Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy
@scarymommy
Latest posts by Jill Smokler, AKA Scary Mommy (see all)
- The Disney Reveal - May 14, 2013
- Met My Match At Disney… - May 13, 2013
- Sunday’s Baltimore Sun - May 11, 2013
I can count the number of times on one hand that my children have actually played in the room we made their playroom two and a half years ago, when we moved into this house. In an effort to increase my own personal space, I dedicated last weekend to making the room a place that they actually want to spend time in, rather than sitting an inch away from wherever I happen to be.
Below is what the room looked like before. It was beige on beige on beige and no wonder nobody ever entered the room. (There are toys, by the way, you just can’t see them in the picture. It wasn’t that bad.)
I wanted to do something interesting on the big wall, and since we don’t have any magnetic surfaces in the house, I thought it would be fun to make a whole thing a giant magnet. The kids could hang their pictures, instead of finding them in the recycling bin, and we’d have a place to slap up holiday cards. A roller, a can of black magnetic paint and I’d be golden. Ten points for mommy!
Unfortunately, it was more like seven cans of paint and my sanity. The box claims it will take three coats, but that’s bullshit — nothing stuck on that wall after three coats. Six coats later, magnets finally do stick to the wall and it is pretty cool, but OMG, the process almost killed me.
The good news is that the kids do, indeed, want to play in their playroom now. The bad? They’re messing up my freaking masterpiece. But, the effort was worth it. What’s a weekend of painting in return for the beautiful sound of children playing happily… at a distance? Small price to pay.
If you want to try using magnetic paint yourself, here are a few things I learned the hard way…
• You have to stir it like crazy. Seriously – be prepared for a major bicep workout.
• Wear gloves unless you want semi-permanent black fingernails.
• Use excessive drop cloths. This paint drips so freaking much.
• You’ll need paint thinner to remove the splatters, because it splatters like you wouldn’t believe.
• It stinks. Open a window and blast a fan.
• Buy extra. You will need so much more than you think you do. The more you paint, the stronger it becomes.
Or, just buy a big magnet board. Yeah, that would work, too.
(But, then you wouldn’t have the right to yell “I spent a whole weekend painting this fucking room. You better go play in it, dammit!”)
{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
Jill! My experience with this stuff has been much the same. It is the bane of my existence. I feel like a complete mommy failure because everyone and their brother loves the stuff : (
Life with Kaishon recently posted..You can call me Becky or Library Spy. Either one is just fine.
I make Magically Magnetic Paint Additive that you mix with regular white primer paint. It works great and goes on easy. Here’s a link to an info page all about it.
Your link doesn’t work, David, I’d love to have it!
Never mind, it occurred to me to click on your name, and voila! Link to your site. Thanks!
I’m sorry. That link was cut short. It needed the letters ml on the end. Just use http://www.lyt.com. The name of the site is Magically magnetic Inc. We have all sorts of magnetic picture mounting and display products that I have made.
But, it looks amazing!!! I really do love it. And, you have way more patience than I.
NEVER. Not going to happen. If luck has it, my kids will hang around enough equally poor/unmotivated people that they never even HEAR of such a thing until they have kids!
I would, however, go for the “blackboard” paint so they can use chalk on the walls.
The blackboard paint itself is not too awful from what I recall but the chalk dust gets everywhere!!!!
A note about the blackboard paint: take the extra time to make the wall surface flat and smooth. Trust me. I layered the blackboard paint over the magnetic paint and both work as promised, but the texture of the wall impairs the magnetic and makes the chalkboard not as awesome as I wanted.
Wow, that looks great! Sorry it was such a bear.
Recovering Supermom recently posted..Celebrity Birthday Siblings
I also did a magnetic wall for my kids, and you are absolutely correct, it takes WAY more than suggested. Plus I was dumb enough to try the spray paint first. I painted over the magnetic wall with chalk board paint. The kids loved being allowed to “write on the walls”.
