DIY Framed Chalkboard

Sometimes I have these great ideas of refurbishing and creating.  I will buy something old to make it into something new… then it sits in my garage for three years untouched.  Anyone relate? I have great intentions, but not always the time.  So I decided to make time this week since I thoroughly enjoy DIY projects, and I wanted to share it with you.

I found this large wooden rustic picture frame at a yard sale, and it featured a Rum advertisement photo.  The advertisement artwork didn’t really flow with my kitchen décor, so I decided to make it a chalkboard.  I have wanted a chalkboard in my kitchen for a while, since I am a firm believer that every room could use a pop of black as an accent color.  Especially a neutral room, that has mostly white, gray, beige, or tan.  I have an all-white kitchen with dark gray tile.  I have some brown accents to warm up the space such as bar stools, and a cowhide rug in the breakfast nook.  I have two black wicker chairs, but I wanted to incorporate a pop of black on the wall to create more unity in the space. I also think every room needs a little plant life/greenery.  I decided to add a faux greenery swag to the top of the chalkboard, since my real kitchen plant went to rehab (aka my mom’s house where she performs miracles with her green thumb). The chalkboard was super easy to create, and I know for sure that anyone can do this DIY!

Materials:

• Wooden Frame with photo glass
• Glass Cleaner
• Sandpaper
• Chalkboard Paint
• Chalk
• Chalk Paint Pen

Step 1:

Clean the frame (three years of dust and cobwebs on my treasure), and glass.  I used a damp microfiber cloth with dish soap for the frame, and paper towels with glass cleaner for the glass.

Step 2:

In order to get the paint to adhere to the glass, you’ll need to rough up the surface of the glass to give it some texture.  I used 320 grit sandpaper, and it worked pretty well.

Step 3:

Apply chalkboard paint to your glass piece.  You could apply paint with a brush, but the brush strokes will show and will most likely leave you with a textured finish.  I used chalkboard paint that comes in a spray can to ensure full coverage with a smooth finished surface.  You will need to apply at least 2 coats to the glass (I only did 2), and make sure to let each coat dry completely before applying the next.

Step 4:

Once the paint has dried, and you have placed your glass piece back in your frame, it is time to “season” the chalkboard.  I used a plain piece of chalk on its side and rubbed it thoroughly with the chalk.  I then took a paper towel to wipe off any excess chalk. Chalkboards are porous, so if you don’t season it you run the risk of your first drawing becoming permanent.

Step 5:

Decorate your chalkboard! I used a chalk paint pen, and found a value pack with three different tips in order to do different designs and lettering.  There are plenty of chalkboard printables online for free, if you wanted to print out a design to trace.  I found my design on Pinterest and then free-handed it onto my board (obviously not as good as Pinterest status), but I am happy with how it turned out!

Hope you find some inspiration to create and decorate from this post, whether it be to make a chalkboard, add a color pop of black to a room, or add some greenery to liven up your space!  What was your last DIY project??

 

{Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers.}

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