Happy Wednesday friends! We are halfway to the weekend! High Five!
I wanted to share my latest DIY with you…
I love chalkboards. What is it about chalkboards that I love? I think they evoke a nostalgic feeling about school days gone by. The antique ones are reminiscent of schoolhouses. I even have a small slate one like the students would have used in a one room school house. Writing their ABCs or numbers. It also falls in line with what I am loving in my home lately, black and white.
The Before
For about two years I have had a vintage slate chalkboard. After we painted our dining area last Spring, we hung it up as the ‘artwork’ if you will. I have wanted a bigger one for months now.
The Plan and Vision
At one point I thought I wanted a 4X3 chalkboard. I also thought I wanted it to be magnetic. My husband’s cousin has a long magnetic one with a thick frame in their kitchen and I love it! With it being magnetic I could hang some of the boys’ artwork on it. I thought about getting a piece of sheet metal, painting with chalkboard paint and framing it out.
The Purchase
My husband priced it at about $30 just for the sheet metal and it would be heavy. I realized I didn’t need a 4X3 chalkboard. That same week, I actually found an old chalkboard on Offer Up for $10. I went and looked at it and it was very marked up. It wasn’t slate but it was vintage, which I liked. The wooden frame was nice too. I offered $7 and the lady said “I’d actually take $5, I just want it out of my house.” Deal! That just gave me even more room for my DIY.
The Process and DIY
We bought Rust-Oleum’s Chalkboard paint. The magnetic chalkboard paint was double the price and I wasn’t sure how often I would use the magnetic element of it anyway. At first, I must admit I was a bit intimadated to use it. You need to use even strokes straight across the chalkboard surface. In order to cover the marks that were on the surface of the chalkboard, I had to go over it about two to three coats.
After it dried and was hung, I went over it with the side of a piece of chalk and ‘seasoned’ it. You need to wait about a week to get it wet but you can use a damp cloth to clean it. I chose not to and wait another couple of days.
The Results are in….
I really love it! I love the results and I am glad I went this route. I saved myself a lot of money.
In case you were wondering what I did with the previous one. I repurposed it….
Do you love chalkboards as much as I do? Let me know down below where you have chalkboards in your decor…
Have a great week!
