» magazine holder
There are a variety of options out there and most will work great. I would avoid the lighter weight ones since you’ll want this to last for a while once you’ve spend some time on the project. I used these from the Container Store.

» magazine
Any magazine or catalog will do. Only 5-6 pages are needed for this project per magazine holder.

» glue stick
I used Elmer’s classroom glue stick that goes on purple and dries clear.

» hot glue & glue gun
low temp glue is safer and more than enough for a project like this

» tools used
scissors
sharpie
ruler
wax paper to cover the work surface

tear and prepare
Each “roll” on the finished magazine holder represents 1/4 of a page from the magazine. The width of each page is an inch or so wider than the magazine holder spine, allowing room to trim the edges (step 4).  I first tear out the full page and then cut it into quarters. Remember that you will only see about a quarter inch of the page in the end, so make sure you are happy with the content on about the last half inch of each page. If you want a certain area to be visible, trim the page shorter. You can vary the length by an inch or so and the roll will still have the same diameter.

roll and glue
start the roll as tightly as possible (usually 2-3 folds make a good start for the rolling) and then roll it until there is bout half an inch left. This is the only tricky part. While making sure it doesn’t come unrolled, apply glue from the gluestick long the edge (dashed line in above photo)

smooth the edge
Using your fingers, smooth the cut edge onto the roll. The glue dries clear. so don’t worry if it gets a little messy at this stage.

trim the ends
Trim each end of the glued roll to get rid of the torn and uneven edges. I held my first roll up to the spine of the magazine holder and marked it with the sharpie to determine the length I wanted. I used this first roll as a template for the length of the rest of the rolls. Sharp scissors work best for this.

hot glue
Once the glue gun is heated up, apply a thin line of glue along the seam of the roll and quickly apply the roll to the spine of the holder. Hot glue can get a bit messy, but luckily the stray pieces of glue usually have a way of cleaning up once dry and not ruining anything. Hot glue is your friend! If it squeezes out a litte behind the roll you won’t notice it once you add more.

» hooks
Most of mine are from Anthropologie collected over the years, but any variety of hooks in any color finish will do.

» spray primer
Use white primer for lighter top color and grey for deeper colors. I used white for my bright yellow paint.

» spray paint
One can was more than enough for this project.

» screws & anchors
Make sure they fit through the holes in your hooks and choose a style that matches your hooks.

» vinegar

» tools used
hammer
drill
screwdriver (flathead)
level
pencil
measuring tape
mask & goggles (spray paint is great but yucky)

prepare the hooks
If your hooks are new, rinsing them in vinegar will remove any oily residue. This is a neat trick I learned from the helpful folks at my local hardware store. Make sure you rinse them in water afterwards and allow them to completely dry before the next step.

prime the hooks
Following the directions on the can of spray primer, coat the hooks on all sides with one or two thin coats of primer. I allowed mine to dry about 2 minutes between coats and just used 2 coats. I also primed the screws I was going to use to hang the hooks by screwing them into a flat piece of cardboard so the ends would all face up and be easy to paint.

paint the hooks
Again, directions are your friend as they vary for different brands of paint and the local climate. Also paint your screws with the same paint. I used 2 coats spaced a few minutes apart, let them dry overnight and then 2 more coats.

hang the hooks
Once the hooks are FULLY dry, use your best measuring and placement methods to decide where you want your hooks on the wall. I spaced mine about a foot apart and staggered the height to intentionally look irregular. If your hooks are all the same style it might look better to space them out exactly. Totally up to you! Be sure to use wall anchors if you are not drilling into the studs.

touchups
As careful as I thought I was being while screwing the hooks onto the wall, I did end up stripping some of the yellow paint from the screw heads. Spray some of your colored paint into a small plastic cup and (carefully) apply a few thin layers over the screw heads with a brush or cotton swab. Remember, spray paint is really thin and stains almost anything, so be careful not to drip any paint in unwanted places. You can see in the above photo that the paint still doesn’t 100% cover the screw, but you have to be really really close to tell.

» primer
It’s always important to prime under darker paints, and especially important with chalkboard paint. There are magnetic primers available as well, but I’ve heard they take several coats and even then aren’t as magnetic as you might want. I stuck with a grey latex primer shown here.

» chalkboard paint
As far as I know, Rust-oleum is the only brand that makes a tintable base. There are about 15 colors available and you need to have it mixed at the paint counter. I used about 80% of the can for my wall that’s only about 4 feet by 10 feet. I used 4 coats of the coffee color which came out a richer brown than shown on the website and packaging.

