Chalkboard Sign

Signs are all the rage in home decor these days, but they can be very expensive.  As a part time homemaker, I decided I could make my own.  I wasn't sure what to use for the surface because wood and canvas can both be costly.  My mom purchased old, solid wood cabinet doors at an auction for next to nothing.  Here is how I turned them into inexpensive chalkboard signs.

Materials:

- Surface (wood, canvas, or old cupboard doors)

- Spray Cleaner

- Paper Towels
- Wood Filler (I used Elmer's Carpenter's Wood Filler in a Natural Color) 

- Painter's Tape

- Chalkboard paint (I used Krylon...29 fluid ounces from Hobby Lobby for $14.99 with 30% off)

- Flathead Screw Driver (for opening the paint can)

- Paint Stir Stick

- Chip Brush (Iowa slang for an old junky brush)

- Foam Brush

- Chalk Marker (I used Marvy's 16 mm Jumbo Bistro version)

Chalkboard Sign Supplies -
Painter's Tape, Chalkboard Paint, Screw Driver. Paint Stir Stick, Chip Brush, Foam Brush, and Chalk Marker

Steps:

1) Remove any existing hardware.
2) Clean the surface.  I used a liquid spray cleaner and paper towels.  Allow to dry completely.
3) Fill the holes where the hardware used to be.

4) Using painter's tape, create a crisp outline for your chalkboard.

Upcycled - Old Cupboard Doors get new life as Chalkboards

5) Open and stir chalkboard paint.

6) Apply first coat of chalkboard paint. I used a foam brush on the edges near the tape and the "chip" brush for the center.

7) Allow to dry for one hour.  (Be sure it looks completely dry everywhere.  As the paint drys, it will turn lighter in color and be less shiny.)

8) Apply the second coat of chalkboard paint.

9) Allow to dry completely.

10) Using the chalkboard marker, write your saying.

11) Carefully peel off the tape.  I found that a 45 degree angle works best.

After - Old Cupboard Doors transformed into a Chalkboard Sign - "Be the change you wish to see in the world"

Hopefully this tutorial will help you update your home decor without breaking the bank!