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Issue 45

The Escapes Issue

Cook perfect pancakes
Build a modern rustic bench
Sew new life into a vintage dress

Deep thought bubbles

Say It With Chalkboard Paint

by Van Allen

Photos by Brian Slaughter

Martha implores us to “get organized-again and again.” In one Good Things section, she suggests using chalkboard-paint labels on storage drawers or tins. Here at ReadyMade, we think Type A organization deserves a much larger canvas. Why not paint a whole wall with chalkboard paint and make daily to-do lists? Or, better yet, paint cartoon bubbles in the places where your deepest thoughts occur (bed? bathroom?). Use a glass container or wall-mounted soap dish to hold the chalk and eraser. (Note to phobics: This is a fingernail-safe chalkboard.)

Spackle and sand the area you intend to paint, getting rid of noticeable cracks and holes.
Using painters tape, mark out the space to be painted-the whole wall, just a frame, or a cartoon bubble above your bed or favorite reading chair. For a cartoon bubble, draw one on a piece of paper, enlarge it on a Xerox machine, cut it out, and trace it on the wall.
Using a small roller to get an even coat, apply a thin layer of paint inside your masked area. Let dry and repeat until the area is opaque.