» foam paint roller
This is important! You want a very smooth finish and the foam roller is the way to go. Since my wall was only four feet wide, I used a smaller sized roller which made it easier to get close to the edges and blend in with the edging paint strokes. The roller should say something like “very smooth finish” on the packaging. I used one for the primer and a second one for the chalkboard paint.

» chalk
You won’t need this until your paint is fully dry, but I suggest buying a slightly nicer “artsy” chalk to use instead of the more dense Crayola chalkboard chalk. The nicer chalk will feel lighter weight and will make a bit more dust, but it erases a LOT easier than the school-type chalk used on classroom chalkboards.

» general painting supplies
sandpaper and spackle
drop cloth
paint tray
edger or brush for edging

Make sure your wall is clean and fill in any holes or cracks with spackle and allow it to dry fully before priming. If I was starting over with the project I would have taken the time to sand the entire wall down before painting. I thought my wall was really smooth to start with, but even the slightest texture means it will be harder to erase your chalk, so try to start with as smooth of a wall as possible.

Follow the directions on the can of primer. You should only need one coat of primer. Make sure your edges are neat since a messy primer edge will make a clean painted edge more difficult. Allow your primer to fully dry before painting. I waited an extra hour from what the directions suggested just to be sure.

Now here’s the fun part! Chalkboard paint behaves pretty much like regular latex paint, but you’ll notice some differences. Even when well mixed it’s a little gritty and runny at the same time. I didn’t want any roller edges to show on the finished wall, so I was really careful when applying the paint. I let it dry 2 hours between coats and ended up needing 4 coats total to fully cover the primer and achieve a nice, rich, even brown color. I was a bit worried that the finish would be uneven after the first two coats, but the end result is very even and I can’t see any roller edges or uneven distribution of paint. Have patience and make sure you don’t apply the paint too thickly.

Tips for Writing & Erasing
The directions on the chalkboard paint suggest allowing the paint to dry for 72 hours before using chalk on the wall. Again, I waited an extra day since it was a bit damp outside during this project. Here’s the biggest tip I learned after almost making a big mistake…Do NOT “condition” the entire wall by rubbing the chalk sideways over the entire painted surface and then erasing. It made sense that it might help with future erasing and prevent the writing from showing through when erased, but it really doesn’t. I started at the top of the wall and after about 2 inches of “conditioning” I not only had chalk dust everywhere, but I had a cloudy brown wall.

Since this wall is in the hallway dividing the kitchen from the living room I still wanted it to look like a nice rich brown wall. I stopped rubbing the chalk on the paint and decided to try just writing and erasing. It worked just fine. We only use about 20% of the wall for messages/lists/etc. so we let this part look a little cloudy from the erasing history and keep the rest of it cleaner. I realize the point of the wall is to use it (and we do!) but I wanted to maintain some degree of cleanliness to the wall as well. Yes, I’m a Virgo.

If you *really* want the wall to look clean, you can wipe it down with a damp sponge and most of the chalk residue will disappear. It may take a few swipes of the sponge depending on how much you need to erase. I only break out the sponge about every other month since overwashing the wall is not good for the paint finish.

frame »
Any frame will do. I had these red IKEA frames already in the kitchen leaning against the window  to block out the direct sunlight so I went with what I had. You can go in so many different directions with your frame and artwork choice. I slid cork contact paper into the frames with the intention of adding something more interesting later, but still haven’t gotten around to changing the cork.

magnets »
You’ll need one “super strong” magnet to glue to the frame and then a second magnet that you’ll use to hold the recipe to the first magnet. I used a second strong magnet for the “top” magnet since I had them leftover from another project (making glass domed magnets). You may need to test out a variety of top magnets to make sure they are strong enough to hold a sheet of paper.

glue »
I’ve tried several different glues while working with magnets over the years and found that silicone sealer works the best. It’s a big stinky so use in a well ventilated area, but it dries clear, works on just about any surface, has a strong hold and is easy to find at your hardware store.

gluing the “bottom” magnet
Before you glue the super strong magnet to your frame, make sure that the non-glued end that will face up is attracted to your “top” magnet and not repelled by it.

Then add a dab of glue to the magnet and position it on the frame (with the frame on a flat surface). Let it dry overnight before you place the frame in an upright position or add the top magnet. If it’s not completely dry, the top magnet will rip the bottom magnet from the frame.

When the glue is fully dry, you can sandwich a recipe between the magnets and you’re good to go. I like using 2 of the super strong magnets since my recipes are in plastic protectors and therefore a little heavier than just a sheet of paper.

My frame leans on the window ledge in my kitchen above where I do most of my prep work so it’s always easy for me to look up and refer to the recipe when needed. You can put your frame almost anywhere that works for you. When not in use, I sometimes flip the frame around 180 degrees to hide the magnets from view.