Old Vintage Frame Turned Farmhouse Style Chalkboard
Today I’m sharing a quick but handsome farmhouse-style chalkboard DIY.
About a week ago, my son agreed to haul some banana boxes full of valuable stuff junk to the thrift store. Right on top of one of the boxes lay this oak frame.
I had picked it up, along with several others, at a garage sale, probably about eight years ago. They each cost a dollar and looked to be homemade.
I have no idea where the others are. Maybe at the bottom of those other banana boxes I had my son cart away? Sigh.
Anyway, as soon as I laid eyes on it (again), the inspiration that had eluded me for the last eight years suddenly hit, and I knew it would look great as a chalkboard.
Easy, right? Just paint the glass with chalkboard paint and boom, you’re done.
I used Valspar Chalkboard paint, which I bought when my can of chalkboard spray paint ran out.
Hmm. Things didn’t go quite as I planned. I think the neighbors heard my shrieks as the paint began to peel off along with the painter’s tape!
What the heck? Isn’t the whole point of painter’s tape to help you neatly paint your project, not pull the paint off of it!!
Click HERE to read an article I wrote about creating a large chalkboard
where I used a different process that worked quite well.
I realized I would have to remove the glass from the frame, paint the glass (with no need for painter’s tape), and then reinsert it.
I really had no choice because now I knew I loved the look of the warm oak against the black of the chalkboard.
So I removed the glass and gave it two coats of chalkboard paint. When re-inserting the nails in the back, I used the existing holes and pushed as hard as I could. I don’t think they’re going anywhere.
Finally, I needed to come up with a way to keep some chalk handy. I saw a clever idea on Knick of Time that I thought would be perfect. Angie used a vintage drawer pull to hold the chalk on one of her boards.
I bought four of them last year at a flea market for $2.00. I decided to leave the surface of the pull pretty much as I found it.
I cleaned it up just a little with the scrubby side of a sponge and then rubbed it with a dab of mineral oil to brighten it and protect the surface from more rusting. I think it adds real farmhouse charm to the project.
Click here to see another clever idea for a chalk holder—
I used it to make a chalkboard out of an old griddle.
I pre-drilled the holes and applied some wood glue to the back of the drawer pull before screwing in the screws.
I “primed” the surface of the chalkboard with the side of a piece of chalk and then wiped the chalk off.
If you forget to prime your board, then whatever you write on it for the first time will leave a permanent “shadow” no matter how hard you try to erase it. And you don’t want to ruin your brand new chalkboard–
You might enjoy this revamp
of a chalkboard-bulletin board combo.
Thanks so much for stopping by–
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I love quick, easy and so cute. How handy is that, to use an old drawer pull to hold the chalk. Plus chalk boards can be so handy and add personality.
As an inveterate DIY chalkboard fanatic, love this! I have wanted to use those drawer pulls to hold chalk ever since I saw Angie do it, too! Great save on the frame. xoKathleen Charm Bracelet Diva {At Home}
I love frames for chalkboards…and the patina on the wood frames just makes them perfect! Love your chalk holder, too!
Love your latest chalkboard, Diana. The drawer pull for a chalk tray is perfect!
Hi Diana, your chalkboard is adorable, love the vintage drawer pull for the chalk holder! Thanks so much for hosting and have a great rest of your week!
Gina
You’re so right — the black chalkboard finish looks great with the warm oak wood. Very cute. Thanks for sharing, Cynthia
Diana, I had no idea you could successfully paint chalkboard paint over glass! I love the look of the oak against the black. Have a few oak frames kicking around in storage – must remember this.
Such a clever idea AND it seems really easy to do! Thanks for sharing at Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop!