This one's coming from us, your editors. We've got a wardrobe that we'd like to turn into a more functional part of our bedroom/office. We were inspired by Danny Seo's fridge, and we know how to make chalkboard paint... but we're tempted by an easier way.Contact paper. (Yes, you read that right.) We've seen the black stuff in use, and it's surprisingly convincing, especially when it has some chalk dust on it. And for $25, Amazon has a suitably enormous size for the vast expanse of IKEA cabinets that have to cover.
But, to be honest, we're having a hard time with the idea of using contact paper in general. It is made out of nasty PVC, though it's a relatively small amount. Then again, there's also PVC (used as an opacifier) in chalkboard paint. The contact adhesive is probably not so nice, either, but neither is the primer we'd have to use to get the chalkboard paint to stick.
This is the kind of thing that leaves us stumped. Here's a table to show what we're trying to sort through.
| Contact Paper | Chalkboard Paint |
| Won't flake off | Might flake or peel |
| Made of nasty PVC, which we will see everyday | Requires nasty primer as base coat |
| Could be put on in a few hours | Will be an all-day or most-of-weekend project |
| is only 18" wide; doors are 19"+ -- how do we handle the seams? can we find wider contact paper? | paint doesn't have seams |
Naturally, IKEA used to make chalkboard doors for our cabinets, but they've been churned right out of the store. (You can see them used to great effect in this kitchen by Krownlab.)
So, AT readers: the tables are turned. What do you think we should do?
Find Your Style: 20 Classic to Contemporary Kitchens to Add to Your Inspiration Board
Beth's Romantic & Retro Residence
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Shaw's Original Fir...
How To Make Perfect Bacon in the Oven
How To Cook Tender, Chewy Wheat Berries on the Stovetop
Why do either? Do you really want chalk dust all over? Esp. in a bedroom? If you want to hang things on the doors, cover with cork or padding and fabric. The cork doesn't have to be the tiles, although they're easy to use.
Contact paper is a bitch to get smooth, and it nearly always looks a tiny bit wrinkled.
I'm a teacher and have used the contact paper to add writing surfaces to my classroom. I love the visual effect, and the flexibility of it. I will say, however, that it doesn't hold up well to lots of writing -- there are scratches on the areas where we write a lot. After a lot of use, it also doesn't erase as cleanly as a real chalkboard. The paper I applied this year will need to be taken down and re-applied in September. If I had the option to use the paint instead, that's what I would do.
There's chalkboard fabric, too.
It works really well. I haven't hung it, but I imagine it would be no different than hanging fabric on walls. As far as seams go, you could do some interesting trim.
Chalkboard fabric would be my choice. I make portable placemats for kids with cotton on one side, chalkboard on the other and then bound on the edges. I get lots of requests for wall hangings from adults now, and I make them the same way but I add two grommets in the upper corners. Then you can use a 3M hook, or small nails, to hang. Use a fabric you really love, and then you have wall art on the other side for when you don't need to be writing notes.
You can actually make your own chalkboard paint. it's pretty simple. The great thing is, you can then make your "chalkboard" any color you want.
Here's the recipe:
Start with flat-finish latex paint in any shade. For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.
1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout (available at most hardware stores). Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.