Kids love to create and imagine. So, why not build a chalkboard display wall your kids will love? Encourage those creative juices in your little one by designing a framed chalkboard and art display wall. Such an easy, inexpensive DIY project.

My adorable nephew, Lucas, turned one over the summer and I had so much fun creating this space for him. Of course, it needed to be at his level. So we went with this space under the window in the basement, which has become his playroom…

After measuring and marking off the space where I wanted the chalk and art display wall, I painted the rectangle with black chalk paint.

The area for this chalkboard wall is a bit narrower than the chalk wall I created for my mom. So I decided to go with thinner boards. 1×4’s. And off to Home Depot with my sweet little ladybug…

How to Build a Chalkboard Wall:

I gave each board a coat of white paint…

Distressed (sanded) them a bit…

Using my wax brush, I applied Miss Mustard Seed’s Black Wax…

Super easy! A little Karate kid action–wax on, wax off…

I cut the boards to size and nailgunned them to the wall. (Not sure if “nailgunned” is a word, but that’s what I did. 🙂 )…

(Sorry about the overwhelming glare in some of these pictures. I was competing with the sun coming through the windows and the sun definitely won. 🙁 )

That’s it!! You could stop there. But adding the display wall gives you a spot for all of your little guy’s creations. What little kiddo doesn’t love to have their artwork on display? And this frees up your refrigerator. 🙂 I’m all about less clutter and everything having a place.

Onto the Display Wall…

Off to Home Depot AGAIN. Or, of course, you could pick it all up in one trip. 🙂 But, Home Depot is my second home, so I’m used to multiple trips there every week. Underlayment and 1×4’s are all we need for the display wall.

Rip your underlayment to the width you want your boards to be. (I usually go with 5-6″). After sketching out the space you want your shiplap to be, cut your underlayment to the length you need and nailgun each board to the wall… (I have a full tutorial on how to shiplap a wall, click this link for more details).

Slap on some black paint..or whatever color you would like your shiplap to be. This was my first time painting my shiplap black. I’m loving how it turned out…

Attach your 1×4 trim…

(Fighting with that glare again. 🙁 )

Add metal wire and eyehooks to hang artwork…

And again, that’s it friends!! So Simple!! And your kiddos will love it!

Lucas creating a masterpiece…

And one last wide-angle view…

My sister-in-law is tossing around the idea of painting her trim in the basement white. That will look stunning. Of course, finding the time for that while chasing around a one-year-old can be a bit challenging. But I’ll keep you posted with any updated photos to come.

This project can be completed in a weekend and the cost…less than $70. Win-Win!

If you decide to create this space in your home, I would love to see pictures. 🙂

Until next time,

Happy building!!

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