Rust-Oleum Projects
Create Chalkboard Block Houses
Browse Projects
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DIY Terrarium by Leigh-Ann Allaire Perrault
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DIY Chalked Planter
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Estimated Time
4 Hours
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Challenge Level
Intermediate
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Tools & Supplies
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8’ piece of 2”x 4”, preferably in pine (softer wood and easier to sand)
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Sandpaper: grits 80, 120
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Sander (I used a belt sander)
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Mitre Saw
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Foam Brush
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Tack Cloth
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Painter’s Tape & Paper
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Mark off the height you want for the finished houses, taking into account the peak of the roof. Cut straight across (using the 90-degree angle on the mitre saw) to make a square or rectangle based on your desired height. My houses varied from 4 inches to 8 inches in finished height at the peak of the roofline.
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Mark the centre point of the roofline and adjust your mitre saw to cut a 45-degree angle. Cut from the centre point at a 45-degree angle to create the roofline.
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Repeat. You can adjust the angle of the roofline and heights of the blocks to create a variety of sizes and shapes of block homes.
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Sand surfaces, edges and corners starting with an 80-grit sandpaper and then switching to 120-grit sandpaper. If you wanted to stain the houses instead of using chalkboard paint, you might want to use an even finer grit sandpaper to finish off the wood. Sand the edges and corners to make them as smooth as possible in order to eliminate the possibility of splinters getting into little fingers.
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Wipe each piece with a tack cloth to remove sawdust.
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On a protected surface, begin to carefully paint the wood pieces with chalkboard paint. If you want to keep the roof line natural, don’t paint the top. Let dry and then apply a second coat.
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Once dry, “season” the surface by rubbing chalk all over the surface and then wiping off. The blocks are now ready for a child’s imagination to draw what they want!
Visit Rust-Oleum Canada’s Instagram, Facebook and YouTube for more tips and inspiration!
Barbara Marek Matson, who blogs at Markova Design, is a kindergarten teacher by day and design aficionado by night. She is slowly making over her rental home with thrifted finds, using paint and fabric to work her magic.