To the surprise of no one, chalkboard paint is exactly as it sounds: when you use it to paint a wall, that wall becomes a chalkboard. Got it? Got it.

Except chalkboard paint can be used on virtually any surface, not just on walls. Here are ten clever, creative uses that can transform all sorts of items in your home.

Photo: Scott Hawkins for HomeLife.com

An old dresser becomes a well-organized sideboard with clearly labeled closed storage for the dining room and kitchen. This trick would work equally well in a kid’s room as a way of teaching young ones how to put away laundry.

Photo: Wit & Whistle

A discount store tray becomes a conversation-starting serving platter, featuring built-in customizable label options.

Photo: Centsational Girl

A dark and dreary armoire becomes a bright and colorful workspace, complete with chalkboard-painted door for jotting down ideas, lists, and notes.

Photo: East Coast Creative

If painting the whole wall would result in a little too much chalkboard for your taste, consider painting one single yet endlessly variable element, such as door.

Photo: Dream Home DIY

… Or accent a staircase with this how-to from Dream Home DIY.

Photo: Wit & Whistle

Make a set of DIY chalkboard mugs for your whole family to help everyone keep their mitts off each other’s hot cocoa!

Photo: Quit Nguyen

Maureen of The Inglenook Decor created this chalkboard headboard (chalkheadboard?), which adds a sense of weight (and a good measure of whimsy) to a small bed.

Photo: Always Order Dessert

With chalkboard wine glasses, there’s no confusing whose drink is whose.

Photo: Martha Stewart

This large wall calendar from Martha Stewart Living mixes white and black chalkboard paint into a host of different shades for a graphic, geometric look.

Photo: DesignSponge

Lastly, a DIY chalkboard backsplash lets you draw your own “tile patterns” to match whatever your mood might be.

For more on paint, consider:

Paint Makeovers: An Expert Tells All
Stenciled Floors: The Best of Today’s Designs
Painted Cabinets: 10 Reasons to Transform Yours Now