Making a school blackboard and easel is a great DIY project that you can do with your children. By the end of this they will have a free-standing chalk board that they can draw on.

Materials Required:

	2 panels of MDF board: 600mm x 600mm x 10mm
	4 lengths of untreated pine: 1metre x 40mm x 25 mm (for the legs)
	30mm panel pins
	2 x 40mm Back flap hinges and screws
	Blackboard paint
	Rope (approx 400mms)
	All measurements are flexible to suit what you may have in the workshop.

Method:
	Lay the MDF panels on a flat surface, place the lengths of timber (for the legs) with the 40mm side onto the panel sides and glue and pin them in place.
	Do this for both panels.
	Now join these two panels together with the hinges. (See diagram above)
	Use a piece of coloured rope or a piece of lightweight brass chain to keep the boards from collapsing.
	Now all you have to do is sand back and paint the panel surfaces with a blackboard paint. Ask in the paint department of your local store for the blackboard paints available.