I went to my handy dandy Home Depot and picked up a piece of MDF board- they cut it for me at 12"- I was able to get four 12" x 24" pieces for approximately $5.00. Can I get a WOOHOO! ? I happen to think that's a pretty good deal for all the projects you can do with those pieces (not to mention I can cut them down at this point with my miter saw- to do even MORE projects).
I primed my board and then brushed several (approximately 3) layers of chalkboard paint on- letting it dry in between layers. I used the technique I found on Pinterest for transfering the font onto the board (it's Doris Day, if you're wondering)- which consists of printing out the lettering from your computer, then rubbing pencil on the underside of the paper. Tape the paper where you want your lettering, then trace over your lettering. The pencil lead transfers the outline of your lettering- then you can fill it in with paint.
I watered down some flat white paint, and then used a fine tip to outline and fill in the letters- I loved the fact that with this being chalkboard, I didn't have to worry about filling it in so that the black board didn't show at all. (I'm incredibly picky about that, and will spend an unreasonable amount of time trying to make it look "right") The look mimics the look of chalk- it's a win win! :D
I will say that before anyone writes on this, chalk needs to be rubbed completely over all the surface of the board, then rubbed off, to prepare it for use. If you skip this step, what you write won't erase completely, and you will be at the very least, frustrated!
I'm getting hooked on chalkboard paint- it's really fun, and pretty easy. You can buy it in a spray can, or brush it on with a quart of it.
