Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

I’m a serial upcycler. When I can find relatively free materials and turn them into something worth displaying, I’m thrilled! This Magnetic Chalkboard frame is one of those upcycled projects I am proud of.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame

Earlier in the week, I showed you the changes I made in my oldest son’s bedroom. One of the switches I made was to replace his bedroom door because the old one had cracked after one too many slammings. Ugh, cheap hollow door.

In an effort to keep my son from taping all types of signs to his new door, I found an ugly old frame and married it with some scrap metal from a junky set of shelving a neighbor was throwing away.

bookcase in love with ugly frame

That’s not real wood, it’s metal…fake wood metal. Yuck. Wait until you see how they were transformed. You won’t believe your eyes, so watch closely how I made this Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame.

Before you leave this tutorial thinking you can’t possibly make this project because you’ll never be able to find cheap faux wood shelves, let me share with you some alternate materials you can use!

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Magnetic Material:

Non-Magnetic Material for Chalkboard:

Now that you have some additional material options, let’s get busy making a Magnetic Framed Chalkboard (or just a framed chalkboard).

Materials:

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Optional: You may need some Goo Gone, a scraper, and rag to eliminate any glue on the back of the frame.

Instructions:

Begin by cutting your metal (or backing) to fit into the back of the frame.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Paint one side of the metal with chalkboard paint. Let it dry. Apply a second coat of chalkboard paint. Let it dry.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

While the chalkboard paint is drying, time to work on the frame.

If your frame has paper on the back, peel it off and use Goo Gone, a scraper, and sander to remove any of the glue residue.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

 

When the chalkboard paint has dried, insert it into the frame, chalkboard side up from the backside of the frame (are you seeing where I’m going with this?)

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

The back of the frame is much prettier than the front, but in order to hold the chalkboard in place, we need to cut some picture molding. Cut the end of your molding at a 45 degree angle. Fit it into the frame and mark where to make your second cut.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Continue fitting and cutting molding around your frame.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Once all four pieces of molding fit, you are ready to secure them.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Apply a bead of wood glue along the inside edge of the back of the frame.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Set the molding pieces in place and wipe up any glue that squeezes out.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Clamp the molding pieces and the frame. Allow the glue to dry for at least an hour.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

When the glue has dried. Attach two D-rings to the back of the frame.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Season the chalkboard with the side of a piece of chalk. Then use a dry rag to buff it off.

Time to hang it up! (In my case, I hung it on my son’s door.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

To keep the frame from bouncing any time the door is opened or closed, I put a 3M Command velcro strip between the bottom of the frame and the door.

Now my son can put up pictures, messages, and more without damaging the door.

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

Pretty cool huh?! Would you ever guess the back of an ugly frame and metal shelves could look this beautiful?

Upcycled Magnetic Chalkboard Frame | Pretty Handy Girl

I especially like the little metal fasteners showing in the corners of the frame.

Tell me, do you have an ugly frame hanging around your house? Have you ever looked at the back and found it more beautiful than the front?

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Pin for later!

30 plus creative projects using chalkboard paint pinterest image

Chalkboard paint is such a fun addition to many different types of projects. You can turn anything into an ever-changeable work of art, or use it to label different items throughout your home. Here is a collection of 32 Creative Projects using Chalkboard Paint that you could create for your home or as a fun and personalized gift! Check them out and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Check out this Message Board for the Mudroom! It’s a great place to drop things on your way in or leave letters to go out to the mailbox.

 

Chalkboard Paint Projects - Spice Jar RackPaint a Dated Thrift Store Spice Rack to make your spices easy to find.

 

chalkboard painted projects - candy jar lidsLabel your cookie or candy jars with chalkboard paint to keep them cute and modern.

 

chalkboard paint projects - gift tagsCreate these amazing Gift Wrap chalkboard paint tags to customize your gift-giving.

 

chalkboard paint projects - customizable bin tags Make Customizable chalkboard paint tags for whatever you need to organize.

 

chalkboard paint projects - chalkboard coffee table

How fun if you painted your coffee table with chalkboard paint. Then you can write personalized messages on your coffee table.

 

chalkboard paint projects diy painted chair personalizedPlanning a chair makeover? Add some chalkboard paint to the back for personalization.

 

chalkboard paint bucketPaint a simple bucket and change the message to match any seasonal decor.

 

chalkboard paint with doodle curl white paint penChristmas ornaments coated in chalkboard paint can be decorated with chalk pens.

