My recent love is chalkboards... as is everyone else's too. So to Pinterest I went to get some pinspiration (see what I did there? ha i kill myself) for my project.
I hit up the Sandy Deseret Industries (D.I) and found a killer frame with the LDS Articles of Faith framed in. I should've taken a before picture of it.. it was pretty classic 80's goodness.
Fun side note, the kid at the check out stand was hilarious. I had 2 frames with me, one that was skinnier but the same size glass for only $1 and my big articles of faith one for $4. I asked him if they did any price differences since I was just going to junk the paper inside & pretty much make it non-recognizable. He said "Well you see, this is original wood from the round table, you know with the knights of the round table? And this wire on the back is actually from the spider from Lord of the Rings, so... I dunno..." I seriously laughed hard, totally surprised me! I was like, "Oh well in that case, I better not junk the frame after all..."
Funny funny. He gave it to me for $2.
So my next and final stop was Home Depot for chalkboard paint & the color for the frame.
I kind of hate roller painting things so I opted for spray paint. I like the smooth, even coat it gives everything. It also tends to finish drying a bit faster than other painting styles.
ALSO: If you are intimidated by the lack of control you have over a spray paint , don't worry.. I have a pretty easy trick that Micah showed me that I'll let you in on. ;)
I decided to go with gold for the frame... I'm in love with the color gold lately so I chose a bright shiny metallic gold to give a fun pop of attitude.
Step 1: Pull it apart
First things first, I popped the back open & pulled out the lovely articles of faith. Although I didn't throw it away because it was attached to a thick cardboard that I wanted to use to prop the glass back in.
Set the frame aside & lay your glass on whatever paint-friendly surface you have. I used an old white towel we use for Zoey.
Step 2: Paint
I decided to start with the chalkboard paint just in case it took longer to dry. The dry time varies on brands & types you buy, but mine said it would be fully dry after 20 minutes, and ready to be draw on within 48 hours... well I had less than 24 haha so I sort of ignored that "recommendation".
I sprayed it on pretty thick, doing a quick line across the top, keeping the can about 8 inches away from the glass. I didn't clean the glass before-hand (probably should have) but it didn't end up making any difference. Micah showed me how to spray paint an even coat months ago, because my first spray painting job was horrible... I was treating it like hairspray where you just kinda go back & forth holding the button or whatever down continually & going in a shaky circular motion. He showed me to do one line at a time, where you always start on the same side... So for my chalkboard I started on the left side, sprayed across the whole length & let go with my finger, bringing the can back to the left side (without spraying as I went) and started again on the left side, spraying across the length to the right.
To cover the whole piece of glass it only took me about 5 minutes. It wasn't as strong of a smell of paint as the other spray painting projects I have done before, but you'll still want to do it in a well ventilated area.
Step 3: Apply second coat
While that dried, I painted my frame, being careful to not paint the wire. This spray paint was VERY strong smelling & made me cough a bit (I closed the door that I had open... so smart).
I then swapped, did another coat on my chalkboard, and again while that was drying, did another layer on my frame... Then went outside & tried not to pass out from the fumes!
Because I'm an impatient person, I put my frame together that night. I was DYING to see how the gold looked with the black chalkboard (I was a little nervous it would look 90's-esque).
Step 4: Put it together & draw!
It looked perfect! I already had in mind what quote/drawing I wanted to put on it, what with Valentine's Day coming up, I thought I'd do the most adorable confession of love ever written, but the one and only Mr. Darcy. So adorbs. Don't judge my handwriting or first ever attempts at drawing those leafy borders.
Love how it turned out though! It was a very easy quick project that I am so glad I made. Total, it cost me $10 and only a few hours. If I were to buy this size frame of chalkboard it would easily be $30 or more. Oh and those pillows are from Target (of course) in their dollar section. Only $3 each... score!
I set it on my bench, opting to not mount it to the wall because I really like that cozy sort of f=vibe it gives. Plus I have big plans for that wall. :)
Happy crafting!
xoxo Mandi
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