DIY | Thrifty Chalkboard
If you are anything like me, you're IN LOVE with all-things chalkboard. Seriously, sometimes I just go type in "Chalkboard" on Pinterest and browse and browse for way too long. I really would love to paint an entire wall with chalk paint, but I'll save that for a house & not our apartment. For now, I settled on having a chalkboard hanging on the wall...& the best part: I made it myself...for about $10!
What I Used:
1 Large Dry Erase Board (thrift...$4.00), 1 Can of Krylon Black Chalkboard Finish Spray Paint ($6.00), A couple of Multi-surface Wipes (already owned), Chalk ($1.00)
1. One of my favorite things to do is to browse thrift stores and that's where I got the idea to do this project. I found this huge dry erase board and knew I had to have it! This one was perfect because it has a little ledge at the bottom for holding dry erase markers (and now, chalk). I think someone had used a permanent marker on it and given it away. One man's trash can always be my treasure!
2. Just to get all the dust particles and loose marker dust, I spent some time cleaning off the board and frame with some multi-surface wipes. Of course, I wasn't too concerned with the permanent marking leftovers because the spray paint was going to cover everything up.
3. Using Kyrlon's chalkboard spray (details below) I sprayed in a sweeping motion until everything was black. I was going to spend the time taping off the frame and whatnot, but then I thought that a completely black finish would modernize the piece a lot more. So, everything was sprayed frame, ledge and all.
4. I let the piece sit up and air-dry for about 20-30 minutes before adding another coat. The paint label said that the chalkboard wasn't effective until two coats were sprayed, so I didn't want to take any chances. I swept-sprayed another layer and let it sit until it was dry to the touch.
5. I hung it up next to our kitchen. Maybe I'll write dinner menus once the holidays are over. Important note: You must wait 24 hours before you use the board...Trust me! I pushed the limits a bit on waiting and ended up having to repaint an area on the board. As the Bible says, "love is patient," people.
Right now, our new board is being used as our Christmas countdown and as a daily reminder to me of how much I need to work on my handwriting :) Ahh. That is one skill I long to have. I absolutely love great typography.
{Speaking of typography, check out fellow UNT alumni and friend of mine, Daniellelandy. She's a fantastic artist! She shares her abilities with all of us through her blog + etsy + instagram + facebook + twitter. Check her out!}
Hope some of you can find a great thrift piece to cover in chalkboard paint soon. It's such a simple, quick and cheap project. Let me know if you make a chalkboard of your own. Good luck!
