DIY Magnetic Chalkboard

So, I love the idea of chalkcloth, but the idea of writing with chalk just gives me the willies.  The mess of the chalk dust has stopped me from having fun with this fabric.  But this weekend, I found a solution, Chalk Ink markers.  The name is a bit misleading since they are not chalk, but they can be used on chalkboards and chalkcloth and just need to be washed off with a wet cloth. Once I discovered the markers, I was immediately onto a project, I've been wanting to do--creating a message center for the family so we can keep track of things to be done and school reminders. I already had a fabric-covered magnetic memo board, that I had made a few years ago and decided to rework it.  Go to your local Goodwill, re-use center, or Salvation Army and find a huge frame with a picture (you need the insert!).  Mine cost about $5.00 for a  24" x 30 frame, which I spray painted white.  I then purchased a piece of sheet metal from the local home improvement store (less than $10) and with a metal snips cut it to size and glued it with a spray adhesive to the insert.

Before! fabric covered board.

In my case, I just peeled back the fabric and revealed the the sheet metal.

Sheet metal for magnetic surface

Used a can of spray adhesive and was very generous with the spraying  of the sheet metal.  I then rolled out the cut to size piece of chalkcloth on the adhesive covered sheetmetal and smoothed  it out (no air bubbles!) and let dry for about 1 hour.

Chalkcloth covered sheet metal for reminder board

Insert in the frame, secure  and TaDaa!

TaDaa! finished magnetic chalkboard

Time into this project after all the supplies were gathered about an hour or so of actual work.  Cost less than $30. My kids love the board, checking to see what things they need to do and then the satisfaction of crossing them off or erasing them.  Of course lots of funny messages from Dad have been written along with loads of drawings already.