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My plan WAS to cover it with the chalkboard paint, but that went out the window after coat 5. Maybe someday I’ll add it, but the thought of chalk dust everywhere isn’t all that appealing right now.
Good instinct to forego the chalkboard paint. I used it on my boys’ closet doors and it just doesn’t look as cute as it does in the magazines. Never really cleans off completely either and the dust does get everywhere…plus bits of chalk…and erasers. Ugh.
Christina Baglivi Tinglof recently posted..Newborn Twins? Sure, I Can Handle That!
I’ll second that. The chalkboard paint is cute in the store and maybe not much of a nuisance on a very small scale, but I learned after doing a whole wall of raspberry chalkboard paint in my girls’ room that 1) it’s dull as hell, 2) it needed 2 1/2 coats, not 1, 3) you can wipe until the skin peels off your hands but it ain’t gonna fully get clean of whatever was written/drawn, and 3) that damn chalk dust is everywhere! Whenever these small people tell me they have nothing to do: Take your ass upstairs and play school.
Arnebya recently posted..Worldful Wednesday: Head Start Readiness
Thank God I made at least one decent decision over this fucking room.
Very cool Jill!
Nicole @MTDLBlog recently posted..Being a Mom is a Big Job {Listable Life}
This is one of those kinds of pictures that is perfect for Pinterest and screams that it is perfect for the ultimate play room…until I read your advice, er, warning. Giant magnet board seems like the perfect option!
Wendy recently posted..Who knew a bib could bring me to tears
It does look fabulous!
Desperately Erin recently posted..A Stroke Of Genius
Don’t forget to tech them to avoid playing in there when they get braces! (And you, when you get a pacemaker.) Now you can say they each have a magnetic personality …
The paint itself is not magnetic; it is metallic, making it a surface for the magnets themselves.
That is very cool!! I have been think about doing something like that in Liam’s room. But it wouldn’t be a wall that big. It would just be a portion of a wall, so despite your horror story, I might still try it!
Nicki (@NickiLynnM) recently posted..Six Word Fridays – FOUND
We just painted our spare room which will now be our daughters big girl room. She picked out the color and helped a little, until she got paint everywhere. We did this hoping that she will love her new room so much that she will actually sleep in it and not our bed….she better fucking love it.
You have confirmed my fear with that paint. It ain’t all it’s cracked up to be, unless you buy extra. I be they thin it out on purpose to make more money.
I bet a man came up with this idea first. Otherwise a women would have said, I ain’t painting a room 6 times, make it stronger!
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No kidding. And the box says “3X stronger than before!” I shudder to think of the poor mom would attempted this with the old version.
The old pre-mixed magnetic paint used to blow up while sitting in the closet. People would buy it, take it home and store it in a closet until they had time to do the painting. They would forget about it until one day they would hear a POP and open their closet to find magnetic paint all over the place. That’s why I make my magnetic paint additive a dry powder that you mix up fresh and easy any time you want it.
Aren’t there like people you can hire to do that stuff but still keep the right to yell…?
Jen recently posted..The Day the Children Learned a New Word
Seriously. I was attempting to do it on a budget, but I’m sure a professional would have done it in an hour or two. Of course, had I paid someone, I would have maintained the right to yell.
WOW! It turned out great!
Vanessa Jubis recently posted..Sitting with anger and compassion
That looks awesome! I want that in MY room.
Ashley Austrew recently posted..The nursery.
Been there done that, and the kid NEVER once played in that room unless I was in there with him. Never again. So kudos to you for sticking it through :-) Looks great, btw.
That is AWESOME. I’ve been trying to persuade the husband to give the toddler a chalkboard somewhere, somehow in the house (my suggestions: chalkboard paint or wallpaper) and he’s worried about his freaking walls. What about my sanity?
Alison recently posted..10 Tips to Move Your Blog and Not Tear Your Hair Out in the Process
this is awesome but thank you for your honesty that it’s not as easy as it looks!