 

chalkboard paint buckets for gift givingCreate amazing hostess gifts by adding chalkboard paint to metal buckets.

 

chalkboard paint projects create a smooth wallLearn how to make a Smooth Chalkboard Wall anywhere in your house with this tutorial.

 

chalkboard paint vertical wall mounted deskCover a desk with chalkboard paint for a great note-taking surface.

 

chalkboard paint projects - create a fireplace draft stopperMake a fireplace draft stopper with insulation and chalkboard paint.

 

chalkboard paint projects - diy marble toss with keeping scoreMake a Marble Toss Game with a Chalkboard Paint Scoreboard.

 

chalkboard paint projects - chalkboard mugsCreate Chalkboard Painted Mugs for a favor at your next party.

 

chalkboard projects - diy rustic chalkboardAdd a huge DIY Chalkboard for your home and decorate it for all seasons.

 

chalkboard paint projects - diy clock signThis DIY Clock Sign is a fun way to use some chalkboard paint.

 

chalkboard paint projects for christmas signUse green chalkboard paint to make a count down sign.

 

chalkboard paint projects - upcycle frame into magnetic chalkboard artMake a magnetic chalkboard frame from an upcycled wooden frame.

 

chalkboard paint project - upcycled cabinet door to chalkboard artUpcycle a cabinet door into quote art by following this tutorial.

 

chalkboard paint projects - decorated chalkboard washi clipboardCreate Decorated Chalkboard Clipboards using chalkboard paint and washi tape.

 

Chalkboard Paint Projects - Mini Makeover for a book display shelf

Makeover a bookshelf so kids can leave each other book reviews.

 

chalkboard paint projects - pantry drawer labelsBuild pull out drawers for your pantry and use chalkboard paint to label them.

 

chalkboard paint project Wooden party banner Create this amazing Wooden Party Banner with wood and chalkboard paint for your next party.

 

chalkboard paint project - chalkboard seasonal artAdd some seasonal Chalkboard Art to decorate your home this fall.

 

chalkboard paint projects - how to make colored chalkboard paintLearn how to make Colored Chalkboard Paint.

 

chalkboard paint projects - chalkboard calendar for refrigeratorCreate a Chalkboard Calendar for your refrigerator and stay super organized all year.

 

chalkboard paint project chalkboard zinc cabinet beauty shotTurn a metal chest into a Faux Zinc Chalkboard File Cabinet and customize with chalk art.

 


chalkboard paint project - ikea cutting board makeover
Make a quick Cutting Board Makeover with blue chalkboard paint.

 

chalkboard paint project - rustic wall organization box Build an awesome Rustic Chalkboard Wall Organizer.

 

chalkboard paint project - chalkboard with ledgeBuild a Wall Chalkboard with a chalk ledge for the whole family to use.

 

chalkboard paint project - diy chalkboard wall calendar Create a DIY Wall Calendar with chalkboard paint and stay on task daily.

 

Thanks for reading! If you like this collection of ideas, please Pin this image on Pinterest to share with your friends and save for later!

30 plus creative projects using chalkboard paint pinterest image

Hi, I’m Sheri from Hazel + Gold Designs. Here are a few fun stats about me: I like love chocolate and peanut butter (together of course.) If you like stats, I have been crocheting for about 16 years, crafting for 20, and woodworking for about 4 years. I found a passion in making and being creative and began documenting my projects online at Hazel + Gold Designs.

When not working on projects, I enjoy spending time with my husband, four children, perfect dog, and ornery cat. You can find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.

Read all of Sheri’s tutorials.

~Find more of Sheri’s projects here ~

 

 

Cotton Fall Wreath and Décor for the Entryway

Cotton Fall Wreath

Every morning for the past few weeks I woke up and looked out the window. A few leaves have turned color, but as soon as I look at the weather report — the heat and humidity has yet to leave North Carolina. Will fall ever arrive? I want to wear flannel shirts and boots. I want cooler temperatures so I can stop sweating the minute I step outside. To usher fall into our area, I decided to make a super simple Cotton Fall Wreath. You won’t believe how easy this wreath was to make!

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Materials for Cotton Fall Wreath

Instructions:

This wreath was so simple to create, I didn’t take step-by-step photos. Gasp!

Really, it’s so simple, all you have to do is tuck preserved leaves into the cotton wreath. Yup, just tucked, no glue or anything!

