Protect all your hard work and preserve chalkboard drawings to make them permanent!
Who wants to preserve chalkboard drawings and learn how to preserve chalk art? I am kind of ridiculously excited about today’s post, friends. I did a ton of research and experimentation on this and I’m so happy with the results.
It answers a question that I think a lot of people have but there just wasn’t a good definitive answer out there…until now!
And that question is, “Cassie, I spent a ton of time on this chalkboard drawing that I have hanging in my kitchen and I would be heartbroken if someone smudged it or erased it and I had to start over, is there any way to preserve my chalkboard drawing and make it permanent?
Can I learn how to make chalk stay un-smudged? Well yes! Now there is!
Chalkboard drawings have been trendy for quite a while now and I personally don’t see them going anywhere soon precisely because they’re flexible and fun and you can change them up.
That might kind of make you wonder why this post on how to preserve chalkboard drawings is even necessary if the whole point of chalkboards is that you can erase them.
Well, imagine you made a chalkboard seating chart for your wedding and you spent hours and hours on it and you want to save it as a memento.
Or suppose you made one of these cute 4th of July chalkboard stars; it’s star shaped and has red, white, and blue accents, I think the likelihood that I’ll ever want to write anything besides, “Happy 4th of July” on it are fairly low. Or even something like my front door welcome chalkboard. It turned out super cute and I don’t really want to redo it.
Well, you say, “Why don’t you just use one of those chalk markers, Cass?” (You can call me Cass, we’re friends!)
Ugh. Well, the answer is that while they don’t smudge off, they also DON’T LOOK LIKE CHALK. I mean besides being white. They don’t have the same texture as real chalk at all. So they’re fine if you like them, but it’s a different look. And it’s not chalky.
What we want is to figure out how to how to seal chalk art and how to seal chalk writing!
So, here’s what I tried and tested and what I came up with to preserve and protect those beautiful chalkboard drawings you spent hours on! Let me know if you try it!
Protect and Preserve Chalkboard Drawings
I knew I definitely wanted to use some kind of spray when I figured out how to preserve chalk art because anything you brush onto a surface would surely disturb and smudge your hard work. So I bought or got out the following things to try:
(Cute mini chalkboards available here.)
And the results were surprising!
I could go on about this for an hour but I’ll try to keep it brief.
First up was the workable fixative which is what we used in art class in college. It protects drawings from smudging too much but you can still draw on top of it.
Unfortunately, while it reduced chalk smudging, it still smudged. So I kept going.
Next I tried the Acrylic Clear Coat. Disaster. Avoid. It ate away at the chalk AND made the chalkboard shiny. No thank you.
Moving on, matte spray Mod Podge? How did I not know such a thing existed?! My main objection to Mod Podge has always been the brush strokes so a spray formula is awesome.
I will definitely be using this for other projects in the future. That being said, it was ok, but it left the chalk spotty and it also smudged. 
And the results are in…here’s what to use to protect and preserve chalkboard drawings…
The winner, ding ding ding! Hairspray! I thought of trying this when I remembered that we would sometimes use hairspray on drawings in college when we ran out of fixative.
And hairspray has the added bonus of being cheap, something you might already have at home and it’s not toxic so you can spray it inside!
Want to know how to make your chalk drawings permanent? Ok, here’s how you do it…
First, it’s important to know that not all hairspray is created equal. I tried several different brands.
This one was my favorite but I also had success with Pantene Alcohol Free “Air Spray”. However this was a total disaster.
So, I believe that your hairspray needs to be:
- -Aerosol
- -The first or second ingredient should be water, not alcohol. Alcohol free is great.
- -Free of silicones (that includes ingredients like dimethicone or trimethicone)
*I obviously didn’t try every brand of hairspray out there but this is my best guess as to what made the good ones work. If you’re using a different brand, try it out on a sample drawing first! *
To make your chalk drawings permanent, lay your chalkboard out and carefully spray with a THIN even coat of hairspray from AT LEAST 10 inches away.
Make sure you entirely cover the surface. The aerosol is important because it sprays small even droplets.
A pump bottle will be less even and more likely to drip or leave marks. You really really really don’t want drips or big droplets of hairspray.
Secondly, DON’T PANIC at first. It will probably look like the chalk is disappearing because the hairspray makes it wet. But seriously, don’t freak out.
Wait 10-15 minutes for the hairspray to fully dry and during that time, do not touch your chalkboard. You’ll be amazed to see your drawing re-appear as the hairspray dries!
When the hairspray is completely dry, your drawing is protected.
However with all of the methods that I tried, the protective sprays pretty much obliterated the whitish smudgy background that we all love about chalkboards.
To bring that smudgy background back, rub the side of a piece of chalk all over your chalkboard and rub it in with a tissue.
That will give the background that nice chalky smudgy texture but it won’t disturb your original drawing.
And that’s it! You’re done!
