DIY Chalkboard with Antique Looking Frame Tutorial

We have been doing a mini makeover on our entry way. You may have seen our new coat hooks under the kids’ pictures. I am one of those people who is horrible at remembering things as I leave the house. I might have someone’s tupperware forever because I simply forget to take it. I really wanted some sort of entry (I guess in this case exit) reminder board. I definitely wanted to make it an attractive option. My solution was to make my own chalkboard. I love the look of antique Victorian-style frames that have been spray painted over to give a nice sleek look. I have had this idea for quite a while and have been visiting second hand stores, garage sales and estate sales with no luck. Finally, I just decided to look at my options at Michael’s (our local craft store). I found this empty frame, which is all I really needed. With my 50% off coupon, it was $40, which seemed reasonable. 

Spray paint your frame in the color you want. I chose a classic black with a semi-gloss finish.

We hung the frame on the wall exactly where we wanted it.

While the frame was hanging there, we (that’s a royal we, my husband did all of this) traced around the inner edge. This became the guideline of where to paint.

The final step is to use chalkboard paint to paint in the rectangle. You will want to go just over the line you traced. A bonus is that the chalk fits nicely into the bottom of the frame. I am loving this option, and at least one person has gotten her tupperware back since I have started using it.

The final part of the re-do was the closet doors. These ones were OK, but they often fell of the track when we’d open the doors. They also wouldn’t stay shut and were difficult to close.