DIY Chalkboard

I have been SO busy this past week!  My daughter and I were at church all week for VBS, we had company over for dinner on Tuesday night, and I had two appointments during the week!  Needless to say...we're tired!  Especially my daughter!

I finished up this chalkboard last week, but I finally had some time today to sit down at the computer and write up the blog post!  

I found this frame at a garage sale.  It was originally a mirror, but once I cleaned it up, I noticed a small scratch.  Sound familiar?  I obviously need to be more diligent about checking things out thoroughly before purchasing them!  Here it is fresh from the garage sale.

I didn't want to use it as a mirror even if the scratch was really small, so I took the mirror out and replaced it with hardboard.  We got a big sheet of it since I'm sure I'll be using more of it in the future!  

My husband  cut out the size I needed for my project (because I think he not-so-secretly enjoys helping me when it involves power tools!) and I sprayed it with spray primer.  I wasn't going to prime it, but the hubby thought the chalkboard paint would soak in too much on such a porous surface.  So, I decided to listen to his wisdom just this once and prime it!  Haha!

After two light coats of primer, I was ready for the chalkboard paint.  I used the paint you have to brush or roll on as opposed to the spray stuff.  No reason, really.  That's just what I used for my last chalkboard project and we had a ton left over, so that's what I used!  Here is the hardboard painted with chalkboard paint.

I used a foam brush when I painted with the chalkboard paint this time.  I will say, as you can see in the next picture, it does leave a texture to board.  I'm still debating on whether or not I like the texture.  I think if I knew I was going to sell a piece, I'd use a small roller to apply the paint for a smoother finish.  

After the paint dried for 24 hours (okay, maybe a little less!), I rubbed a piece of chalk all over the board.  See the texture come out?  Apparently you have to rub the chalk on and then wipe it off to make chalk work on it.  I don't know if that's true or not, but I've heard it so many times that I just do it every time now!

Next, I had to attach the chalkboard to the frame.  I tried wood glue at first, but it just didn't hold, so I tacked a few finishing nails into the back of the frame to hold it in there securely.  

I am hoping to eventually have a gallery wall on our living room wall filled with family pictures and I knew I wanted this to be included in it somehow.  But since this is the first piece, I don't know exactly where it is going to end up on the wall.  So, I used Command adhesives to hang it.  It's much better than using a nail, since I may end up moving it in the future.

I believe there are specific Command adhesives for picture hanging, but these are left over from a hook we had once used and they worked perfectly for this.  I may use the picture hanging strips for the rest of the pieces on the gallery wall, so that I can change them around if I want...and I won't have a bunch of holes in the wall!

I should add in here before I go too far, that I painted the frame with  Annie Sloan chalk paint in Provence and then used a coat of clear wax over that.  The frame does look a little distressed/dirty and that's because I was using dark wax on something else before I waxed this frame, so my brush had some dark wax on it already.  I'm okay with that, though!  I think it turned out nicely!


Now, on to the rosettes.  I already had made the canvas rosette for a different project, but ended up using it on this.  I put it on the frame and felt like it needed a little something extra, so I made the yellow one.  To make a rosette, first you cut (or rip) a strip of fabric.  This one is a little small, so the rosette turned out a little small.  The bigger you want your rosette to be, the bigger (longer AND thicker) you need to cut your fabric strip.

As you can see, the edges can be a little jagged.  It just adds to the character of the flower!  

Next, tie a knot in the end of the fabric strip.  Then you just start twisting the fabric and turning from the knot.  I don't have a picture of this part because my husband was sleeping at the time and I was working on this alone.

I kind of "winged" it as I went anyway, so a picture probably wouldn't do you any good!  I think it's good to wing it sometimes and just let it turn out how it's gonna turn out!  ;)

And here is my rosette!    

I used hot glue to keep the rosette together.  I just picked several places on the back and front to dab a little glue, held it for a couple seconds each time, and it held together just fine.  I also used the hot glue to attach the rosettes to the chalkboard frame.  Just a couple dabs and they were good to go!

Here are a couple shots of the final product.  

As you can see, it looks a little strange just hanging on the wall above our couch all by its lonesome.  But as I find more garage sale frames, I'll be adding to my gallery wall collection! 

Thanks so much for stopping by!  I really appreciate all the comments being left lately!  I'm definitely feeling loved!  :)  

I'm linking up to the following blogs to share my project!

