Chalkboard Frame

To be completely honest, this project started out quite different than where it ended.  I wanted to make a simple chalkboard frame in 2 different bright hues.  I was planning to attach bakers twine (my new favorite type of string) and hang 2 clothespins that would support a single photo.

As I began working on this project, I realized the sides of the wood frame needed a more intricate boarder to complete the look, but mainly to cover up the imperfections in my paint job.  Then, as I was about to attach my bakers twine, my husband stepped in and said there was too much going on. 

My husband rarely has a strong opinion on my DIY crafts, so I decided to listen to him!  I scrapped the twine/double clothespin idea, and hot glued a single clothespin to the top of the frame.  I have to say, he was right...less is definitely more in this case.

What you need:
2x 8x10 wood trays (without the handles)
3x long wood boarder pieces (after sawing them, you will have 12 pieces total)
Mitre Box with Saw
Acrylic paint
Chalkboard paint
Chalk
Hot glue gun
2x mini clothespins
2x photos

Directions:

1. Flip the wood frame over (so you are painting the back) and paint 2 coats of chalkboard paint, letting the first coat dry for at least an hour before reapplying.  Then paint the boarders of each frame.

2. Use the mitre box to saw the wood boarder pieces at a 90 degree angle.  My husband took on this step since he loves using new tools from Home Depot.

3. Paint the wood boarder pieces 2 coats each.

4. Line up the wood boarders where you want them to go, and hot glue all sides to the frame.

5. Once the boarder is glued down, you may need to go back with the colored paint to fill in spots where the chalkboard paint shows up on the boarder.

6. Paint your mini clothespin the color of choice, and hot glue to the top of the frame, making sure to leave room to actually write a cute saying in chalk.

7. Drop in your photo, and use the chalk to write a description of the photo.

We decided to hang these in our kitchen right above our fruit holder so the colors of the frames play off of the colorful fruit.  We also had our kitchen painted (from this weird blue to a crème) so it was nice to give our walls a punch of color.

The great thing about these frames is you can swap out the pictures and chalk sayings so much easier than a picture frame.  Also, the clothespin look gives the picture a more fun and casual feel.

Time Spent:
Approximately 1.5hours.  The longest part was having to give each item 2 solid coats of paint.


Estimated Cost: $30 for 2 frames
The priciest item you will need is chalkboard paint $10.  But once you have this in your craft supplies, there are a ton of ways you can use it again.