I love a bit of chalkboard fun with L and I have to write-up a lot of advertising chalkboards for work so when the guys behind Chalkola got in touch about their kids safe, brightly coloured and neatly sized chalkboard markers I was eager to give them a go.
About Chalkola
The Chalkola markers are a bit different to your standard sets. They come in different sizes and in an amazing variety of colours. From really vivid and bright to more natural pastels and darker tones.
The markers are great for any kind of non-porous surface. Like of course chalkboard but also windows, those gorgeous chalkboard stick on labels, jars and mirrors.
They haven’t worked so well with the chalkboard I made for L with my chalkboard paint. Chalkola do warn that they probably won’t. As unless you are a genius with chalkboard paint your finished surface won’t be 100% smooth and will be a bit porous, so cleaning is difficult.
Importantly for me the Chalkola markers are non-toxic. Also because they are water based they are easily cleaned away. Just a wipe with a damp cloth, or, as more often the case in my house a wet wipe!
Using the Markers
I’ve been using their 21 Marker Set which comes with 15 beautiful colours of chalkboard markers and a box of 6 metallic marker pens. With a 6mm bullet point tip I have found these really easy to use and have got some great results from them.
They’ve been fun for at home and marking up jars and drawing on windows. They are brilliant at work for creating some great advertising boards.
I’ve also been playing with the 15mm Marker set that contains 8 chunky and bright neon coloured markers. This was the sized chalkboard pen I was used to solely dealing with, so it is easier for me to make comparisons over use with.
The nib was very similar, allowing thick lines and easy space-filling or finer lines if turned on its side. The amount of ink the Chalkola pens contain though was actually a lot higher. So the pens last longer as they are filled up more. Mainly though the difference can be seen in the colour choice, not just primary colours here, oh no!
The excitement when I bought them into work so we could improve our chalkboard designs was palpable! More than 5 colours to choose from, mind-blowing. Easy to clean, so much time and elbow grease saved. I don’t know what the brand we had been using was but my word would they take some scrubbing to get clean. Actually having smaller pens so we didn’t have to resort to pumping chalk out of the big pens onto a plate and painting it on, genius.
Because these are so much easier to use and clean away we are now updating our signs weekly. Compared to only doing it when we absolutely had to. We are also being far more creative.
Final thoughts
On first use the pens take a bit of pumping to get the ink flowing but after this you can use them as you would a normal pen. They just need a good shake if you haven’t used them for a bit to make sure everything is mixed up well inside.
Oddly, I have found the liquid chalk from the finer markers a lot easier to wipe away than that from the big chunky ones. I don’t know if they use a slightly different mix, or, if the overall coverage from the big markers is just thicker, so needs more wiping. This has left me favouring the finer markers though. Plus they are a bit easier to hold and draw with anyway.
Competition and Offer
I have got a set for one lucky person to win. Just enter your details into the gleam app below for your chance. If you just can’t wait then Chalkola have offered my readers a 15% flat discount on all Chalkola Products.
Coupon Code – 15OFFSTR
Win a Set of Chalkola Chalkboard Markers
Good luck x
Disclosure – I was gifted my products in return for an honest review. Chalkola are also kindly providing the prize.
grandkids would love these
My daughter would love these 🙂
These look such fun. We love being creative
Love these so colourful
These would be perfect for my kiddies and their crafting 🙂
Great way to get kids the imagination flowing
Definitely! So many things you can use these for. xx
I’d love to try these out on a few projects.
I have done so many little projects with them now, they are great
These look lots of fun – perfect for my son’s craft box 🙂
These sound amazing and so much fun!
My children would love these
Am seeing so much hype about these all of a sudden, they do look great, bet my kids would love them, and so much safer to let them loose with than markers
They do wash off really well if they get on clothes so a lot better than markers
Wow these look so versatile you could have so much fun with them x
They are really versatile, good luck x
They look like a great new way of being creative
So many ways to use these and all of them creative!
I’ve been trying to win a pack of these for so long, they look so great I may have to give in and actually buy them soon lol xxx
Bless you, good luck!!!
i would love to try these out 🙂
These look really useful. Would use them to label signs for my wedding party.
Thanks for the chance
What a fun prize
They look great and would definitley be prettier than the paw prints the dog has got all over our door window at present with the muddy garden.
I know the feeling, my car was covered in cat paw prints and the entire house, seemingly every surface, is covered in muddy boot prints 🙁
Love some of these for my 3 year old grandson we can make a good mess on the Windows lol
I love chalk markers ~ I let my kids decorate all the windows inside the house and they change it up with seasons and holidays.
Michelle Catallo recently posted…Misto Sprayer
These look amazing and could use them so much in my crafts
These look fabulous, my boys would love this! Fantastic giveaway as well. Thanks so much for joining us at #CraftyCorner
They are so easy to use and there are just so mnay craft options xx
Great prize.
We could have some great fun with these
Oh what a good idea! I’ve never heard of these, but we’ll have to give them a try now. xx #CraftyCorner
Rosie @ Little Fish recently posted…Little Moments: Family Walks and Blogging
We’ve had so much fun with them. Great for impromptu crafting xx
These look fab 🙂
these seem such a fab idea!
Rebecca Beesley recently posted…Book review: Let The Dead Speak, by Jane Casey
These look fantastic, I love the brightness of the white on the black.
My daughter would go crazy over these. She’s just learnt to colour ( toddler).
I really like the look of these pens, thank you for the giveaway x
Lovely giveaway thanks X
Great giveaway my niece would love this, fingers crossed thanks for the chance to win
Love the ideas that you can do with these
My boys would love them! Can think of loads of ways to use them
Love the bright colours of these
These sound great.
these look brilliant
These look incredibly useful. And so many colours too. Thanks for an awesome giveaway!
I think these look brilliant, would also be great for labelling and decorating jars and pots
great comp great for all children not just budding artists
Oooh these look fab. My daughter would love them. And they couldn’t keep breaking like her regular chalk.. #CraftyCorner
They won’t get stood on and crushed into the carpet either, I say this from bitter experience!
These look amazing
oh hours of fun to be had with these
These look fab! I love to use chalk boards for meal planning and chalk board labels for organising – but I hate getting chalk on my hands. This would be a perfect solution. I’m not sure my son would get a look in. ha ha #craftycorner
Chalk dust is the worst isn’t it. These are great and you can create all kinds of wonderful things, your meal plans will never be the same again!
Lovely giveaway
I love the sound of these, the bright colours really appeal to me and my girls would love them. They sound like a great idea for children of all ages. Thank you for joining us at #CraftyCorner x
I don’t have any children but would love to win this prize for charity, to go to Romania.
Fabulous! Thank you for the chance x
Good luck x
fabtastic giveaway
Lovely competition and a prize that will keep kids amused for hours!
Hours and hours with nice easy cleaning afterwards. Good luck x
These sound great thank you!
Good luck Tracy x