Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Chalkboard window project revealed!

My chalkboard window project ended up taking longer then I expected but I'm in LOVE with the result!  It was fairly easy but the weather didn't coorperate with me, which delayed the project a bit. 
Note: Don't start this project if you have a projected forecast of rain for two weeks straight.

As mentioned here, I went to a local salvage yard and picked up some old windows: one which is painted white and another in a stained wood finish.  Make sure to pick a window with no panes to insure you have a large chalkboard surface to write on.


I found the chalkboard paint at Home Depot, and chose to go with the tintable version which was about $13ish.  After much debate, I decided to tint the paint in the Schoolhouse Green color, to continue the vintage vibe of the project.  



I practiced on the white window first, experimenting with different techniques. I made sure to throughly clean the window so debris wouldn't effect the smooth finish.  Even though I did this step, I still have a few bumps here and there, but it doesn't bother me too much.  I started to apply the paint and realized it goes on pretty thin, which means many coats to follow. 


I let it dry about 20 minutes, felt the paint and thought it was ready for a second coat. OH but I was so wrong. I realized this very quickly when the first coat started peeling off when I went painted over it.  This is what I ended up with: 


I sanded the spot in attempt to smooth it out and maybe, just maybe you wouldn't see my mess up.  In the end, you can definitely see the imperfection, BUT when it's against the wall with no light shining through, it's hardly visible, even when I write over the spot with chalk.  After the hiccup, I had to wait the full 24 hours it instructed on the box. I'm not a patient person when it comes to drying times when I'm in the middle of a project but I obeyed the rules and since then, I had no further uh-oh's. I guess it helps to read the directions and actually abide by them sometimes. Boo.

After about a week and half later, I was finally done applying the paint, about 5-6 coats in the end.  If I was to do it again, I would make sure to brush the paint on the surface in one direction every time.  My chalkboard has a cross hatched effect which is fine with me, but if I went in one direction the chalkboard finish would be smoother and more consistent. Also, I believe if I primed the window first, the paint would of adhered better, and possibly lessened the amount of coats I had to do.

I had the hubby pre-drill holes in the back to thread two screw eyes on each side, about 1/3 of the way down.


Then I attached some picture hanging wire, making sure it was sturdy enough to hang on the wall.


FINALLY it was time to hang it up!  As I said before, I chose the wood frame for the nursery, since the hubs thought there was too much "white" in the nursery. He's worried that the nursery is too "girly" and maybe the wood frame would make it more "boyish".   Here it is, written with 36 weeks which was the backdrop for my recent belly picture. (My dear mother demanded an updated picture)


I chose to put the white window in our screened in porch.  We celebrated my hubby's 30th birthday a few weekends ago and this is what I wrote on it for his party:


I also decided to paint the backside of our medicine cabinet with the same paint.  Much better then the yucky gray color it was before.



So there you have it, my chalkboard window project is complete and I LOVE it.  Try it for yourself and I'm warning you now that you will find anything and everything around your house to turn into a chalkboard. I promise.


10 comments:

Tanya said...

Love it, what a fun idea! :D

Robyn said...

That is adorable!

Unknown said...

Great idea!!! Maybe I'll try one....someday!

Cindy said...

I love project! I didn't even know they sold chalkboard paint! That's really quite amazing.

Lindsey said...

Love it!!! I'm hoping to do something like this in our new house...but probably won't ever get around to it. You've inspired me though! :)

kara said...

i painted my old fridge in chalkboard paint once-great fun activity for the kiddos! i have an old window pane- will try!

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