Saturday, January 25, 2014

Chalkboard DIY - French Country Style

Chalkboard is a very hot trend.  No wonder!  It is stylish, functional, and versatile.  Did I mention fun?  Yes, it's really fun. 


Tap your creativity to place chalkboard details in your house.  I am very excited about this project.  I think you will love it too.



I found this great mirror and frame at my local thrift shop.  The shape and details on the frame fit the French Country theme of my kitchen.  And it was 40% off an already incredibly great price!  Score!

First, I took the back and mirror out of the frame.  I'll store the mirror until I decide where to use it in the house.

Then I sanded and painted the frame.  I used the same silver / gray color I painted my kitchen cabinets.  It is a great color because it is not white but not dark gray either.  A perfect neutral.

French Robin Designs

While that dried I cut a piece of backer board ($8 for a 48" x 48" sheet) the shape of the mirror to fit the frame.  It was very easy to cut with a jigsaw (yea! power tools!!!!).

The backer board was primed with a color blocking primer I had from my cabinet redo.  

Time for the chalkboard paint!  I used a foam roller for cabinets because I didn't want brush strokes.  But a brush will work just as well if you don't mind the texture.  The roller left a texture that I really wanted -- like old school chalkboards.  Spray chalk board paint is available too.






I chose Rust-Oleum simply because it was there.  I didn't really spend a lot of time deciding on the paint.  Rust-Oleum is a great, reliable brand so I thought it would be a good choice for my project. 

Two coats of chalkboard paint, overnight drying time, and it was ready to mount in the frame.

This is the end result.  I LOVE this chalkboard.  It only cost me about $45 in materials.  A great buy when they are selling for over $100 for something much smaller.  It is placed in my kitchen -- the central part of the house!  The kids are sure to see my notes.  I'm looking forward to writing menus on the board (eliminate the "what's for dinner" question) and little notes for the kids.


Finished chalkboard.  Letter Y purchased from Woodland Manufacturing.





The green-blue letter Y (for my last name) was purchased some time ago from Woodland Manufacturing.  It is a great company... many letters styles to chose from, colors, hanging methods, etc.  

Use your creativity, experiment, and have fun with chalkboard paint.  Can't wait to see what you create!

Cheers -- Tammi

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