Ellyn tells us:
We have a tiny back yard and struggle with making it fun for the kids. Anything we do needs to be vertical to make it fit, so over the weekend we made a big outdoor chalkboard.
Started by getting a 4 x 8 plywood sheet, mixed an outdoor paint with sanded grout in a color that looks like chalkboard because we couldn't find a chalkboard paint that is made for the outdoors. By the end of the weekend the board was in use. Got the recipe for the paint/grout mixture online and to our surprise it works great. Just like the real thing.
We plan to leave it out all season – will it hold up? We'll see...
Total project cost: About $100
(Images: Ellyn Perreault)
Chad's Guest House & Reinvented Garage 
Homemade Home: Great DIY Projects for Bedrooms from Our Tours
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Dippy Pink Rug
Wordy Thirty: A Literary Food-Themed Dinner Party
Summer Recipe: No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake
Comments (9)
Genius!
Brilliant!!!
http://ashleighnclark.blogspot.com/
I love this.
Love.
Great!
Remindes me of my on weekend project, much smaller, but still makes my son smile!
It's blogged here:
http://alittleworldblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/project-of-week.html
I want this in my backyard, what a great way to cover up part of my dilapidated tool shed!
"Got the recipe for the paint/grout mixture online and to our surprise it works great."
Can you share where? I'd like to do this, too! What a great idea!
Thanks for the nice comments. BTW, have the paint person at the store mix primer into the paint. We used Behr Ultra and the can reads: BASE: 4853- FLATT MATT PP ULTRA EXTERIOR FLAT (BROADWAY) UL200-1. Match the grout color to the paint. We adhered ply wood (for rigidity) and tempered hardboard (smooth surface) together using liquid nails.
Chalkboard paint recipe:
- 3 or 4 parts paint to 1 part unsanded grout (the more grout the quicker it will firm up)
- For best results use a paint stirrer attachment for a drill to blend thoroughly.
- If you apply with a roller do this as quickly as possible to avoid lumps/texture. If you use a brush it comes out smoother.
- When dry sand some of the roughness away with 150 grit sand paper then, 300-600 wet/dry sand paper.
I think that's it. Have fun and good luck!
LOOOVE IT