#How To Make a Kitchen Chalkboard

Renters, rejoice! There’s a fun way to give your kitchen a little chalkboard love without painting a wall, drilling holes, or spending a lot of money. A trip to the craft store will provide you with the tools for this fun, easy DIY chalkboard, perfect for scribbling grocery lists, menu plans, or notes to your housemates.

When my husband and I first moved into our apartment, we discovered something unfortunate about the walls. Fabricated in the late 1940s, they’re made out of a brittle, plaster-like material that defies drilling. After making a few unsightly craters in the walls, we realized traditional picture hooks weren’t an option.

As we were searching for other ways to decorate, we found that the folks at 3m had solved our problem for us. They have an impressive array of hooks and adhesive tabs that hold fast without leaving a mark.

Their picture hanging strips come in many different sizes — you’ll want to choose the ones with the appropriate weight capacity so your chalkboard will stay put, no problem. For a lightweight wood frame like the one I’ve used here, you can use the smallest adhesive tabs. If you’re going with something larger and heavier, choose the medium or large tabs to be safe.

As for the chalkboard part of this tutorial, it was incredibly easy to make. While you can try doing something like this with chalkboard paint, I was pleased to find there’s a less messy option: chalkboard liner paper.

Con-Tact has recently come out with these rolls of black, adhesive material that you can cut to size just like any other shelf liner paper. Peel off the backing, then smooth it onto any surface you please. You could theoretically use it to cover an entire cabinet, backsplash, or fridge door if you wanted to!

Where to Buy Supplies for Making a DIY Chalkboard

Here, I’ve simply covered the cardboard insert that came with the frame. Nine times out of 10, you’ll find a piece of cardboard just behind the placeholder photo, but you can use poster board, a manila folder, or any other stiff paper you’ve got around the house. Cover it with the chalkboard liner paper, put it right back in the frame, and you’re done.

To make sure there’s always a piece of chalk on hand, I stuck a little wooden crate to the wall right underneath the chalkboard. I was unable to locate this particular item on the Michael's website, so call ahead if you plan to find one in-store. At 99 cents, it was a no-brainer addition to the project, and I think it looks pretty cute, too!