A "Homemade Christmas" Part IV

FINALLY!!! Gosh, I didn't think I was ever going to get to post this. And although it's not quite as pretty as I would like, I wanted to get it out to you! So, here goes!

I absolutely adore chalkboard paint! You can pick this up pretty much anywhere. Home Depot has a really large selection of Chalkboard products... including spray paint (under $5), which would be perfect for this project! Don't forget to log onto your Ebates & shop Home Depot so you can get your 3% cash back! Stop by & pick it up on your way home...total time saver & you get paid to do it...WIN.

Okay, so here are my supplies that I used...

- Chalkboard Paint (about $10/qt, but you can get the spray for $5. A quart will last you FOREVER!)
- Picture frames with glass or mirrors (I picked up the large frame at the thrift store for about $.50 and the mirrored ones at the $ Tree. UP-cycle something you already have!)
-Paint Brushes (here I used some cheap nylon brushes... I DO NOT recommend using those! Next time I'd get the sponge or nap rollers... you'll see why.)



Mistake!



This is super simple! All you have to do, is take the glass or mirror out of the frame & paint it! Let the paint dry COMPLETELY before you add another coat. This is where I went wrong yesterday. Like I said, I'm super impatient when it comes to crafting... I want it done like 10 minutes ago! If you do not let the chalkboard paint dry all the way... this is what happens when you go to add another coat...

As you can see it's really not pretty... there are several areas where the mirror is showing through. Thus, the reason I could not put this up yesterday! I had to be patient and let the paint dry longer, before applying another coat later last night.

Now, if I had used a roller of some kind, I probably wouldn't have even needed a second coat... another lesson learned!

After you have finished painting, just pop the glass back in the frame.You can hot glue a piece of ribbon to the back & tie a piece of chalk to it. That's it you're done! You've made a custom chalkboard! These make adorable gifts, for SUPER cheap! Best part is, you can make so much more than "chalkboards" with this paint. I also used it on the lids of my homemade laundry soap, so I can write a message on the top! You can buy glasses or vases at a $1 store & paint a smaller block on them so you can add a personal message!  Personalize Christmas ornaments or anything! As always, your imagination is the limit.

Here are my "finished" products...

As I said earlier, you will want to use a roller of some type... if you look closely, you can see that there "ridges" in my writing. Thus, making my handwriting look really rough! That's because the brush left tiny lines all over the surface... not cool, but I learned my lesson for next time! Oh, and my kiddos stole all my little chalk, so I didn't have any to attach to these yet! All in all, pretty happy with the results! Enjoy!