DIY: Chalkboard Frame {Part II}

Thanks for joining me for my DIY: Chalkboard Frame, Part II. You are so loyal.

If you joined me for Part I, bravo! Wasn't it fun and easy. In Part I, we DIY'd a framed mirror that my roommate Danielle rescued from the recycle center. It was heroic and made for one sexylicious chalkboard.

Part II shall be a little different. For this DIY chalkboard frame, the recycled frame was not a mirror, but a one-of-a-kind illustration of a very regal-looking pup. I found it in my dumpster and knew it could be saved with a little paint of the chalkboard variety. So grabbed it, said bye bye doggy and began.

Meet the Before. One person's garbaj is another person's treasure?

The materials for this DIY Chalkboard frame are almost the same as Part I. I starred the additional materials for this DIY. You will need:

-frame

*measuring tape
*wood board- to use as the chalkboard, I bought the thinnest plywood at Lowe's for $6
*(optional) primer

*sandpaper- I used fine grit, 180, for the bare wood

*screen door clips- to hold the chalkboard to the frame

*screws- to hold the chalkboard to the frame

-screwdriver
-spray paint- whatever color you want to paint your frame
-chalkboard paint
-paint roller
-steel wool

1. Take the framed doggy picture and flip it over. If your framed picture has screws holding it in place, remove them and save them for later. If your frame doesn't have screws holding the pic in place, remove the picture, whatever means possible, without damaging the frame. The dog picture in my frame was held in place with glue (quality, right?), so I used a ripping method. I didn't photograph this step. Sowwy. Imagine it like in Part I.

2. Measure the size of your frame. (Note, this means the size of the picture that the frame will hold, not the size of the actual frame). You will need to know the dimensions in order to cut your wood to size. The dog picture inside my frame was 28"x24." Once you know your dimensions, go to your local hardware store and find the thinnest piece of wood that they have. It usually comes in a big sheet, but they will usually cut it down to size for you for free. I bought my wood at Lowe's for $6 and they cut it down to size for me for free.

3. When you get home, make sure your wood fits in the frame. This will become the chalkboard. If it fits, you now need to sand the wood down. Use a fine grit piece of sandpaper (I used 180) and sand the entire board lighty. You just want to smooth the surface and get rid of any bumps. Once you have sanded the entire board, wipe it clean with a barely damp cloth.

4. Prime your wood with one coat of primer (or be like me and use the spray paint that you bought to paint your frame). A coat of primer is important because wood usually absorbs the first layer of paint. Using primer first makes sure you won't waste any of the expensive chalkboard paint you bought. You could use actual primer, but I am cheap thrifty, so I used a light coat of the spray paint I bought for painting my frame. It worked perfectly.

5. Once you have primed your wood (and it has dried), it is time to chalkboard paint the wood. Open your chalkboard paint, just like we did it Part I. (Note: you can buy spray chalkboard paint, but several people advised me against it because the regular paint is a better "bang for your buck." Painting the mirror would have taken 2-3 cans of spray chalkboard paint, and only took one bucket of regular chalkboard paint).

Use a flat head screwdriver to open it. Piece of cake.

6. Paint your primed wood using a roller. Use at least 3 coats or the paint will chip (I found this out the hard way, as I initially only painted 2 coats and it chipped. 3 coats has stayed put). Allow at least an hour of dry time in between coats. Once you have applied 3 coats, let it dry completely overnight.

7. In between coats, while your chalkboard dries, paint your frame! Yes this is just like Part I. This time I used a light and lovely shade of aqua. It matches my room, where I will be hanging my chalkboard frame. You should use whatever color your heart desires. Allow 10 minutes between coats. Allow to dry fully over night.

8. The next morning, after all the paint is dry, it's time to put your chalkboard frame together! Grab the screen door clips, screws and screwdriver. Take out the clips from the Screen&Storm package and line them up around your frame. Then take the screws and screw the clips into place using a screwdriver. It's easy. You can do it!

9. Once the chalkboard is secured to the frame with the screen door clips and screws, you are ready to hang! Choose somewhere with love and care and make sure to write beautiful messages on it daily. 

Before. Although I am a dog lover, this dog had to go.

After! So fresh and so clean clean

Where my DIY Chalkboard Frame: Part II rests, as my new headboard art!