Transform your old painting frames to shabby chic chalkboard frames.
So if you have any framed artworks in your basement or in your storage just collecting dust then it is time to take them out and give them new life and turn them into chalkboard frames.
MATERIALS:
- Old frames
- Chalkboard paint
- Chalk paint
- Paintbrush
- Drop cloth
- Sand paper
- Rag
- Furniture wax
I have these framed landscape paintings that I got for free but I really don’t fancy the artwork so I covered it here in the picture because I don’t want to offend the artist. I got all 4 of them in different sizes because I liked the frame and I knew right away what I was going to do with them.
Once you have the frames then buys some chalkboard paint. It comes in different tints, too, but for this project I got a black one. I used a mini paint roller and tray for this DIY. You can also just use a paintbrush.
First, take out the board from the painting frame and paint over it with the black chalkboard paint. Two coats will do. Remember to dry the first coat before applying the second coat.
Next, you can start painting the frames with chalk paint. But before you get confused between a chalkboard paint and chalk paint, let me define it.
Chalkboard paint and chalk paint are two different kinds of paint. Chalkboard paint is paint you use to be able to write on it with chalk sticks and chalk paint is paint that gives a matte chalky looking paint on furniture. It is best used if you want to have a vintage or distressed look on a furniture piece. I bought an artisan chalk paint chose the color chalk white. You can use any chalk paint brand you prefer.
While you’re waiting for the chalkboard to dry, you can begin to work on the frame.
This is how the frame looked like when I stripped the actual paintings and board backing out of them. Make sure you wipe the frame so it is free from dust and dirt before applying paint because if you don’t, you will embed the grime and dirt on the frame.
Place a drop cloth on your work table to protect it from spills and paint drops. I sometimes use an old worn out shower curtain, that works the same, too. Stir your paint thoroughly so you get to mix the part of paint that has settled at the bottom of the can. Because this paint is chalky, you may want to paint in a cross hatch motion. Do a brisk cross motion. Once the first coat is dry, you can paint the another coat with the same motion. Do the same to the back of the frame.
When the paint completely dries, get some sand paper and begin manually sanding sections of the frame until the previous color or layer of the wood shows up. I prefer to cut the sandpaper into smaller pieces because it makes it easier to manipulate especially if you have to work on crevices. You also need to use a dust mask so you don’t breathe in the dust from sanding.
Depending on the look you want to achieve, you can either sand off the paint deeply or on a medium scale to get that distressed look or vintage feel. I intentionally mildly distressed the look because that will go well with the design style I envisioned. If you want a rustic or shabby chic look and feel then by all means sand more sections and edges on a deeper scale.
After the sanding, make sure you remove all the paint from the frame and then apply a clear furniture wax with a lint free cloth. The wax will seal and protect the painted frame. Apply just one coat of wax and allow it to sit for 5 minutes then buff it like you would shine a shoe. You will see a beautiful natural sheen on the frame. Allow the wax to cure for about 6 hours then you can buff it again.
Place back the board that was painted with chalkboard paint.
Then, this is where it gets really exciting! You can now play with typography or draw since you have sort of a blank canvas.
This is the part where you can let yourself enjoy making hand-drawn letterings. Do not be too self-conscious with your handwriting but let this be a time to play around and appreciate hand lettering or simple handwriting because there is some raw beauty to it really. The beauty of these frames is that you can change them up every now and then because the chalk is erasable.
Maybe you want to draw instead, these chalkboard frames will still look great.
Here is the final look of my shabby chic chalkboard frames
I hung them all up and I think I’m really stoked with how this empty wall looks now.
Your turn! Try this chalkboard frame DIY.