized that it was actually a good idea - particularly since we plan to update the kitchen in a few years.  As such, no harm in ruining an interior door that will probably get pitched! Even so - I was grateful for his immediate action!

I spent a whole day working on it - following the instructions to the letter.  I sanded the door with 220 grit paper, washed it and dried thoroughly.  I used a small three-inch roller and it worked great.  I applied 3 coats over the course of 14 or so hours and was very satisfied with the result.

I waited 3 days before priming the surface with white chalk. This weekend, now that it has fully set (7 days), I made a stencil for Halloween using contact paper and my Silhouette.  It turned out great!

The trick with the stencil is to run the chalk over the space and wipe/smudge the color into all the areas.  Then go back over it in a circular motion.  Remove the interior spaces of the stencil first, and the outline last.  These are all SIL designs from the store.