DIY Home Decor Projects
Chalkboard Houses
Have you ever strolled through the home decor section of Target and dreamed of a shopping spree with a bottomless budget?! Honestly, what mama hasn’t! But I’m here to say, you CAN have the dream home…for less!! And these adorable Chalkboard Houses are the first step in that direction.
Easy home decor projects are a great way to afford the look you want, for a price you’ll love! Especially if you’re loving the industrial or farmhouse trend, diy is the way to go!
These Chalkboard Houses were incredibly easy and inexpensive! And I LOVE the simple clean lines and black color that pops with my other neutral decor. I’m also a sucker for chalkboards so these were a double win!
What You’ll Need To Make Your Own:
- 4×4 Post
- Chalkboard Paint (different from chalk paint)
- Foam Brushes
- Wood Stain (optional)
- Lacquer (optional)
- Table Saw
- Sand Paper
First you’ll want to head over to your local lumber yard and grab a 4×4. If that’s got you a little nervous, don’t freak out! It sounds scary, but I promise it’s not.
You may also want to grab some chalkboard paint (this is different from chalk paint, so be sure you get the kind that can be written on with chalk once applied).
You’ll notice in the pictures, that I also kept some of my houses a natural wood color. If you’d also like variance in your houses, you can grab some wood stain and lacquer for this project as well!
The saw, sand paper, and brushes you may already have on hand. If not, you can grab them at the hardware or craft store. For this easy diy home decor project, a foam brush works best because a bristle brush will leave paint streaks that don’t work well with a chalkboard finish.
Here’s How To Do It!
So it’s possible to do this however you want, and make them unique. But, I’ll give you a run down of exactly how I made mine and you can adjust however necessary or desired.
1. Cut and Sand the Blocks
I wanted two different sets, one in chalkboard and one in wood stain. So, I sent the hubs out to the garage with these instructions. I wanted the houses to be 3, 4, 5, and 6 inches tall not counting the roof portion.
This is how he describes his process, “I cut the flat bottom, then measured the 3/4/5/6 inches up the side and made a 45 degree cut from that spot. Then I traced the mark straight across to the other side where I cut another 45.”
It’s a little difficult to understand, but I’m not sure how to better describe it. So, if you’re stumped, leave a comment and we will work through it together!! 😀
(I also had him cut three blocks for me too, which you’ll see in the pictures below. They were 4in, 4in, and 8in long. If you’re unable or unsure of cutting the peaks, this is a great option that turned out just as beautiful!)
(The long board on the bottom was not used for the chalkboard houses and will make an appearance in a future easy diy home decor post. So stay tuned for that!)
Once they’re cut, run over them with sand paper. You’ll want your surface to be smooth so it’s easy to write on after the paint is applied. I also sanded the edges of mine to make them look less harsh and more worn.
Pro Tip: if the temperature of where you’re storing/cutting your 4×4 is colder than where you will be painting and finishing them, your chalkboard houses may crack after cutting. If they do, don’t throw in the towel and scrap the project. Give them some time to warm up or dry out and the cracks should close up. Mine had HUGE cracks right through the roof of each one! But by the time I got around to painting them, you would have never known they were there.
(I always keep a cup of coffee nearby! Can you spot it?!)
2. Time for Paint (and Stain)
Once your chalkboard houses are smooth, wipe off any sand dust with a cloth, and follow the preparation guide on your chalkboard paint or stain can.
For my chalkboard paint, I was required to do a minimum of two coats, four hours a part. I didn’t prime mine beforehand, so I ended up doing three coats and was very happy with how it turned out.
This is after my first coat of chalkboard paint. The more coats you apply, the less the wood grain will show through.
P.S. Isn’t that clock in the background AMAZING!!! Thanks to my sis for a fabulous Christmas gift! Anyone interested in seeing what I do with it? Leave a comment below!
This is only one coat of Minwax Early American 230 stain from Lowe’s.
You may want to do a clear lacquer coat after the stain has dried. But, that’s up to your own preference. I did a coat on mine because my little ones manage to spill food EVERYWHERE! So we prepare for worst case scenarios in this house.
Whether you are painting or staining your chalkboard houses, definitely follow the application instructions closely!
Pro Tip: I used glass mugs to paint my chalkboard houses on. This helped keep the paint off the table, and allowed them to dry without getting stuck to newspaper. Plus, the paint is easily removed from the glass, so I didn’t have to be super careful. (Sleep deprivation deadens your senses, and excessive coffee consumption makes your hands jittery!)
Make That House a Home!
Once you’re chalkboard houses have cured for the appropriate amount of time (my paint can said to wait seven days before writing on), you can get creative with this easy diy home decor and start making them your own!
Pro Tip: you will want to “season” your chalkboard houses by rubbing the long side of a piece of chalk over the whole surface. Then wipe the loose dust off with a dry cloth or tissue. There should still be a layer of dust that sticks to the houses. That layer is necessary to make sure that you can wipe off any writing or drawing you do on the chalkboard house. You can wipe clean your chalkboard house with a damp rag to use as a black matte decor piece. But if you want to write on them (without making the message permanent) again, you’ll need to “season” them again.
While they look stunning in just a matte black finish, you can also add a little creativity with chalk.
Remember how I said the blocks turned out pretty amazing too? Well, it wasn’t a lie! I used a chalk pen to write Bible verses on these blocks and topped them off with white pillar candles!!
What Do You Think?
Didn’t I tell you it was possible to have beautiful home decor on a budget! I was so excited with how these adorable chalkboard houses turned out. Plus, you can get so many out of one 4×4! There will definitely be a Tablescape with these on the Instagram feed in the near future! Or you can make a batch to give out as gifts!
These are, by far, one of my favorite easy DIY home decor projects! Right up there with my Farmhouse Clipboard Frames and Mod Podge Table. Hopefully you’ll enjoy them as well!
If you have any questions or an easy DIY home decor project request, let me know in the comments below!
To get more involved in the This Growing Home community, and to see future social media posts on how I’ll style these chalkboard houses, check out and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter
Oh my goodness, these are GORGEOUS! I love everything about them. Especially the square ones. When you mentioned just doing squares I thought they might look boring, but writing verses on them is genius. They would perfect on a desk with motivational quotes or information we want to remember but that we don’t want to look boring. I definitely need some chalkboard houses in my home!