Invisible magnet board

I was really into the idea of this project -- an invisible "bulletin board" painted directly on the wall using magnetic paint -- but making it turned out to be a little harder than I expected.

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The finished wall, complete with cards handmade by a sweet boy I know.

How to:

(1) Paint wall with any regular latex paint and let dry. I used Behr eggshell finish paint, custom-mixed to match the window shade in my craft room. (Yes, I know the color is kinda intense, but it makes me happy.)

(2) Use masking tape to mark off the shape of the area you want to be magnetic. Mine is a

3'x4' rectangle, but you could do any shape.

(3) Fill in with magnetic paint. It's available in both a spray paint and regular version. Both are a dark primer gray color. I used Krylon's spray-on magnetic paint. It also makes a reasonably big mess, so make sure you cover the nearby wall, floor, and furniture from overspray before you begin. Also, the metallic particles tend to settle at the bottom of the can over time, so be sure to shake the can for a LONG time before you use it. (Similarly, if you buy the paint-on magnetic paint instead of the spray, ask someone at the hardware store to put it through their paint-shaking machine, then use it promptly before the particles re-settle.)

(4) Re-apply. Re-apply. And re-apply. It took 7 layers (4 cans of spray paint!) to get my 12 sq. ft. area sufficiently magnetic. (The package claims that 1 can will suffice for ~10 sq. ft. Not true!)

(5) Remove the masking tape. Use fine sandpaper to buff the edges of the painted area until they are smooth against the surrounding wall.

(6) Apply 1-2 coats of latex wall paint to conceal the magnet board.

(7) The magnetism of the final product is not as strong as your fridge or a conventional magnet board. So for optimal stickiness, use magnets that are small and light, yet powerful. I used Tiny Mighties by Three by Three Seattle and they work great.