Cotton Fall Wreath and Décor for the Entryway

Then loop a strip of burlap (or ribbon of your choice) through the top and pin it to the top of your door using a flat thumbtack.

Cotton Fall Wreath and Décor for the Entryway

See, wasn’t that super simple?

Cotton Fall Wreath and Décor for the Entryway

A red ribbon would also look beautiful with this wreath.

Pretty Handy Girl's Colorful Fall Home Tour

To give my entry a little extra decor, I added a few colorful items.

Fall Décor for the Entryway

A little step ladder with a pumpkin and some silk flowers.

Fall Décor for Home Entrance | Pretty Handy Girl

The chalkboard painted pail from my fall mantle a few years ago.

Fall Décor for Home Entrance

A faked blue gourd sits on the bottom step, tempting people to touch it to see if it’s real.

Fall Décor for Home Entrance

My favorite décor item is this light up grapevine sphere. It adds a beautiful warm glow after dark.

Fall Décor for Home Entrance | Pretty Handy Girl

Have you decorated for fall yet? Have cooler temperatures arrived where you are? If so, please mail me some of your fall weather!

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Want more Fall Wreath inspiration? Enjoy these 24 more Fall wreath ideas:

24 Creative Fall Wreaths

DIY Chalkboard Calendar | Pretty Handy Girl

Create this DIY Chalkboard Calendar to get you and your family organized. It will only take you about half an hour to create but it will save you the headache of double booking yourself and get the kids on board with upcoming activities and trips.

DIY Chalkboard Wall CalendarDIY Chalkboard Wall Calendar

I’m bring back this tutorial for those of you that may have missed it. Why? Because this DIY Chalkboard Wall Calendar has been in our kitchen for over four years and it has held up beautifully! This calendar is an important part of our daily routine. My kids look at it frequently to see what activities and trips are coming up. My husband and I use a Google calendar to stay current, but this calendar is a great way to keep the kids organized and to let me look at a glance what’s coming up while I’m on the phone. Seriously, this is one of the best things I created for our family. In the spirit of getting organized, I’m going to share with you my easy DIY chalkboard wall calendar. But, first here are some great uses for a chalkboard calendar.

Ways to Use a Chalkboard Calendar:

  • Keep Track of After School Activities
  • Menu Plan
  • Chore Reminders
  • School Lunch Menu
  • Holidays
  • Birthdays
  • Reminder for Pets Flea, Tick and Heartworm Medicine
  • Business Trips
  • Vacations
  • Date Nights
  • Family Activities
  • Blog Calendar
  • Schedule Meetings
  • Work Calendar
  • Project Planning

Have I left anything out?

2014 chalkboard calendar wall

Easy to Clean:

In the past I used to draw out the calendar lines, but trying to erase inside the lines was tedious and time consuming. What busy mom has time for that?! By using the vinyl stripes, I can easily erase the calendar after two months and add new dates.

To save extra time, I like to put recurring items on the bottom line so I can wipe around them and keep the items there from month-to-month.

close up chalkboard calendar day

I also use consistent color coding. One color per person and I use separate colors for school or trips. But, feel free to do what works for your family.

To create this quick chalkboard calendar you need to start with a chalkboard wall (or large chalkboard.) Then gather some supplies.

Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Instructions:

Using the level, make a straight (and level) line for the top of your calendar. (Mine is 28″ wide.)

draw chalk lines using level

Using your ruler, mark a tick mark horizontally every 4″ (more or less depending on your space availability) for the 7 days. Make 5 tick marks down from the top line vertically every 4″. Repeat on the opposite side. Then add your horizontal tick marks for the days at the bottom.

chalk grid lines created

Use your vinyl lines to outline the calendar and create the horizontal lines.

chalkboard horizontal lines drawn

Connect the vertical tick marks with vinyl lines. If you have excess vinyl, snip off the excess with a pair of scissors. (Our calendar is 20″ tall.)

excess vinyl trim excess

In our house I added two calendars. It’s always nice to see a month ahead! Sometimes I contemplate moving the calendars up and added a third month, but for now this works well for us.

grid lines chalkboard calendar

The chalkboard calendar lets you get creative and practice your chalk lettering. (It’s been fun for me to practice since picking up these hand-lettering books.)

February Chalkboard Calendar month

Can you think of other ways to  keep you and your family organized? I’d love to hear it.

