Kim Does Pinterest: DIY Chalkboard

Have y'all read the Little Baby Garvin blog? Ohmylanta, so adorable!  The author, Jessica, documented her pregnancy by taking photos each month of herself in front of a chalkboard.  You may have seen these photos on Pinterest and I just thought it was the cutest idea ever.  She made her chalkboard, so it inspired me to make a chalkboard for the Erskine household.

My dear friend Ashley and I went thrifting.  I was on a mission to find this "dream" frame to make my chalkboard and so we went into a military/veterans thrift store on Coast Hwy and low and behold here it was:

For $25 I got this already distressed, off white frame.  It was exactly what I was looking for!

My husby kindly took me to Lowe's to get spray primer and chalkboard paint.  Both were a little pricey but you get a lot of chalkboard paint, so if you need to paint an entire wall, you are basically set.

I removed the painting and foam board and used the glass from the frame.  Jessica had a piece of wood fitted for it but I found multiple tutorials that used the glass that came from the frame and I liked this the best.  I made sure my aerosol primer (spray can) was for glass surfaces and took it out to the backyard to paint.  Tip: don't do it in your backyard unless you have a table and newspaper...rookie mistakes.  Little bits of grass and nature were all up in my business.

Follow the instructions on the can and then make sure it dries.  It is so incredibly important to make sure that the paint thoroughly dries, otherwise you'll get air bubbles and this became another reason for me to paint the other side of the glass...rookie mistake #2.

Once appropriately primed, it was time to break out the chalkboard paint.  I used foam brushes but I would recommend buying a small roller brush instead.  This will insure that you get a smooth, even coat.  To make up for my lack of a roller brush, I poured the paint on the glass and then used my brush to even it out.  Important tip, make sure there isn't water on your brush, otherwise you'll get a streaky finish.  

It needs to dry for three days.  I started this project before husby had leave, so it sat for two weeks.  Then I placed it back in the frame.  The frame already had metal tabs to hold the original print, so I used those. I'm sure you could hammer in a few nails into the back of the frame to further secure it (a few tutorials also recommend this). 

Then you need to shade the entire chalkboard surface in chalk.  This gives it a layer of chalk and protects it from leaving marks later on.  I bought a pack of white chalk and then the color variety.  I haven't hung it up yet but I have both mega command hooks as well as a picture hanging kit.  Wish me luck!