the mellow tigger's musings

I found a couple of solutions that might work. This (http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&q=chalkboard&gs_upl=1428l2683l0l2874l10l6l0l3l3l1l361l1742l0.1.2.3l8l0&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_cp.,cf.osb&biw=1589&bih=1053&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15290704985572365219&sa=X&ei=u--cTt2yLcqosQKivZXSCQ&ved=0CJkBEPMCMAM) is something like contact paper with a chalkboard surface on one side. $5-10 a roll online. You can also buy a bucket of blackboard paint (http://www.dickblick.com/products/rainbow-blackboard-paint/) for about $12 at Dick Blick, possibly other places. Then just buy a board of the appropriate size at the hardware store and you're set.