My classroom dilemma year after year- a huge green chalkboard! Green just isn’t my color and the opposite side of the classroom is a huge whiteboard. I feel that I always need things to be symmetric so the green just doesn’t cut it.
For the past two years I covered the green chalkboard with white paper. It works for a while, but then it starts to get bumpy and unappealing! So, each year I have had to take everything off it and replace the paper. So, this year I was on a mission to ease my year after year hardship! I needed something to cover this green chalkboard! So, I found this white contact/stick paper at Lowe’s for $10/ roll. Here is the board almost finished, sorry forgot a true before picture!
Almost done….better already!
Finished…so much better!!!
One last tid-bit! Most of you have already mastered every trick there is but sometimes I surprise myself!! HA! Anyway, last Summer I realized it was smart to mark the backs of the border pieces as you take them down like {right, left, top, bottom, middle}. This makes the puzzle of putting them back up much easier! This is especially great for hallway bulletin boards that you use year after year.
Let me know if you have a chalkboard…whose days are numbered!!
That looks fantastic Tara! I don't like the green chalkboard area either. I wouldn't have thought of using contact paper, but that's such a good idea. I might have to try that with my chalkboard. Thanks for sharing!
Lisa
Learning Is Something to Treasure
Love it, Tara. Was wondering if it is still magnetic through the contact paper…I imagine that you might need strong magnets? Thanks, Paula
omg…never thought of writing on the back of the border…genius!
You can buy shower board at a home improvement store like Lowe's or Home Depot and have it cut to size to fit your old green monster. Not sure how to attach it so it doesn't fall off/out. But now you have a whiteboard just like the other side of the room and you can WRITE on it and erase it too. It is NOT exactly the same as real whiteboard, but usually works great.
I love the idea of hiding the green chalkboard… I would love to use "Anonymous"'s idea, of putting a "shower wall" on the chalkboard to have a kind of Whiteboard…. Hmmm…
You could also consider hanging sheets of homasote (available at many lumberyards) over the chalkboard. It works great as a bulletin board material.
My dad put up showerboard over my green chalkboards. It works wonderfully.
Can you write on the showerboard with dry erase marker? I would think the contact paper would leave a film of marker on it.
I don't write on mine. I just use it as a display board 🙂
Going to ask a dumb question here, but how do you get the showerboard to stay?
Tara, do you use plain masking tape to stick the border onto your chalkboard? What do you use for the items that go on top of the contact paper?
Angie
Yes I use plain masking tape 🙂
Do you remember the brand of the contact paper?
I'm not sure about the brand but I purchased it from Lowe's.
This will be my first year as a teacher and I have inherited a big green chalk board and have been racking my brain about what to do with it. Thank you so much for this great idea!!
Does it come off smoothly?
It did for me but it’s hard for me to answer for every board 🙁 Possibly you could try a trial spot before a larger area 🙂
Tara
Fantastic…mine’s black and actually would look kind of cool, but it has tape, foam and whatever else was ever stuck on there still stuck on there. I bought contact paper from my Dollar Tree that looks cool. Something else I saw online was to use foam poster board so that tacks and staples can be used on them…just some ideas. Thanks so much for sharing…your board looks AMAZING!
Is this board still magnetic after putting the contact
paper over the board? I have been tempted to do this but scared it’s not going to be magnetic
Anymore.
I inherited someone else’s DIY contact paper project… Had to use an industrial heat gun to remove contact paper off the board and counters! On the green board, it left patches of adhesive. Hence, I would suggest getting cork or white board sheets from Home Depot for a more permanent solution.