[ home ] :: when things get totally messed up, use chalkboard paint

I mentioned in my post about the blinds how the best way to wreck a house is to have other people move in. Well, one thing we had to quick-fix on the cheap was our kitchen cabinets. Hello, damage!

Moral of the story: don't put sticky stuff on cabinets. Now, if this was over the hardwood cabinets and not a thin veneer finish? I would sand and re-stain the whole thing. But nope - it was over an MDF board and some sort of awful sticker-type finish. Of course, this is the only place in the kitchen that has MDF.

What's a cheap girl to do? Paint it. Pinterest-style.

Step 1: Tape off and lightly sand the area to be painted.

Before

Step 2: Use a low-nap foam roller to lightly apply 2 to 3 coats of chalkboard paint. Let dry between coats.

After!

Step 3: Gently remove the tape. Voila! You're done.

I used Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint. This stuff is amazing!

There were also scratches on the cabinets, so I used a stain pen to re-color them. The trick to getting a really good stain is to apply it with the pen, then smudge it to blend after 10-15 seconds. I used Homax Wood Stain Marker in Red Mahogany.

Scratches from a dog

Much better!

Buy. This. Now. If you don't already have one!

We have a ton more projects to work on around our house...it's a never-ending list.

- Maggie White