Browsing through the Pottery Barn website, I’ve been lusting after the chalkboards for the kids to practice their writing and numbers, drawing and spending hours just creating together in front of it (a mom can dream, right?) However, I wasn’t lusting after the $200 price tag that came with the chalkboard.
I decided to take to my favorite store, Homesense, to see what I could do about transforming something into a chalkboard for the kids. There, I found the perfect mirror for only $29.99 (a steal, it’s large, heavy and has the perfect distressed frame). After making the decision and hauling it to the car, I stopped at Home Depot, where I picked up a can of chalkboard paint for $4.05 to get the project started on the long weekend of finishing all of the projects.
How to Turn a Mirror Into a Chalkboard
The first thing you’re going to want to do is remove any of the stickers, fingerprints etc. from the mirror. Second, tape the frame of the mirror with painters tape (I tried newspaper but I couldn’t get it to stay on). Use primer and put a thin coat of Rustoleum spray primer, spraying from side to side with even swipes - make sure that you’re using thin coats of primer on the mirror.
Once the primer has dried, apply the spray Rustoleum chalkboard paint to the mirror in similar strokes, side to side. Make sure that you’re continuing to use thin strokes to create an even coat. Bubbles and streaks are going to ruin the finish.
Spray it flat. Allow it to dry, apply the second coat. Allow it to dry once again. That’s the boring part.
Tip: Look for chalkboard spray paint that has an easy to use trigger - the regular ones are hard on the fingers!
To hang the new chalkboard, I used anchors for the drywall and the attached hardware that came with the mirror. I chose to put it at a level the kids could reach, but I think I might need another mirror to DIY for our weekly menu planning!
Prep the Chalkboard
Once the paint has dried for twenty-four hours (the paint I used didn’t require as much, but I wanted to let the Chalkboard dry fully to make sure) take the side of the chalk and rub it over the entire chalkboard. Use a felt eraser, or small pieces of felt from the craft store to ‘erase’ the board. (I did this twice).
Once you’ve finished this step and erased the board, you’re going to be ready for hours of fun.
Note: Never use sidewalk chalk on the chalkboard, it will destroy the surface and it won’t come off.
For $35, I was able to get a designer inspired chalkboard for cheap - saving money and the entire ‘active’ work of the project took under thirty minutes. That was an easy one to cross of my to do list for the weekend. Later, I found a $17 Clearance Pouf at Target for the kids to sit on while they chalk.