What if you want to learn how to preserve chalk art but still have and part of it erase-able?
Draw the permanent part first, follow this method to protect it and then proceed to draw on the rest of the chalkboard like you usually would right on top of the hairspray! That part will still erase like normal!
(A note, if anyone’s curious since we’re using a water-based hairspray, I tried wiping it off with a damp rag. With a bit of vigorous scrubbing, the drawing was fainter but it did not come off immediately, so this method is not easily reversible.)
Learn how to preserve and protect your chalkboard drawings and keep them from smudging! Tips & Tricks for preserving chalkboard drawings As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.How To Preserve Chalkboard Drawings
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Josephine says
Hi, another query! May I ask why do you insist in alchohol free spray? Is there any reason apart from the fact that it is flammable?
Cassie May says
Hi! I know it’s a long post, but the brand I tried that did have alcohol in it did not work as well at all to protect the art without smudging or erasing it. That seemed to be the main ingredient difference between the one that worked and the one that didn’t. So I hypothesize alcohol free is the way to go. 🙂
Josephine says
Ok then I think it’s better to go with alchohol free. Thank you so much for patiently replying. Whatever works I will try and let you know. Thank you once again.
Josephine says
Hi, thank you so much for the informative article. However, my problem is different. My work in on a black chart and not on board. I wish i could have my work forever. Will this hairspray techique work?
Cassie May says
Hi! It depends on what the black chart is made of. If it’s paper, it may absorb the spray too much. I recommend testing on a scrap of the same material before doing it to your work of art!
Josephine says
Thank you i will try!
Josephine says
Hey,
I was the one who asked you about using this trick on a black chart (chart paper). I am so glad it worked out successfully. Also i couldnt buy a non alcoholic one. So purchased one with alchohol content. However, it set perfect just like you told. Thanks a ton! Just wanted to tell you!
Antonio Galli says
Thank you so much for this! My 4 year old daughter drew a family portrait with chalk while on vacation that I fell in love with for its basquiat type style and creativity. My wife suggested preserving it with hairspray and I was doubtful till I read this and it worked. I new get to keep my favorite painting from one of my favorite people! Thank you!!!!!
Cassie May says
Your wife was right! So so glad it worked for you! 🙂
Lynnette says
Just a thought as a question….if a set my chalk drawing on wood. Could I put a second coat on it letting it dry between and after, could I then spray a clear coat over it to make more permanent??
Cassie May says
you could try! Try it on a sample piece first and let me know how it goes!
Nikki Bell says
Thank you so much !!!! This worked perfectly
Shelby says
Is there a way I can protect my design from it being smudged but also can be cleaned off for a new project? I’m doing a design on a sign that covers my desk in a market I’m in and it’s prefect height for little fingers to touch it. So I’m trying to prevent that but I want to change the design seasonally. Thanks!
Cassie May says
I guess you could try some of the methods that I considered “fails”, lol! Otherwise, in this situation I would consider putting the chalkboard in a frame with plastic or glass in front of it! Hope that helps!
Bridget says
Have you tried this method with chalkboard markers?
Cassie May says
No, I have not. But chalkboard markers don’t really smudge, they don’t come off unless you wipe them off with water. If you’re just wanting to make chalkboard markers permanent, you could try this, but I’m not sure how the ingredients of the sprays would interact with the ingredients in chalkboard markers. If you try, please let me know how it goes!
Belinda says
Can you frame you chalk drawings with glass over them after you have sprayed with hair spray and they have dried?
Cassie May says
I have never tried this! I guess I would be concerned that if the art is TOUCHING the glass it might stick. However if you can make sure there is air space between the glass and the artwork then it would probably be ok!
nimsay831 says
Oh my goooodnesssss!!!! I was just talking about this chaulk project and my husband debunked the idea for the very reason you stated.
Can I do this is the bathroom? Will the moisture of a hot hot shower kill it? Once I use the hairspray is it safe to seal with like a matte poly something?
Cassie May says
Hi! So these are two really great questions! I have not tried this either in a bathroom or with another method of sealer on top. I’d be a little nervous about both, but you’ll never know unless you try! Let me know when you do! (Try it with a tiny sample version first, not your nice artwork!) 🙂
Christina Williams says
Hi! I know this is way late but i saw this post when i was painting my fence with chalk. Just 2 questions: 1)wouldnt hairspray wash off? I am using it for an outdoor fence. 2) would it work if the fence is already upright instead of laid flat? Ty!
Cassie May says
I would not recommend this strategy for outdoor use. In fact, I would not recommend any chalk for permanent outdoor use. It’s just not going to work well no matter what. Chalk isn’t meant to be permanent even with this hack. Preserved chalk drawings would be fine for something that will be outside every once in a while but brought inside for rain, but a fence will just get too much wear and tear. But upright vs. flat would be totally fine, that wouldn’t matter. 🙂