Anna recently posted..At the Playground: Ocean View, Delaware
This is why I reached the GIANT fabric covered bulletin boards from my friend’s rental basement. All I would have to do is clean up the fabric and they would have fun fo hours… Oh wait, they are in my garage…. Still dirty… 18 months later….
What’s with the creepy clown pillow?
I love the room. It’s beautiful and “kid friendly.” I want a happy place like this in my home (sans clown pillow).
I love the clown pillow – it used to be in our family room and every one hates it but me. :)
You deserve a medal for attempting that project! I think I would have given up after coat #3.
Mamarific recently posted..Some Girls Have All the Beads
Love this project! The result looks great. The before and after is a good example of how a space can be transformed with some elbow grease and love!
Sugar Muse recently posted..Saying “no” without using the word “no”
I painted my daughter’s room with chalkboard paint last weekend. I was considering the magnetic kind, but it was a little pricey. Yours looks cool! But I might have taken the easy way out, after hearing your story. Good to know.
Mom Off Meth recently posted..My Freaky Eye
I love it. And huge kuddos to you for undertaking it! I did my girls bathroom 2 years ago and stripped the wallpaper off that had been on the walls for 35 years, that was fun, and then sanded and painted the walls. In the summer, in a house with no air condition. Let’s say it has turned me off from doing anymore projects for 2 years. But I really need to do a few rooms in our house because the wall paper is pretty 70′s in my house.UGH
More power to you and guilt them into using that great room you did for them.
Thank goodness we are not the only ones who initially bought the lie that only a few coats will do….try painting over the magnetic wall (so that it has a nice color instead of black)–MISTAKE!
P.S. Chuckled at the comment about finding art treasures in the recycling bin. Can’t tell you how many times that has happened to me.
I’m ‘designing’ a playroom for my two diva’s. Thank you for these tips. Scratching the ‘magnetic wall’ of the list now. Oh, and ‘designing’ should be used loosely here since it is mostly me looking at Ikea and Pinterest.
Tinne from Tantrums and Tomatoes recently posted..Happy happy birthday n°2
I thought the magnetic paint was a total waste of my time. Yes, it will hold a magnet, but slip a piece of paper between the wall & the magnet and it’s simply too much weight. WTF?
We have literally been there. I think we did 5 coats and it is BARELY magnetic. We did paint over it with the normal wall color, though, so that might have decreased it a bit. But, also, it blends into the room better which makes me happy.
aimee @ smilingmama recently posted..Dream Building
You are a good and energetic mom.
I would’ve just given the kids some magnets and told them to put them on Dad’s car. This is the lazy-ass mom way.
Rhana @ Dumb {Squared} recently posted..The Talk
I am inclined to yell obscenities and I haven’t even painted a wall. Do you know if they make magnet-infused play clothes in 3T?
Jeni recently posted..Love reincarnated
Hey, that looks great. Magnetic paint … I didn’t even know that such thing exists. I’ll not probably paint the whole wall, but I think that my kids will still love that! Thanks for the idea.
Zdenek recently posted..Sonic Smash Brothers
Tried it and holy shit, I gave up after about 4 coats. So, stuff sticks but only if it’s ultra magnetic. Letters and other such stick for like a second and then fall to the floor making the creating of words or sentences crazy frustrating. Plus certain letter stick better than others so now I have my kids creatively spelling things. Oh well, I mean do they really need “e” s? I think not. We’ll just substitute and rely on spell check, like everyone else.
Good advis, I’m sur!
“What’s a weekend of painting in return for the beautiful sound of children playing happily… at a distance?”
That does sound indeed like heaven – she said, trying to tune out the sounds of Kirby for Wii and the girls giving each other instructions on how to play and jump and stuff.
But magnetic paint? You brave, brave woman. It sounds awesome and I would totally do it if I wasn’t renting, and if I wasn’t so damn lazy.
Elisa recently posted..Recipe: all-fruit popsicles
I’ve never tried magnetic paint but have used the chalkboard paint with similar success. Yay, now the kids want to play in the treehouse because apparently a treehouse with a chalkboard is WAY cooler than a treehouse without!
