My toddler has discovered coloring. On the wall. The table. The home, in general. Every time her siblings sit down to draw or do homework, she struggles to climb into an empty chair and join them.
And since concussions run in the family, I decided we'd create a place for her to sit and color that was just her size. I bought this little table at Ikea, but I've also seen them at Wal Mart and Target.
We added blue tape around the edges:
I grabbed my can of chalkboard paint. I've rediscovered a love for this stuff!
And look, I got it on clearance!
Once the table was taped off, we painted the tabletop with the chalkboard paint.
My favorite thing about chalk is how easy it is to remove from furniture, walls, clothes, etc.
And as you can guess, she loves it!
Table for one, please!
45 comments:
Oh Kristen, you are brilliant! And I have leftover chalkboard paint! Yay!
a fun project and allot less costly then the ER bill, great DIYP!
the table looks great! my toddler is discovering coloring too but quickly gets distracted by eating the crayons! agh.
i love ikea too!!!!!!
GREAT idea! I think I may have ti implement this one over here at the heights...
How cute. I'll have to look into doing that for my 2 1/2 yr old, she would love something like this, for the same reason as your daughter. She's always wanting to do "homework" when Em does it.
Thanks for sharing!
Fantastic, you are the BOMB!
What a neat idea! See I told you, I get something every time I come here .. even when I don't comment.:)
I am totally doing this!
cute table!!!
I love chalk board paint.
I've even painted old metal tv trays with it and take it in the car they fit nicely over their laps in car seats and magnetic letters and other magnets are great entertainment stick to it so double fun chalk and magnets!
what a wonderful idea. My girls have loved having a table that size, but I never thought to cover it with chalkboard paint!!! ingenious!
She is darling!!! And the table is verrrrrrrrry creative!!!
I have two of these tables and one of these walls in my house!
LOVE THEM!
Really, really great idea. Wish I'd have seen this about, oh... 12 years ago. We're pretty much past the stage of having to worry about people coloring on furniture and walls. We paid our dues in that area already!
I'm new to your blog-no kiddys yet, but we are trying. I enjoy reading your posts and LOVE the creative table idea!
I'm fascinated by chalkboard paint but have never tried it. I've always wanted to ask someone if it really works just as well as a chalkboard. I have a chalkboard that "someone" smeared vaseline all over (and all his books, himself, the walls, his bed...you get the picture, yeah, we are THAT family too) and now it doesn't work very well. I wonder if I could paint it with chalkboard paint and it would work again. Hmmm. So does it really work great?
Awesome idea!
thanks for inspiring!!!! awesome job!
I tagged you for a meme..but with all these great diyp you may not have time...anyways come check it out at mom & mehttp://pshelovesyou.blogspot.com/2008/09/mom-me-meme.html
There's another product out there by a company called Markee that is a dry erase paint. You can turn any surface into a dry erase board with it. We talked about it in a PTA meeting yesterday - I think Xacto is having a contest for schools or something? Anyway, it is fairly expensive, and I totally do not condone giving little kiddies markers - especially dry erase ones! - but if someone is looking for an alternative to the chalkboard idea, this is a pretty good one. :-)
I love your DIYP!!
What a great idea!
Whoops - it is EXPO having the classroom contest, lol. Their web address is expomarkers dot com.
I love this! Especially since it looks like something I could actually do. Thanks for sharing.
What a great idea!!
When my son was little, he colored on everything. The worst was when he did this on a friend's wall during life group. I was so embarrassed!!
Oh what a great idea!! We, too, love chalkboard paint, but didn't think to cover a table with it.
Have you discovered the metallic paint yet? If you put enough on, magnets stick! Not so much fun on a table, but it rocks on the walls :)
What a GREAT idea!!!
Absolutely brilliant!! I love it! Now if I can only find the table since we don't have an Ikea! Do you remember what you spent on the table itself? I like to know I'm not paying too much! So cute & your little girl is PRECIOUS!
Brilliant!
My son has a chalkboard wall in his room and both of the kids love it along with all the kids who come to visit. I like the idea of the table too!
Brilliant idea! Now if I could just get my baby to stop eating chalk...
And how much fun would it be to trace the stick twig pig thingy shadow with chalk on that table!
What a great idea! Your little one must feel so important with her own table :-)
That is way cool! I have just started using the chalkboard paint, and have one project almost done (just need to hang it) and one in the works. I need to get my tukas in gear and hang my finished project, but I have a fear of nails and holes in walls. :(
I love this! I've wanted to do this - and now seeing how it turned out for you - I really want to do this!! :)
Another GREAT idea, brought to you by the brilliant Kristen. Man your husband is so lucky to have a creative wife like you!!!!! and we will leave it at that!
My daughter is in that same phase and I have been busy with Mr, magic eraser cleaning everything and giving many baths to a markered up toddler and her three year old sister!!
What a great idea, absolutely fabulous!!
I have your curtains but in a different color. You have fabulous taste!
I love the table! I made a framed chalkboard (22 inches x 65 inches) this spring and the kids love it!
Very similar to the PBK ones, but much cheaper! Congrats on your project it looks great.
Just discovered your blog and have enjoyed reading it today:) Your kids are adorable!
You, my friend are brilliant.
I've never even heard of chalkboard paint. This is the neatest idea ever though. I wish I still had a little one so I could borrow it.
Love the idea...once the sidewalk is covered in snow I may have to do something of the same for my little one!
Janis
That table looks great. We have a huge chalkboard in our kitchen that the previous owners put up. DH is in the process of repainting it and we decided to make it magnetic as well. I need a table though since my 3 1/2 year old still doesn't get the concept of only drawing on paper.
Awesome idea!
Hey... that's what I can do with his plain ol' table! Great idea!
I love your blog and have been reading it for a long, long, long time. I am finall getting time to add my own blogroll (instead of just being selfish about my own posts and such) and you are on the top of the list, fo' sure!
I love..."since concussions run in the family"
As always, your ideas are simply brilliant!
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