In case you havent browsed through any home decorating catalogues lately, heres a newsflash: chalkboards are hot. Leaf through high-end home catalogues and youre likely to see the classic black erasable surfaces cropping up on everything from flower pots to storage baskets. Chalkboard surfaces offer many benefits. They allow homeowners to personalize their homes, furnishings, and accessories, to decorate with wordsfrom the mundane to the inspirational, and to change their minds and decordaily!

Although chalkboards in their many forms can be found in stores and catalogues, a much more cost-effective option is to purchase a can of chalkboard paint and create your own one-of-a-kind chalkboard surfaces. Two coats of chalkboard paint will turn ordinary objects and spaces into unique masterpieces. Colored chalk allows you to have even more fun with your chalkboard creations. Here are twelve creative ways to use chalkboard paint throughout your home:

In the Dining Room: Apply two coats of chalkboard paint to the surface of your dining table. Imagine the possibilities: you can draw on a faux tablecloth, draw unique seasonal or celebrational placemats or place cards, or write a question in the center of the table each night to use as a dinnertime conversation starter. If you run out of topics, look to the internet for inspiration; a number of websites offer free lists of family-friendly conversation starters.

Another dining room option is to paint a piece of foam core board with two coats of chalkboard paint and frame it in an ornate thrift store frame. Hang it in the dining room or breakfast nook, where it can display the menu for a dinner party or a food-related message or phrase such as Eat, Drink, and Be Merry, Mangia!, or Bon Appetite.

In the Kitchen: Disguise an outdated refrigerator with a few coats of chalkboard paint. Scribble shopping lists and phone messages directly on the fridge, or write affirmations to keep yourself on track with diet and health changes.

Cant afford a new tile or granite backsplash? Create your own dramatic backsplash with chalkboard paint. Decorate it with faux tiles, kitchen-themed words or images, or a homemade mural.

If your kitchen cabinet doors have seen better days, consider painting the center section of a few doors with chalkboard paint, allowing the decorative trim to frame the chalkboard. Draw pictures of the contents on the front of the cabinet (or enlist the help of an artistic friend to draw the contents for you!)

In Kids Bedrooms: Add a chair rail to the wall and paint the lower half of the wall with chalkboard paint. Kids can draw directly on the walls to create their own wallpaper. Chalkboard paint allows your child to change his or her room theme over time. Barney can yield to Bratz when the time comes!

Twelve Creative Uses for Chalkboard Paint in Your Home - Page 2