Johanna recently posted..Boys Will Be Boys.
You are one cool Mom! I thought about both the chalk and magnetic paint. I’m so glad that I read this first. Neither are on my list anymore. : )
Cassie recently posted..Yet Another Choice
Look at you go with your DIY self. You totally win for going 7 coats. A lesser woman would have given up and said hey, it’s black and that’s the new decor. Love it!
Brittany recently posted..4 Steps to Reduce Debt
What is it they say? Build it and they will come; Remodel it with 75 coats of magnetic paint and they will spend all day there but mess everything up, too. Something like that… Congrats, it looks great!
Kim at Not My Mom’s Blog recently posted..World’s Best Awards? Eh.
I have used the chalkboard paint before… but… I painted the front of my refrigerator with it.
I wanted Alton Brown’s fridge from “Good Eats”
Magnetic Black Walls?… Not in a million years……… I shall leave that loveliness to you & I will just stick to my happy tub crayons.
You guys have successfully scared me away from EVER trying magnetic paint! I did consider doing a huge wall length magnetic strip at some point, similar to this- http://tinyurl.com/handygirlbacksplash using something like http://tinyurl.com/d7h2lfm or maybe I can source one that’s longer on a roll that would be seamless and make for an easier install.
Kudos to the OP for going the extra mile for your kids. Independent play is a GOOD thing. :)
Ohmygoodness, love this!
{Am totally and completely intimidated by the process, but love it nonetheless!}
Galit Breen recently posted..The Habit of Friendship
It looks fantastic! I thought this really was going to be a post about how you got some kind of magnetic paint poisoning… you know like lead paint poisoning. :) Glad to hear it all worked out in the end!
zeemaid recently posted..ULINX JEWELRY REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY
I had no idea there was magnetic paint! Very cool. Glad you’re still alive! :)
Motherhood on the Rocks recently posted..SERIOUS POTTY TRAINING TIME
I’ve thought about doing this so many times…I may not ever think of it again. But it does look awesome.
It looks to me like it was worth the effort. You are SUCH a rockstar Mom. And now you can use the old line my father loves, “Don’t say I never did anything for you…”
;)
Elaine recently posted..Play time
Pinterest makes it look so easy! ;o) Thanks for the tips. It looks fantastic AND fun!
Sarah recently posted..Puzzling
Well it looks fantastic… but I’m not putting that shit anywhere in my house. Magnets are for the front of the frig.
Jennifer recently posted..Kludgy Mom
WOW…it looks straight out of BH&G kids pages!!!! I did the chalkboard paint and that wasn’t so bad…I know how you feel about them messing up your “masterpiece”. Painted the oldest’s new room around february…It already needs touched up in spots and theres a big gouge in the one wall!! Dang kids….can’t live with them can’t live without them.
That looks awesome. I want to try one of those chalkboard walls…
the mama bird diaries recently posted..how long can you live without food and water in the dressing room of an athletic apparel store?
I am in love with magnetic paint! and chalkboard paint! and dry erase paint!
Love <3
Rachel – A Southern Fairytale recently posted..One Code = One Meal
I barely have enough time to scrapbook so I know I won’t be doing that project. Not gonna happen, but it looks cool!
Nicole Martel recently posted..July SFTIO Blog Hop
Wow, I think I had completely overlooked magnetic paint! It would be perfect in our basement/mancave/play area because we already painted the walls black over the original grotto walls (old house). I wouldn’t even MIND the multiple coats because I simply adore painting. Yes, really. Like I’m thinking about it and starting to salivate just at the thought—and I’m in bed, sick as a dog. THAT’S how much I love painting…
Cool idea. How about a chalkboard wall next?
This reminds me of the time I decided to glaze my kitchen. I was in so far over my head, and so close to disaster every step of the way. Calling people and saying, “I’m in way over my head!” every five minutes for sympathy and support.
