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Some facts about us: Together since May 2004, Matt & Kristin Married in May 2009. Between the two of us, we've lived in California, Hawaii, Guam, Japan and met here, in good ol' Virginia. We adopted two mini schnauzers, Hemingway & Mya aka The Pups. We bought our first home in May of 2011 and are ridiculously excited for all the DIY projects ahead of us.

Monday, November 7, 2011

DIY Chalkboard Paint

Chalkboard.  The must have for all crafters and for the little child inside of you that has always wanted your own big blackboard.

I turned an old wooden mirror from something like this:

To this: 

And I used my very own, homemade chalkboard paint!  I am in love with it.  It's seriously my new favorite thing in our home.  I cannot wait for all our nieces and nephews to come over and make a mess of it.  Not to mention all the grown adults who I'm sure will have something to write about (i.e. "Drew was here", etc.).

The How-To:
I started out by priming the mirror with my Krylon white satin spray paint.  Then I went after the frame with this beautiful blue spray, also by Krylon.  I didn't worry about taping it off since I was painting the primed mirror anyway. 
Now the fun part, the chalkboard paint!

Martha Stewart has come up with the perfect way to create your own chalkboard paint in ANY color.  Most of you probably have at least a cup of leftover colored paint lying around your attic that you could use.  I had some black paint left over from our door, so I stuck to the regular 'black board'.

For small areas, such as a door panel, mix 1 cup at a time.
1. Pour 1 cup of paint into a container. Add 2 tablespoons of unsanded tile grout. Mix with a paint stirrer, carefully breaking up clumps.
2. Apply paint with a roller or a sponge paintbrush to a primed or painted surface. Work in small sections, going over the same spot several times to ensure full, even coverage. Let dry.
3. Smooth area with 150-grit sandpaper, and wipe off dust.
4. To condition: Rub the side of a piece of chalk over entire surface. Wipe away residue with a barely damp sponge.

That's it!  You can use ANY color of paint you have.  The possibilites are endless.  I'm already thinking of other items I can paint around here...  But the next stop for chalkboard paint?  My niece's bedroom.  She's doing one whole wall with purple chalkboard paint.  The 13 year old inside of me is super jealous excited for her. 

Another plus, I came home to this the other day.  But on the negative side, there's a brown guy cruising the city with pink chalk fingers.  Ahh, mi amore. 


Try this!  And if you already have, tell me about.  Anything different you used the paint on?  I'm thinking about doing some planters on my kitchen counter.  Risk taker! :p

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