DIY Chalkboard

Chalkboards can be expensive if you're buying them from a craft store. I have now made 3 chalkboards of my own for less than $10 each. And it's so simple!


 

What you'll need:
Primer

Chalkboard Paint

Photo Frame with Glass (You'll be spray painting the glass)

(Bear with me guys. I did this project at night lol. What can I say? I was excited to do it!)

 

I bought a simple 16X20 frame from Walmart for $6.84. 

 I used Krylon Primer.

And Rust-Oleum Chalkboard paint. (Both found at Walmart)

First thing I did was take the glass out of the frame. Then I cleaned it off, making sure there was no dust or fingerprints on it. (Sorry I didn't photograph that lol)

 

 Next I laid down newspaper on the porch rail and placed the glass on it. Then I did very light coats of the primer.

It took me several coats, but I eventually covered the entire piece of glass. (You may be able to it with less coats. I wanted to make sure it was very primed)

 Then I began spraying the chalkboard paint. This also took several coats. You want to make sure to do it in short, even coats. Don't spray too much in one spot or it will bubble up. Be patient and do even strokes. (I followed the directions on both cans and made sure to wait in between coats too)

When you get to where you want, let it dry. (Again, sorry about the lighting. It was literally 9pm when I got to this part of the project lol)

I put it back in its frame and hung it on the wall before it was completely dry. (If you do this make sure not to touch or scratch the glass because you will mess it up) I let it dry completely for 24 hours. It's hard but again, patience!

 This part is key. Make sure to do this! 

After 24 hours, I took a piece of chalk and I ran it horizontally across the board.

Then I ran it vertically across that. 

This is called seasoning. 

I let it stay on there for 15 minutes before I used a damp cloth to wipe it off. 

If you skip this step and just jump into writing on the chalkboard, you will never be able to fully erase what you just wrote. It will be faint on there forever. 

However if you season your chalkboard, it will create a foundation and you won't have that issue.

Voila! Here is what it looked like after I seasoned and wiped it off!

And here it is in use!

 This is the chalkboard we made hanging in the bathroom (above the toilet! haha) I bought this frame at Goodwill. We also spray painted the frame white. It was originally just a wooden frame. I paid $6.

And in my kitchen. I also got this frame at Goodwill. Again, we spray painted the wooden frame white. This one was only $4. And I used the same spray paint and primer on all 3 projects!

I love the idea of chalkboards. I think they are so cute and versatile. You can use them for holidays, birthdays, or just decor. And you don't have to spend an arm and a leg when you can just make one of your own with some spray paint and glass!

-Ashli