I have a few chalkboard posts, but it just occurred to me that it would have helped immensely if someone had spelled out the products and which is good for which use.  Each has their place, but I have used the wrong thing a time or 2, and it has cost me a little time to start over.

So.  Here is the Chalkboard skinny.

Chalkboard Vinyl Contact Paper.

I was really excited to find Vinyl Contact paper.  So, my first project was to make chalkboard label for mason jar lids.  Project Fail.  First of all, they were round, and the contact paper kept bubbling.  And it didn’t stick to the smooth metal as well as I was hoping.  I did, however, make labels (that were not round) for some glass jars and it worked really well.  Chalkboard contact paper is perfect for vinyl chalkboard letters or walls, glass, or anything else that you would use vinyl on.  Minus mason jar lids.

Chalkboard Latex Paint

Here is the deal.  I have had a love/hate relationship with this.  It worked wonders on my table I bought from Ikea for the kids playroom.  I used it only on the top of it, and it turned out great.  Problem is, that I used a roller that was not as smooth as it should have been.  It still looks fine, and no one but me would notice, but I wish the surface were smoother.  You could accomplish this by just using the chalkboard latex paint in a spray gun.  Spraying is the only way you can get a really smooth finish.  Then, because I liked that, I decided to paint some plastic lids to jars I bought at IKEA.  Project Fail.  It peeled right off the next day.  I was pretty skeptical as I was painting, so I only did one.  You need to use a plastic primer if you are going to use latex on plastic.  I know this. I am not sure why I thought chalkboard paint was any different.  I also painted some clipboards with the latex.  The nice part is that it peels off the metal in the morning, so you don’t need to tape it off.  Again, the texture was not as smooth as I was hoping.

Chalkboard Spray Paint

This is what I have decided is the most versatile.  You can spray paint metal (mason jar lids) and plastic (still use a plastic primer) and anything in between.  If you do it right, spraying will always give you the cleanest, smoothest finish.  So, my personal favorite chalkboard product is the spray paint.  There you have it.  And I feel at least semi-qualified to tell you that because I have used all the other products for multiple uses.