2014 chalkboard calendar wall

By the way, Leen has a chalkboard calendar for those of you that don’t want to commit to a large painted chalkboard wall in your home!

PHGFancySignDisclosure: This is NOT a sponsored post. Leen is just a good friend and my go to source for vinyl graphics and designs.

You may also like Jacque’s Perpetual Menu Calendar:

Reusable monthly menu board with magnetic meals - perpetual menu board

Or this refrigerator chalkboard calendar:

 

Have you ever wished you had a chalkboard wall in your home? But, those bumpy textured walls or damaged drywall are not smooth enough? Well, today I’m about to rock your world by showing you How to Make a SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall For Imperfect Walls!

SMOOTH Chalkboard WallHow to Make a SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall {For Imperfect Walls}

I feel your pain! We have a little wall between the kitchen and the dining room that was the perfect spot for a chalkboard wall. But the drywall was ripped from the removal of the beadboard. Sure, I could have ripped out the drywall and added new, but honestly I was beyond drywall in our kitchen renovation process and I didn’t want to back track.

I’m cringing at the photo below because the pantry looked like that long after we finished the kitchen. Luckily, I finished the pantry last year. You would not recognize it as the same space!

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

But enough about the kitchen renovation. I came up with a new solution for making the wall smooth enough for a chalkboard! You could also use this technique if you wanted to remove the chalkboard in the future if you live in a rental and aren’t allowed to paint walls.

Ready? Alright, let’s get this chalkboard party started now!

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall Materials:

(I’ve included affiliate links for your convenience. I earn a small percentage from a purchase using these links. There is no additional cost to you. You can read more about affiliate links here.)

Optional (if you have an outlet or switch to work around):

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall Instructions:

Cut Your Pieces:

Cut your masonite to size. (Or bring your measurements and ask the store to cut it to size for you.)

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Use a jigsaw, circular saw, table saw, or other power saw to cut each panel. Dry fit the panels on the wall and make any adjustments as necessary.

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Plan your sections:

Use one large sheet to cover as much wall as possible. The fewer the seams the better.  Plan to hang a small piece for over any doors. (Note: The skinny little section on the left side of the door was left blank, no one has noticed after it was painted black.)

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

If you have an outlet or light switch, you need to cut a hole in the masonite to accommodate them.  To cut the hole, smear lipstick around the edges of the box (or you can smear it on an outlet as shown in this post.) Hold the masonite panel in place and push against the outlet box. When removed you should  see the lipstick impressions. (I used an extra outlet box to trace around for lines that were easier to see.)

marking_outlet_location_lipstick

Drill holes in the corner of the outlined shape. Use a jigsaw to cut from hole to hole. Test fit your panel.

drill_holes_for_outlet

Install Panels:

Time to hang the masonite panels. For a permanent hold, use construction glue and then secure with finish nails. If you want to be able to remove the panels later, skip the adhesive and use only finish nails.

glue_and_nail_board

Fill nail holes and seams with wood putty. Lightly sand smooth after the putty has dried.

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Prime and Paint:

Using a foam roller, prime the chalkboard with tinted primer (ask your paint department to add as much black as they can to a small can of primer. This will reduce the number of coats of chalkboard paint needed.) My Lowe’s store was able to produce a 50% gray color.

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

After the primer dries, lightly sand, and wipe clean. It’s important to sand between coats because this will give you the smoothest results and it gives a little tooth for the next layer to adhere to. You’ll need at least two coats of chalkboard paint.

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Seasoning the Chalkboard:

After the paint has dried thoroughly, enlist the help of your son or daughter to help season the chalkboard (rub chalk on its side over the entire surface.)

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Then wipe off the chalk using a completely dry rag.

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

There is beauty in the gray movement on a chalkboard wall, wouldn’t you agree?

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

Don’t forget to add  your outlet covers. You can paint them with chalkboard paint to match the wall.  (Important: Do not paint the actual outlet, this violates electrical codes.)

chalkboard_open_dining_rm

Christen your chalkboard with drawings or your to do list.

kitchen_to_do_list

Within two hours I had to erase the list because I was feeling a little stressed by all the things I needed to complete in our kitchen renovation.

This fun quote was a lot less stressful!

SMOOTH Chalkboard Wall

We added a chalkboard calendar a few years ago and this has been the best way for our family to stay organized (also the kids love seeing what’s coming up each week.)

2014 chalkboard calendar wall

What would you use a chalkboard wall for? I’d love to hear your ideas.

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