Sunday, September 16, 2012

Chalkboard Project #1

I'm calling it project #1 because I think this may be addictive.  This week I was determined to get a chalkboard for our house.  I looked them up online and discovered that buying a 3' x 4' chalkboard was about $200.00 and they weren't quite what I had invisioned (horizonal and very plain).  So I began looking up instructions for making one instead.  It is so easy!!!  So I went to Value Village and found this huge frame for $29.99:


  It is huge and so hideously ugly that I felt compelled to explain my plans to the checkout clerk and anyone else who looked at me with a sidelong glance.  When I got it out to the van I discovered that it is too big to fit in the back of the van!  It was a bit of an adventure getting it home - thankfully a friend and her husband managed to get it to the island for me...

 
Then I took it all apart and spray-painted the frame white.  It may have been wiser for me to use paint and a brush because I always over-do it with spray paint and had a few drippy spots which I frantically wiped and sanded and made a bit of a mess over.  I just don't have the patience to let it dry between coats!!  For the actual chalkboard I went to Kentvale and bought a piece of mahogany underlay for $6.00 and painted it with a few coats of chalkboard paint.  I had a little can of chalkboard paint that I bought at least 8 years ago and also bought some in a spray can in case it was too old.  I ended up using them both all up!   I didn't prime the wood first, but would really recommend primer for those who have the patience to let the paint dry before wanting to see immediate results.  The underlay has a bit of texture and I think the primer would make it smoother.  Next time....


Then I just tacked the mahogany board in the frame and put the original print and backing (without the glass of course) behind it to hold it snuggly in place!  I used some little finishing nails that I scrounged in dad's stash in the garage to tack it all to the frame. 

The kids love it!  They have been drawing pictures, creating messages and posting menus from the moment I hung it on the wall.  I feel so happy with it - creative expression made so easy! 

2 comments:

Katie said...

LOVE it! You rock the block!

Megan said...

Someday I too, will have the time and freedom for cool projects like this. It looks great Jane.