• Paint a tabletop chalkboard to mark out place settings.Gedeckter Tisch image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  Chalkboard paint can add a fun, interactive element to your kitchen decor. Any surface painted with chalkboard paint becomes a chalkboard for drawings, notes, to-do lists or anything else you might chalk. However, working with paint, you're not restricted to the flat surfaces of standard chalkboards. Before applying chalkboard paint to slick surfaces, coat the surface with acrylic primer.
  
  

Oven Reminder

• Paint a small strip of chalkboard paint on the wall behind your stovetop. Keep the strip about 6 to8 inches high and the width of your oven. Any time you place something in the oven, write down the time it went in and the time it needs to come out. Once you get into this habit, it won't matter if you forget to set a timer for your baking because you'll always know exactly when your cooking times begin and end. This also helps when trying out new recipes so you can track whether the recommended cooking time needs to be lengthened or shortened.
  
  

Table and Chairs

• Paint your tabletop surface with chalkboard paint and keep a dish of colored chalk out as a centerpiece. Family members and guests can exercise their creativity by drawing pictures while waiting for meals, or you can draw out place setting guidelines to help young children learn to set the table. Paint the backs of your chairs with chalkboard paint as well, and have each family member decorate his chair as desired. Make a family activity out of changing the chalk drawings daily or monthly.
  
  

Storage Containers

• Paint your reusable storage containers with chalkboard paint, and make sure you keep some chalk handy in a kitchen drawer or cabinet. Any time you place something into a storage container, label it with chalk to identify the contents and the date it was placed there. Flour and sugar containers, spice containers and other countertop storage items can all be painted with chalkboard paint (the spray type works best for glass or ceramics). If you're feeling creative, you can paint all of your jars this way and decorate them with colored chalk drawings. Any time the mood for a design change hits, you can erase them all and draw on a new theme.