Maybe it is because of all the fantastic teachers I have had through the years, or maybe it is because I was kind of a nerd, but I always loved school. I loved being in a classroom, sitting in neat rows, watching my teacher write on the chalkboard in perfectly slanted cursive letters. I loved being chosen to come up and write a sentence on the board. In the mid-1800s, these humble pieces of slate made it possible for one-room schoolhouses across the country to more efficiently cater to a greater number of students because everyone could see what the teacher wrote on the board.
Not too long ago, chalkboards were slowly phased out of our classrooms, replaced by the ubiquitous whiteboards that are used today. In high school we had grayboards that could supposedly be written on with any type of implement but they were just awful. How I missed the chalkboards of my youth. I'm sure you could guess my excitement when chalkboard paint hit the market. Oddly enough, I've seen tons of chalkboard paint projects and never actually tried any of it myself. Until now! The best part is you don't have to be a DIY or crafting expert to use it.
Thanks to a great school friend and her wonderful blog, I was inspired to do a little project of my own with chalkboard paint and I'm pretty happy with the results.
I inherited this mirror several years ago and it was actually in the “donate” pile when I started thinking maybe I could give it new life as a chalkboard. I see them in kitchens all the time and it is such a good idea…for a message board, grocery list keeper or just somewhere to doodle while the meat defrosts.
The hardest part was taping off the frame so it didn’t get painted. I notched strips of blue painter’s tape so they could easily form an oval shape and adhere strips of newsprint. A couple thin coats of paint later and it was done. The instructions say to rub a piece of chalk over the painted area to prime it before writing anything.
{my inaugural message}
I used the spray paint version and it worked really well. It says it will work on most surfaces and I was not sure how it would be on the glass, but it covered it just fine. I don’t want to go crazy and chalkboard paint everything, but for this little spot…it was a perfect choice!
