Determine the size of cover you need for the chalkboard. Using your ruler, measure the height and width of the chalkboard. Take into account the edges where you will be attaching the material to the chalkboard, as you will need to account for that space as well. For example, if the surface of the chalkboard 3 feet tall by 6 feet long with a 3 in. border surrounding the board, you must take into account the three inches if the material will be fastened to the border. If you choose to place the adhesive right on the board, then you will not need to take the border into account.
Select the material for the board and cut it to size. Paper overlays are ideal for projects such as murals or lesson plans where you want to constantly replace the paper over the board after a project has been completed. A felt overlay allows you to attach items via glue. This gives the overlay a more craft-like appearance. Additionally a felt overlay will be able to be reused in the future. The same holds true for card stock. Sturdier than paper, a lesson plan can be placed on the car stock with glue or tape. It can then be reused later. Cut paper, felt or card stock using scissors.
Magnetic chalkboard or whiteboard overlays allow you to work on a chalkboard as normal with chalk or erasable markers. However, these overlays will either need to be ordered to size or smaller than the primary chalkboard in order to fit.
Attach the material to the chalkboard. Items such as paper or felt can be attached using double-sided or masking tape. Items such as felt can be attached using Velcro strips. Place the hook side of the Velcro on the border of the chalkboard and the fuzz side on the underside of the back of the felt. If attaching a magnetic chalkboard or whiteboard, the overlay can simply be placed on the board. Magnetic attraction between chalkboard and overlay will hold it in place.