Friday, May 13, 2011

Art + Outdoors = Artdoorsy

When I saw this idea for an outdoor chalkboard on Ohdeedoh last week, I instantly wanted one in our backyard too. And I knew just the daddy who could make it happen. Lucky for me, Eric thought it was a pretty cool idea and didn't hesitate to go buy the materials and get started. It might have worked to my advantage too, that a new Menards had just opened and he wanted to check it out.

Needless to say, the kids are enjoying it. Bea's favorite part is the bucket of chalk that hangs off the side. Go figure.


21 comments:

Unknown said...

I love this! I want to do this in my backyard but have a few questions. First, how did you secure it to the fence? And second, did you use any type of sealant? Thanks!!

Lily's Mommy said...

I absolutely love it and want to make it for my daughter. Did you use any type of sealant? How does it hold up to the elements?? Thank you so much for the great idea.

Project Denneler said...

Thanks! My husband used birch plywood. First we painted the front and back with primer to seal it, and then we just painted the front with a quart of chalkboard paint. He attached it to the fence with galvanized wood screws.

So far so good, it's been 9 months and it looks brand new.

Good luck!

Jessica said...

Looks fun! I'm guessing you could also use it with the sidewalk chalk "paint" recipe online and also painting with water. Do your kids ever paint with it?

Project Denneler said...

We've never tried chalk paint, but I'm sure they'd love it. I'll have to look that up.

joannalee said...

Love this idea! My kids would really enjoy this. How much did all the materials cost and how much time to make/hang?

Project Denneler said...

Probably less than $50 and one weekend. All you need is a sheet of birch plywood ($30), primer ($5) and a quart of chalkboard paint ($15).

Janice said...

This is awesome! And the weather doesn't harm it? Rain? Snow? Do you have a lid for the bucket to keep it from getting nasty from rain etc?

Project Denneler said...

We've had no problems so far. My husband drilled holes in the bottom of the bucket so that rain & sprinkler water could run out of it and not ruin the chalk.

Anonymous said...

How many screws did u use to secure it to the fence?

Anonymous said...

Also how may coats of paint did u apply?

Thx

Project Denneler said...

My husband now tells me he used MDO plywood -Medium Density Overlay. (I thought he originally used birch plywood.) I guess MDO is more widely used in outdoor projects because it's a weather-resistant plywood that has a smooth surface. You can get it at Home Depot, Lowe's or Menards.

We did one coat of primer (front & back) and three coats of chalkboard paint on the front. He affixed it to the fence with 6 screws - three on the right and three on the left.

... said...

I love this too! Thanks for the info on what type of wood. Ours will go indoors on our wall in the homeschool room. Any chance your handy husband would mind giving me a few ideas for how to attach it to an indoor wall?

Project Denneler said...

It kind of depends on the wall.... is it sheetrock or plaster or paneling? Screws will most likely work just fine, but it's always a good idea to use molly bolts. Or at least screw into a stud if you can find them.

Anonymous said...

What kind of primer? Oil?

Project Denneler said...

Yes. We use KILZ all the time. It's an oil-based primer.

ASloane said...

This would be great for adults too-- BBQ menu board, message board for friends to write on at a birthday party, Bean Bag Toss (Cornhole here in the South) scoreboard, etc... Love this idea!

Donna Skees said...

What size is yours????

Project Denneler said...

Our chalkboard is 4ft x 8ft.

LK said...

So if I remember correctly, Ohdeedoh said they used a mixture of grout and paint... But you didn't, right?

Project Denneler said...

Nope. We just used KILZ primer and a quart of chalkboard paint. You can get it at most hardware stores or craft stores.

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