Thanks for another fun post.
Great Idea! No, I can’t think of anything else to add, except: magnetic paint? What would happen to Magneto?
Marc recently posted..Sommer 2012
I’m tagging your awesome blog with a Versatile Blogger Award. I hope you’ll accept as I did when it was given to me. I just did a post on it so go to my blog for all the info. Cheers and keep blogging!
Teri
Snarkfest: http://teri-b.tumblr.com/post/28307429152/im-versatile-who-knew
This is perfect room for your kids. They can definitely enjoy and play on the room.
Willa Taley recently posted..Boost up you Ejaculation Volume Naturally
This is very cool! My kids aren’t young enough to appreciate this now but I think I could – with the right frame of mind, of course.
Denise Malloy recently posted..Exaggeration – It’s All in the Family
Make this magnetic AND a chalkboard by putting a coat (or two) of the chalkboard paint on top of it. A friend did this in her kitchen and it rocks! I just googled magnetic paint to figure out how I was going to copy her and came across your blog. Way to go! It looks great!
Thanks for the warning! No magnetic paint for me!
Shannon recently posted..Homemade Ice Cream Without an Ice Cream Maker!
It looks amazing at least you can be proud of the your great work every time you go there.
Also, I’ve always wanted to do chalkboard paint, but I have no idea what I’m procrastinating on. Probably that it’ll be as complicated as magnetic paint.
Marta recently posted..That Lil Bit of Prejudice
Wow. I can honestly say that I would never have made it through that project! It looks amazing, though. Go you!
Practical Parenting recently posted..Project Happy Week 31
Oh how I wish I found and read this site BEFORE I attempted painting one of our playroom walls with magnetic paint. Sites I read prior said you needed at least 4-5 coats and then 1 coat of chalkboard paint over that if you wanted a duo board. Of course I wanted a duo board!! The rustoleum magnetic paint has been a nightmare! It smells like a toxic dumpsite, gets sticky, gloppy and splatters everywhere! Magnets stick at this point, but not with a piece of paper under it. The whole idea was to be able to be able to put a picture up with a magnet. I honestly don’t know if I have it in me to buy more paint in order for it to really hold paper! I have lost my motivation and somehow wish it would just go away! I am seriously considering getting a face mask, and goggles on, sanding the wall down, vacuuming ferociously and then just doing a simple chalkboard paint wall. I’m also going to write the manufacturer with copies of my receipts and see if I can get my money back. The paint is a REAl FAILURE AND DISAPPOINTMENT! It doesn’t deliver as it says. You’re wall does look great and I hope your kids enjoy it into their college year and beyond! ;)
hi! CONGRATULATIONS for being able to do this!
I am from the Philippines and we don’t have magnetic paints here. What brand of magnetic paint did you use?
Oy, I just bought the supplies but am now reconsidering… FYI, when you do a chalkboard paint wall, you have to “season” the paint after it dries by rubbing chalk all over it lightly, and erasing it. After that, things will erase much more easily. Other things I’ve read say rare earth magnets stick much better (but can be dangerous for little kiddos — if they swallow more than one, they attract in the intestines leading to nasty things that require surgery). All in all I’m not sure it’s worth it — might go straight chalkboard and add a couple Ikea strips of metal for magnet play…
Can I ask what make of magnetic paint you used as there are several on the market and all seem to have different comments?
I was happy to find your web site as it gives me a chance to clear up some misconceptions about magnetic paint. I invented an easy to use and very successful magnetic paint additive. It can be added to any white primer paint and the paint stays white while you paint and after it dries. It is available on my web site at http://www.lyt.com. I will attempt to clarify some of your points.
1. You say, you have to stir it like crazy.
You must have purchased the quart cans at the hardware or paint store. It is premixed and sits on store shelves for long periods of time before you get it home. The magnetic materials in the paint sink to the bottom of the can and need to be scraped off the bottom and stirred into the paint. If they are not mixed enough, the magnetic particles stay on the bottom and don’t end up on the wall. Magnetic particles in the can do no food. You must get them on the wall.
