Chalkboard Wall Calendar How-To

  

Mark came up with this great idea for our laundry room. He painted one whole wall with black chalkboard paint (you can get it at Home Depot or Lowes). Then we measured out space for twelve boxes, divided them, and created a 2014 calendar. We're really happy with how well it worked. If you've got a good wall in your house, I highly recommend it as a fun way to keep your family's activities all organized.

Here's what you'll need…
1 can black chalkboard paint (or more depending on the size of your wall)
paint roller and paint brush
large ruler and/or yard stick and/or tape measurer
pencil
chalk line (optional)
chalk pens

First paint the wall and allow it to dry. Follow the instructions on the can for how long you need to wait before using chalk on the wall. Our paint said to allow the paint to cure on the wall for at least three days before using chalk.

I used some square pieces of paper (mine were 12 inches by 12 inches, but you can use whatever size works for you) to lay out the approximate placement for each month on the wall before beginning exact measurements.

I then measured down from the ceiling to 2 inches above my top left paper placement. Mark helped me to snap a chalkline across the entire wall at that height. We used a level to make sure the line was perfectly straight. If you don't have a level, you could measure down in about three different spots across your wall and "connect the dots" using your ruler or tape measurer to create a straight line.

We did two more chalk lines at 18 inches below the first line, then 18 inches below the second line. Our layout is three rows of four months. You could arrange any way you like, chose to do only one month, or three or four months at a time.

Once you have the reference lines, you can start measuring to create squares. I created four 12-inch by 12-inch squares (each 4 inches apart horizontally) across the first row.

Using a pencil, in the first square, measure down 1 inch (this creates the line for labeling the days of the week) and draw a horizontal line in the box. From this line, measure to the very bottom line so that the "0" of the tape measurer is at this line and the "15" is at the bottom line of the box. Mark off points at "3," "6," "9," and "12." Draw horizontal lines at each of these points. This gives you 5 evenly spaced rows. Use a level or a T-square to make sure that your lines are straight and level.

    

Next use the same process to create seven even columns within the box. Place the "0" on the far left vertical line and the "14" on the far right line. Mark off points every 2 inches and draw vertical lines at each (again using a T-square or level to keep lines straight). This will give you seven columns.

You've now got your first month created! Now you can trace over the pencil lines with a chalk pen (I used a wide chisel pen for the boarder and a thinner chalk pen for the interior lines, text, and numbers). 

Now repeat the process for each month. Once you've got the first one, you can use the lines as guides for the following squares. Continue using a T-square or level to keep lines straight and parallel throughout the process. I drew each month in pencil first, then traced over with chalk pen. The great thing about chalk pens is that if you make a mistake, you can simple erase with a wet towel and start again!

When the whole calendar was complete, I began adding events with different colored chalk pens. Create away! Have fun!