Updated Chalkboard Tutorial

Hi Everyone! I have still gotten multiple questions & comments regarding how I made the chalkboard so I wanted to post an updated, simple tutorial as to how I made it.

Went to local Goodwill looking for an old picture.You'll want something that has a solid wood frame AND a wood backing (some are cardboard). Make sure that you can easily remove the backing/picture from the frame itself & make sure that the entire thing seems sturdy.

You can see in the before picture, I found this picture of the ocean. The painting was held together by bendable staples, so we opened them all up and took apart the three pieces - the frame, which we painted white, the wood backing, which we painted with chalkboard paint & the painting paper itself, which got tossed in the trash. 

I used spray chalkboard paint when I initially did this - but have since repainted it with this much better Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint from a can. It goes on thicker & is much more durable. Then we just put the chalkboard backing back into the frame, tightened up all of the staples and BOOM... you have yourself a chalkboard :)

Chalkboard Questions

Thank you to everyone for all of the super sweet comments - especially those offering advice for me as a first time mom & compulsive shopper... and to those offering condolences as I make my way through a sober football season.

I wanted to quickly answer all of the questions I have received about my chalkboard. I made it a few years ago, here is the *updated* TUTORIAL. I am in the process of making another one for my kitchen too so I will post that once it is finished. I miss drawing on it for all of the seasons & holidays! 

I use regular Crayola chalk, I find that it works the best of all brands. I even use sidewalk chalk too sometimes because it has more color options :) I have never used chalk pens or markers - although I suppose that might be a little less messy. To deal with the dust & erase marks, I use a regular dry dish towel to erase the board and then a damp one to clear it off before drawing on it again. My best advice for keeping the chalkboard looking good is to slap on a new coat of chalkboard paint every few weeks, that will keep the board black & looking great. Also, regular paint seems to work much better than spray paint if you want a durable chalkboard. I originally made the board with spray paint & you can tell in the pictures above how much harder it was to keep it looking nice. 

Hope that is helpful & answers all of your questions! :)