Hello friends & welcome to my first blog post on the new website! YAY!
If you follow my Instagram account you probably know that I spent my weekend redesigning my family room. This took me a few years to figure out a better layout due to my sectional couch not being rearrangeable. I could go into a long review just on my couch but that's besides the point, so we'll save that for another day. While in the midst of rearranging my family room I needed to fill some empty wall space. This meant to switch around some wall decor and ultimately I needed to add something more. Preferably a large item to take up alot of wall space. It took me a while to figure out what I could hang in such a large space.
During our second weekly running of #mysimplyfreshdecor I was so in love with Rose's entry (@rose_wood_decor_) & her lovely chalkboard! The wooden frame against the blackboard makes the perfect contrast. The colors also give that "modern farmhouse" feel, which is what I find myself converting more to. You can see her post here where I got my inspiration from. (PS thank you Rose!)
So if you couldn't tell already, I decided a large chalkboard would be perfect for this space! I shopped all over the place looking and I just couldn't find what I wanted. If you don't know me already, my rule is "If I can't find it, I'll make it myself!" So here's how I made this inexpensive farmhouse style chalkboard.
Supplies Needed;
2'x4' plywood piece
(3) 1"x 4'x 3/4" pieces of wood
Chalkpaint
Nail gun & nails
(2) screws
40lb Mirror Cord
First, I started painting the plywood with the chalk paint. I read that the proper way to use chalk paint is to first sand and prime. I was in a rush and too impatient so I just went right into painting and it honestly turned out fine. Typically, I would use the spray chalk paint, but due to the weather conditions I decided to roll it on. Even though I used a roller for smooth surfaces, it still left behind a bumpy texture, so I went back and just lightly smoothed it down with a Scotch Brite. I was too afraid to use sandpaper because I was afraid it would be too rough and remove the paint. The Scotch Brite worked perfectly!
Next, I stained the 1"x 4's with Minwax Early American. This color is beautiful! Not too dark, not too light, and nice and warm.
Once everything was painted and stained, it was time to put it all together! I used a nail gun to nail the frame onto the chalkboard. I nailed from the back to avoid placing holes in the front of the frame. I first nailed the 4' pieces on since they didn't need any cuts. I then measured and cut the third piece to fit the two side pieces and nailed them on.
Once the chalkboard was all together, I just had to add my wall mount to the back. I placed two screws at 1' down (halfway) and 3/4" in on both sides to hang my wire from.
The last thing to do was attach the wire to the screws. The picture above shows the wire I used (sorry I opened the package and forgot to take a picture before...woops!). I purchased this at Home Depot.
I just started with one side and wrapped the wire around itself to secure it in place. I ran the length I wanted to the other side and did the same thing. *It helps if you're an orthodontic assistant, like me, and work with twisting and bending wires all day! LOL*
Make sure you have enough slack. You don't want it too tight!
It's all together!
*Side note; I will say, if you're planning on utilizing this as an actual chalkboard (meaning you plan on writing on it frequently and it's not just for decoration like mine) I suggest using mounting brackets and screwing/nailing it to the wall vs. using the wire mount. I found that the chalkboard tips away from the wall at the top and slides back and forth pretty easily while trying to write on it. Like I said, I plan on keeping mine as is and occasionally writing on it so it's no biggie for me. But I did just want to give the heads up!*
For the finishing touches I just seasoned it with chalk to give it that aged and messy affect. To do this, it's simple. Coat it in chalk all over, wipe it away, and repeat!
DONE & IN LOVE.
I mean doesn't it fill this space perfectly? I think it's a great contrast to offset all of the white in the room too! This project only costed me $14 (I already had the paint) and only 2 hours of my time. You seriously cannot beat buying that at a store guys!
Well that's all I have for today folks! I hope some of you can use this easy DIY for your own home! Enjoy your week!
Lots of love,
{Lauren FFCO.}