Cherished Bliss - Craft and Tell

Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On

Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party

{Primp} - Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Embracing Change - Creative Inspirations

Restore Interiors - Restored it Wednesday

Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Me, Liz Marie

House of Hepworths - Hookin Up With HoH

Freckled Laundry - {air your laundry friday} Textile Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday

Tatertots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party

Magnetic Burlap Memo Board

I got this piece at a garage sale for $1.  Originally it was a mirror and I was intending to keep it that way.  Until I got it into the trunk of my car and realized that some of the mirror “treatment” was flaking off.   Here is the before shot.  

And here you can see the detail of where the mirror was flaking off.   

I saw it and immediately thought I had just spent one dollar on trash.  I’d just have to throw it away when I got home.  One for the “lesson learned” file.  

Well, somewhere between then and now I had a brilliant idea.  Why not try to take the mirror out and see if I can still use this cool frame for another purpose?  I thought about making it into a chalkboard, but had done a chalkboard recently and thought I should try something else.  When I went to the flea market a couple weeks ago I picked up some great burlap sacks (which I forgot to picture on that post).  I was thinking of using them for another project – and still am – but I thought about this frame that I didn’t know what to do with and it came to me to make a burlap memo board.  

After I took out the mirror, I painted the frame with Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Emperor's Silk (red).  Then I painted over that in a light pink ASCP color, Antoinette.  Once the red color was totally covered and the paint was dry, I used a damp rag to rub off some of the pink paint in places.  It is a fun way of distressing that I've really enjoyed the most, I think.  It gives me freedom to make it look the way I want and I don't get a ton of "scratch" marks from using sand paper.

At first I was going to make it a cork board and use push pins, but I’ve never been a huge fan of push pins, so I decided to make it magnetic.  I bought a piece of sheet metal from The Home Depot and laid the burlap over it, but you could see the metal through it.  After wracking my brain, I came up with an idea.  We have these old, ugly, faded pillowcases on our guest bed that I absolutely hate, but haven’t been willing to replace.  Well, they just so happen to be the perfect color.  So, I cut one of the pillowcases in half and glued the sheet metal to it (which I had already glued to a piece of foam board to help stabilize it) and then wrapped the burlap around the whole thing and glued that down.  

 Now you can’t see the metal and you can’t even tell that there is that thin piece of fabric behind the burlap.  AND, it’s not too thick that magnets won’t stick to it, which is what I was nervous about.  I am not selling this piece (unless someone is REALLY interested in it).  It is going in my daughter’s room which we are slowly changing over from a nursery to a big girl room.  This is the jumping off point along with the pillow I shared with you last week.  I think the memo board looks a little out of place where it is now, but I am not really sure how we're going to arrange the furniture once we're all done and I wanted to get this on  the wall now.  So, there it hangs...for now!

Thanks again for stopping by the blog today.  Sorry about such a long post!  I feel like I want to share my steps and thought process behind the pieces I create, but I don't want my readers to be bored by a long, dragged out post.  So, what do you think?  Should I keep my posts short and sweet or do you like me to explain what's going on in my head?!  Please leave me a comment with YOUR thoughts...and be honest.  I can take it!  :)

I'm linking up to the following blogs to share my project!

Cherished Bliss - Craft and Tell

Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On

Domestically Speaking - The Power of Paint Party

{Primp} - Primp Your Stuff Wednesday

Embracing Change - Creative Inspirations

Restore Interiors - Restored it Wednesday

Liz Marie Blog - Link Up With Me, Liz Marie

House of Hepworths - Hookin Up With HoH
Freckled Laundry - {air your laundry friday} Textile Party

The Shabby Creek Cottage - Transformation Thursday

Miss Mustard Seed - Furniture Feature Friday

Tatertots and Jello - Weekend Wrap Up Party

I sewed my first pillow cover ... and Rylan’s big girl bedroom design ideas

This weekend I sewed my very first pillow cover.  I already had a pillow form that had an ugly cover on it, so I just made a new one!  My in-laws were here this past weekend and my mother-in-law helped me with the pillow cover.  She walked me through it and was there for me to ask questions of, but didn’t really do any of the work.  Which I’m really happy about.  I learn best by doing things myself and having someone there to bounce questions and ideas off of.

Here is the pillow!  

And here is the back.

I’m so happy with how it turned out!  As you can see in the backside picture, I made an envelope cover, and it was surprisingly easy.  I followed this tutorial which was very straight forward and easy to understand.

This pillow will go in my daughter, Rylan’s room.  She is 21 months old and we are starting to transition her to a “big girl” room.  I don’t know what the normal age is for that, but we feel like she’s ready.  We took the side off her crib two and a half months ago and she’s been doing great in it, so we think she’s ready for a big girl bed.  We just have to find the right one at a garage sale or something so that I can paint it and make it special just for her!  