My additive is a dry powder that mixes easily in five seconds with the paint, simply using a wooden paint stick. It is always necessary to stir the paint again before adding any more paint to the paint tray when painting to make sure the material is in suspension in the paint. That gets it on the wall. That goes for any magnetic paint. Stirring is important.
2. You say, wear gloves unless you want black semi-permanent black fingernails.
You must have been using an oil based product. I noticed later that you advised having paint thinner around for cleanups. A water based paint would not need paint thinner. It would clean up with a wet rag or soap and water. My magically Magnetic Paint Additive mixes with either an oil based white primer or your favorite Latex, water clean-up white primer. Clean-ups with a Latex paint are no problem if you don’t let them dry.
3. You say, use lots of drop cloths because this stuff drips a lot. Well, that has a lot to do with the painter and how they paint. It could be that you didn’t have the magnetic paint mixed up well enough. If it wasn’t, the magnetic materials might still have been stuck on the bottom of the can and you would have only been painting paint only on the wall. That would also effect the outcome of the job. remember, magnetic particles need to end up on the wall, not in the cans. The premixed magnetic paints also have alcohol added to allow them to mix more quickly in the paint. We make our additive a dry powder so it mixes easily, quickly and stays mixed. The other brands use a thinner paint and the particles can settle out more easily and you end up painting just a thin paint on the wall. Thin paint splatters and drips more easily. With Magically Magnetic Paint Additive, you choose the primer to use so choose the brand you like.
It is also best to use a 1/4 inch thick foam roller cover to paint magnetic paint. It helps to make the finished job as smooth as possible. Any magnetic paint will result in a wall with a slight texture. The texture comes from the magnetic particles in the paint. They don’t dissolve in the paint. They only mix with the paint. A fiber roller with the ready-mixed magnetic paint will result in more splatters as the fiber roller will soak up more paint and the paint is thinner so it splatters more.
4. You say, it stinks.
Again, the pre-mixed brands use thinners in their paint and it is often an oil based paint. For both reasons, it is better to use Magically Magnetic Paint Additive. You can mix it with your time tested favorite white primer paint. Oh, primer paint is also cheaper than finish paint so if you are going to be doing three of four coats of the magnetic paint, it only makes sense to use the primer to mix with the magnetic materials. Finish with your choice of color and brand of latex finish paint. Since you are using our Magically Magnetic paint mixed with a white primer, it will cover nicely with any color finish paint. Primer is also formulated to stick best to what ever is already on your wall and to have your finish paint stick best to it.
5. Finally, you say, buy plenty, you will need extra.
Not necessary. You will find a (coverage link) on our site that will tell you exactly how much you will need for as many coats as you want. I would plan on three coats. How many coats also depends on what kind of use you plan to give the wall and what kind of magnets you plan to use. Sheet magnets like those thin flat advertisement magnets we all get in the mail work very well on magnetic paint. Rare Earth magnets also work well. You may find that some of the magnets that you already have that stick well to solid steel might not work well on a magnetic paint wall. Magnetic paint only adds a very thin coat of magnetically attractive particles to the wall. It’s not magic and it doesn’t turn a plaster wall to steel. We have all kinds of magnets and magnet products like photo and art frames as well as magnetic clips and magnetic tape that all work very well on magnetic paint.
Visit our site at http://www.lyt.com to see for yourself what we make and sell and if you have questions, call us and ask your questions to a real live and helpful person. Probably me.
Thank you,
David B. Lytle
I loved your post. I am searching the web for info on magnetic paint and just laughed out loud reading your very honest description of how this all went down. Thanks!
Heather @GeminiRed Creations recently posted..Sunday Spotlight…The Southern Charm Co.
Candy Magnetic Paint is much much strong, no need 6 coats, only 3 coats. It is made in Malaysia so to ship nearby countries is far and easy. email us ask@candypaintasia.com for details