Four Farmhouse Chalkboards Made From Vintage Junk

This week I’ve been busy getting ready for the Shaker Craft Fair, which I sell at every year. It’s a six-week long fair that is quite profitable for me.

I sell both vintage DIY projects and antiques. Three of today’s projects–four farmhouse chalkboards–will be among the goods that I’ll have for sale starting next Thursday. Oh my goodness, that’s right around the corner; I better get busy!!

I repurposed three old frames and one vintage tray to make this collection of chalkboards, which should fit in nicely with the other items I have planned for my craft booth.

I made the first chalkboard from this very large, antique frame that I picked up at a garage sale for $5.00. What made it perfect for this project was the piece of wood it contained that had been previously used to back the artwork or a mirror that the frame had contained.

Giving it two coats of chalkboard paint was a piece of cake, and once dry, I just popped it back in the frame. You can read the steps I take to give framed pieces a professional look here.

I used it as part of my fall gallery wall display and will not be taking it to the fair with me this year.

This second frame contained a French document honoring an American WWI vet. A reader purchased the piece but the frame was in such disrepair and so heavy that she settled on the document alone.

I spent some time treating the wood with my all-natural wood salve and tightening it up, and then decided it would also make a good chalkboard.

I cut a piece of heavy card stock to fit the frame and gave it two coats of the chalkboard paint before inserting it and finishing it off. What a difference the special attention made, right?

The oak grain is just lovely.

For the third chalkboard, I used a two dollar vintage tray made of unusual materials–pewter for the frame and laminate for the bottom. I find it rather horrifyingly ugly, to tell you the truth.

And I wasn’t completely sure how the laminate would do with the chalkboard paint, but things went swimmingly. I taped off the pewter, gave it two coats, and boom, it was done.

I was able to get a nice crisp line with the blue frog tape.

I really think the pewter gives the project a nice, warm farmhouse look.

I made the fourth and final board from this one dollar vintage frame that contained a piece of old-timey fabric, which I easily removed. Behind it I found a nice sturdy piece of card stock, which also received the mandatory two coats.

It’s the smallest of the four, but there’s still plenty of room to write a message.

Now, don’t forget to “prime” your chalkboard before using, by rubbing the entire surface with the side of a piece of chalk, then erasing. If you fail to do this, then whatever words you choose to write first will be forever visible, albeit fairly lightly.

Today’s lesson is, I think, to look at the various and sundry vintage and antique junk we come across with new eyes, imagining how they might be repurposed in new and exciting ways 🙂

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