Happy Weekend! Today I’m sharing an easy DIY Chalkboard tutorial. Chalkboards have been all the rage for some time now. I used some chalkboard accents in March for our housewarming party. As I mentioned in Friday’s post, there were some things around the house that were just kind of thrown together when we moved in. For some time, I’d been wanting something bigger on the wall where you walk in to the living room. Plus, with a mirror there and one over the fireplace, people were going to start to think we were a little narcissistic. I contemplated making the smaller mirror into a chalkboard but I wanted it to have more of a wow factor. I forgot to take a “real” before photo so excuse the mess in this one. I snapped this to send to Jamie showing the new, soon-to-be chalkboard. I picked up the new mirror at Family Dollar for $20! It’s around 24″x36″ — what a deal! I loved the frame of the mirror, it went perfectly with my decor. I already had chalkboard spray paint from previous projects, so I taped off the edges and got to work. I ended up doing 2 full coats of paint and then had to touch up some spots a third time. I let it dry overnight before I wrote on it just to be on the safe side. Here’s the finished look (I need to stop taking pictures at night – the lighting is awful).

If you know me, you know I refuse to pay for something that I know I can easily make, especially when it’ll save me a bundle. I’d looked around for pre-made chalkboards for a while but they were either ridiculously priced and/or not as nice as what I was looking for. Plus, I’ve had a great time changing the designs for the different holidays and seasons. I hate to erase them but get so excited for the next design.  I learned a great trick on Pinterest to clean the chalkboard — Coke or Pepsi! I lightly soak a cloth in it and wipe the board down. The best part is, when used correctly, there’s no sticky residue!

On another note, thank you to all our veterans who have fought for our country and our freedom. Have a safe and happy holiday!