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chalkboard
difficulty:
I really wanted a cute chalk-board for my kitchen, but I absolutely could NOT find one that was acceptable. They were all either too small or too flimsy or not magnetic. So I decided to make one.
+ paint roller
+ stain
+ canvas stretches (available at art supply stores or Hobby Lobby)
+ chalk board paint
+ tin (sold in sheets or rolls at home improvement stores - for roofing)
+ nails
+ hammer
+ picture hanging kit
Assemble the frame by squishing the corners of the canvas stretchers together. You might want to use a square to get them perfect. Then you'll need to nail 'em together. Use very small nails, because stretchers aren't exactly thick. I wanted to have a sort of rustic look, so I nailed from the front, but you could just as easily nail them from the back ...
After you've assembled and secured the frame, stain it. I'm not going to go into staining techniques, but basically, you paint it on and rub it off. Coats, etc. are your choice. You could paint it too ...
If you bought tin on a roll, you'll need to nail the tin onto the back of the frame. You can't paint it otherwise, because it wants to roll up. Once it's nailed in, mask off the frame and give it a couple of good coats of chalkboard paint.
If you have flat tin, paint it with the chalkboard paint for a couple of coats and make sure it's dried well, then tack it behind your frame. If you're using plain board, prime it with the magnetic paint (skip this bit if you don't want it magnetic) and then give it a couple of coats. After it dries, nail it in.
Once your chalkboard is complete, nail in the hangers to each side and tie up some wire between them and then mount it in your wall.
chalkboard
Project Overview
cost: difficulty:
I really wanted a cute chalk-board for my kitchen, but I absolutely could NOT find one that was acceptable. They were all either too small or too flimsy or not magnetic. So I decided to make one.
Supplies
+ paint brush
+ paint roller
+ stain
+ canvas stretches (available at art supply stores or Hobby Lobby)
+ chalk board paint
+ tin (sold in sheets or rolls at home improvement stores - for roofing)
+ nails
+ hammer
+ picture hanging kit
Directions
First you've got to find your tin. Tin isn't absolutely necessary unless you want to make it magnetic. You can just use some thin tag board (available at home depot). You could also first coat this with magnetic paint primer if you like. If you use tin, the easiset, me thinks, you'll be somewhat limited by the sizes you can find. My tin was only 20" high, so that limited me height wise. Once you have decided how big your piece of tin or board will be, purchase canvas stretchers to frame it. Measure them while you're in the store to make sure!!
Assemble the frame by squishing the corners of the canvas stretchers together. You might want to use a square to get them perfect. Then you'll need to nail 'em together. Use very small nails, because stretchers aren't exactly thick. I wanted to have a sort of rustic look, so I nailed from the front, but you could just as easily nail them from the back ...
After you've assembled and secured the frame, stain it. I'm not going to go into staining techniques, but basically, you paint it on and rub it off. Coats, etc. are your choice. You could paint it too ...
If you bought tin on a roll, you'll need to nail the tin onto the back of the frame. You can't paint it otherwise, because it wants to roll up. Once it's nailed in, mask off the frame and give it a couple of good coats of chalkboard paint.
If you have flat tin, paint it with the chalkboard paint for a couple of coats and make sure it's dried well, then tack it behind your frame. If you're using plain board, prime it with the magnetic paint (skip this bit if you don't want it magnetic) and then give it a couple of coats. After it dries, nail it in.
Once your chalkboard is complete, nail in the hangers to each side and tie up some wire between them and then mount it in your wall.