Which brings me to the design scheme for her room.  I originally saw this first picture on Pinterest and just fell in love with the colors.

via

via

I think the dark pink in the inspiration might end up being red in Rylan's room, but I'm okay with that.

Here's another room I really liked!

via

I just love this color combination and I think we can make it work, in our own way, for Rylan’s room.

To start off, we have the fabric I used on the pillow which is called Shine On Americana by Waverly.  It has red, light blue, navy, and cream in it.  We’re just missing the pink.

I think I’ll bring my swatch back to the fabric store one of these days and see if I can find some coordinating fabrics to go with it.  And I need to find bedding that brings everything together.  The fabric is always the hardest part for me.  I guess I get scared and overwhelmed by all the choices and I think I’m going to pick the wrong ones.  

What part of a room design is the hardest for you?  Is fabric easy for you to pick out or do you struggle with it like me?

I'm linking up to the following blogs to share my project!

Freckled Laundry - {air your laundry friday} Textile Party
it all started with paint - pillowpalooza link party

Fun take on an inspiration board...

A few weeks back I shared with you my free garage sale crib spring find.  I had seen this project and had been keeping my eyes open for a spring, but never thought I’d find one...and for free at that!  

This project was SUPER easy and didn’t take long to complete.  I won’t give you a tutorial here because it wasn’t my idea...and I’m not into stealing more creative people’s ideas and pretending they’re my own.  I loved this project so much that I knew I wanted it in my own home, but I didn’t really change anything from the original because it was so cool nothing needed to be changed!  :)  So...make sure you head over to The Handmade Home and check out her tutorial...and her great blog while you’re at it!  :)

The inspiration board is above my computer in my office and I'm going to be using it for personal things like cards and pictures (as shown in these photos), but also for anything that might inspire me in interior design and/or furniture painting.  I'm so excited to have a place for all of my inspiration instead of scattered all over my desk!

Oh, and sorry about the weird fading on the pictures.  It has something to do with the way the light comes in my window, but I'm not sure how to fix that.  I'm just a beginner photographer, ya know?!  ;)

Hope you’re all having a wonderful week!  So glad the weather is starting to cool back down here in Michigan!  I’ve got a lot of projects in the middle stages of completion and I’ll be blogging about them as I get them done.

My first handmade ornament...in a long time!

Ok, I confess, I’ve made handmade ornaments before.  I think we start doing that in preschool, don’t we?  And maybe I’ve even made them as an adult (I really can’t remember, though, so they couldn’t have been that good!).  So, I’m just calling this one my “first...in a long time”!

I was watching NATE the other day and it just put me in a crafting mood.  So I decided to try to make an ornament with what I already had at home.  I really don’t want to spend any more money than I have to right now since we are really trying to spend our money on house updates.  So, I got out my yarn, glue gun, and Styrofoam ornament balls and got to work.  This project is pretty straight forward, just glue and wrap the yarn around the ball.  But I did learn a couple things along the way.  As you, I’m sure, are well aware, I am new at this crafting thing, so I’m still learning...A LOT!  Anyway, I think that I would use regular glue instead of a hot glue gun if I did this project again because you have to use a decent amount of glue and I am a little cheap when it comes to my hot glue!  Also, the hot glue sets up/cools very quickly, so you have to be pretty fast.  Regarding the yarn, I had to start at one “end” and work toward the middle and then stop and start from the other “end” and have them meet in the middle.  If you look closely at the back of the ornament, you can tell there is a tiny overlap of yarn, but oh well.  Once you get about halfway through wrapping the yarn around the Styrofoam ball, it starts to not want to stay together and it is REALLY hard to keep your lines together and not showing white Styrofoam between them.  I tried to make it work, but I was getting really frustrated, so I just stopped where I was and started from the other side.  I think I’d have to do that again in the future, too, because I really don’t see a way around it.  The yarn has to push against each layer/line before it to help keep it on the ball.  Once it gets past that halfway point, it has a very hard time of doing that.  I hope that all even makes sense!  Lastly, the fabric I used for the “H” I’m pretty sure is 100% cotton and once you cut a tiny letter out of it, it starts to pull apart.  So, the edges are unraveling a little bit, but if you don’t look too closely, you really can’t tell!  Like I said, I’m new at all of this, so I’m sure there are plenty of better fabrics I could have used, but I had leftover fabric from my chair project, so that’s what I used!  :)

I am really enjoying learning more about crafting and doing little DIY projects.  It is fun, especially when it doesn’t cost much money!  And I figure, if I already have the supplies at home, I’m not really losing anything (other than a little time) if I try something and fail at it.  I can always just throw it out and try something new!  I know this ornament isn’t perfect...but I think I’ll keep it!  ;)