Con-Tact Brand Self-Adhesive Chalkboard Liner, 18-Inch by 6-Feet

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Other reviewers have commented that this is nothing but black contact paper. This is true - it IS black contact paper. When you first take it out of the package, you feel it and think that it feels NOTHING like a chalkboard and that there is NO WAY ON EARTH that it is going to take chalk well. Disappointment and resentment may well up inside you. But take heart! This stuff is actually fantastic, and takes chalk like a CHARM.



There are a couple of secrets to getting it to work just like a regular chalkboard. The first is quite intuitive: make sure you apply it carefully to a very smooth surface. I don't think a textured wall will work well. Alas, I have quite textured walls in my house, and I wanted to use it as wallpaper for a small section of my daughter's room. Well, I scrapped that idea and applied it to a large piece of masonite board (you know, the stuff that is often used for pegboard, but without the rows of holes). This masonite board (Hardboard Masonite Panel- 18x24x1/8 Inch) is VERY smooth on both sides (although the stuff you get at the hardware store is often very rough and fiberous on the other side). Proper application should also include taking the time to remove any bubbles that arise under the surface; the paper is slightly repositionable, or you can use the side of a credit card or ever-popular and-extraordinarily-useful-for-all-sorts-of-things scraper such as Nylon Pan Scrapers (Set of 2), to gently (GENTLY!) rub the bubbles out.



The second secret is less intuitive. When you first try to draw on the stuff with chalk, it will seem like it is not working at all. The chalk might barely show up, or it may not draw smoothly. More disappointment and resentment may flood you. HOWEVER, most chalkboards come with instructions that say to color (with chalk, obviously) all over the board and then erase it before the first time you try to use it "for real". Do this! Rub with the side of the chalk (evenly and lightly will do it) all over the board - and then erase it using a regular felt chalkboard eraser like the Alex Felt Chalk Board Eraser with Wooden Grip, DRY paper towel, or similar. For reasons I cannot explain, this makes chalkboards "take" the chalk much more smoothly. You may have to repeat this step one more time, but after this, I think you will find that the chalkboard paper does in fact work JUST LIKE a REAL CHALKBOARD!! Yay! (They call this step "curing" the chalkboard, and it is necessary for ALL chalkboards, if you really want to prep the surface well - go ahead, google "curing chalkboard" and see what you get!)



Your chalkboard paper should now work beautifully. Mine works with all sorts of colored chalks, such as Colored Chalk (16), or even Colored Drawing Chalk 24-Stick Pack, or similar. Even regular sidewalk chalk, like Melissa & Doug 10 Jumbo Triangular Chalk Sticks.



Or, if your chalkboard is for your child(ren), surprise him/her/them with I Can Draw People (Usborne Playtime), I Can Draw Animals (Kid Kits), or similar kits from Usborne, which include a nifty instruction book and jumbo colored chalks.



So, to sum up, for perfect results from your chalkboard contact paper:



1) Apply it carefully to a very smooth surface, being sure to get the bubbles out.

2) Cure it by coloring it all over with the side of a piece of chalk and then erasing it, two times, with a DRY eraser.



Now ENJOY! After this, I would be very surprised to hear that you were not completely satisfied with the product. (And I do NOT work for the company that sells it, either!) :-)



X*X*X*X* EDITED REVIEW JANUARY 23, 2012 X*X*X*X*X



Thank you everyone for your ever-so-kind comments about my review. I am so glad that you have found it helpful over the past year and I hope that the review continues to be of assistance in the future. As of now, our chalkboard is still "up and running" so to speak, and although it is a little the worse for the wear (doesn't erase quite as well as it once did, has some spots that are difficult to write on) it is still a source of amusement and joy to my now-six-year-old. It gets heavy use with a variety of chalks, and has occasionally been misused with crayons, but it has held up very well. I still highly recommend it, at least for the use to which I have put it - a child's chalkboard.



I am writing this revision also to let future readers know that I will not be following the comments on this review anymore as of now. I love knowing that my words have been helpful, and hope they continue to be so. Good luck with whatever chalkboard you decide to go with!



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