We have decided to redo Chloe's room, and we wanted to know how to make a chalkboard from a mirror like we see in plenty of magazines... for less. Her room needed to be freshened up and we decided we'd show you how to make a chalkboard as one of our projects for her room redo. We were inspired by the colorful chalkboards and mirrors we see everywhere, and the DIY version in Pink Pistachio. (One of our other projects is a monogram message board.) Our requirements: cheap easy no taking apart the frame no paintbrushes no paint cleanup fast Was it possible? You tell us what you think of the results!
Our biggest hurdle was finding an inexpensive mirror. Any size could do, but we wanted a large one because she had a lot of empty wall space we wanted to cover. We looked everywhere for cheap mirrors at antique stores. We couldn't find anything and had given up... and were walking by a neighbor's house and they happened to have one for sale for $5 during a yard sale! So much for all the antiquing we had done... we scored by walking to get a latté and chai! So we would suggest that you begin by checking yard sales.
Supplies Needed:
- newspaper or drop cloth to place beneath your mirror
- sandpaper
- gloves if you would like to protect your hands from spray paint
- spray paint for wood border in your choice of color
- spray chalkboard paint
- parchment paper or newspaper to cover the chalkboard area while you spray.
Step 1: Read the entire set of directions BEFORE you begin!!! On a non-windy day, lay down newspaper of plastic and place your mirror on top. It's your choice to start with the blackboard or the wood border, and we chose the wood border.
Step 2: Clean the wood border and lightly sand so the spray paint will adhere.
Step 3: Spray paint the wood border. For the first step, you do not have to tape anything off since you will be covering the mirror in the next. Don't worry about getting white (or the color you choose) on the mirror since it can act as a primer for the blackboard paint. Let completely dry.
Step 4 (not shown) Spray the chalkboard paint on the mirror. We did not cover the wood so had to add in an extra step! **But, we realized it might have been easier to spray paint the mirror/ chalkboard first, then simply cover it WELL and paint the wood border. It's easier to cover a flat surface, rather than try to cover a rounded surface. Now we know. Just in time to tell you before you begin!
Step 5: Cover the chalkboard area with something that is non-permeable (meaning the spray paint will not go through it.) We chose parchment paper that we wedged between the mirror and the frame. It worked fine except in one corner where it lifted when the paint started to dry. You can use newspaper too. This step is critical to the finished product!! If you skimp here, you may as well start over. Seriously.
Step 5: Let dry. Step back, grab some chalk, enjoy!
