DIY: Abbie’s Chalkboard Table

If you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen this picture a few days ago.  Abbie’s chalkboard table, completed.  It was a pretty simple DIY project, and I was really happy with how it turned out!

I started by picking up IKEA’s LATT table and chairs set weeks/months ago.  (Seriously, I think I bought it in like October.)  It’s a great value as is at only $20, but I loved that I was able to change it up into something Abbie can keep for a while.

I then went to Home Depot for my supplies.  I wanted the wood to be easy to clean, so I picked out this stain/poly combination – much easier than doing two separate things!  The instructions called for sanding it down beforehand and sanding between coats…which I skipped.  I though the wood was smooth enough already and didn’t need it, but I can see where sanding a bit between coats would’ve made it look a bit more even.  I did two coats of the stain, applying it with a foam brush.  I let it dry about an hour between coats, then about 24 hours after the second coat.

I also grabbed some chalkboard paint, opting for the spray paint version.  I didn’t want to worry about lumps or bumps, or coating it unevenly.  I did two coats on both the table top and the seats of the chairs, letting it dry an hour between coats and 24 hours after the second coat.  I initially wasn’t going to do the seats, but I decided I wanted the tabletop and chairs to match!

Once the chalkboard was dry, I rubbed the chalk surface with the side of a piece of chalk, then erased it before assembling the table and chairs.

Abbie loves it already (but par for the course, has already tried to eat the chalk), and I can’t wait to see the masterpieces she creates on it as she gets older!

Side note: IKEA didn’t sponsor this…in fact, I’m pretty sure they don’t know I exist…but they do take my money, so there’s that.