When Bethany sent over her simple yet oh so chic message board project we had to share the goods. Anyone can do this in an afternoon to add function and beauty to a kitchen, office, mudroom, or more. Here’s her letter:
Thank you so much for your upbeat positive attitudes and for all that you do to inspire creativity! I wanted to share a project that I completed a while back that was extremely simple, cheap and totally DIY. I think it’s a good fit for anyone who wants to feel more organized but doesn’t want to sacrifice style. I spray painted a garage sale picture frame and used leftover chalkboard paint to paint the glass insert of the frame with a few thick coats (then I waited a while before using it to be sure it was completely cured). You can check out more step by step instructions on my blog. Thanks again for the fun site! – Bethany
Isn’t that a sweet and simple little frame facelift? Especially because she used a garage sale frame and extra chalkboard paint that she already had laying around! Thanks so much for sending the fun before & after pictures our way Bethany! Your message makes an organizational freak like me grin from ear to ear. Full disclosure: my mouth is actually watering…
I love it! Easy, inspiring and stylish…looks like something that even I can tackle!! I have the perfect spot in my kitchen for something like this! Thanks for the great idea!!
My Hubby and I collect licence plates from every U.S. state we visit, and then I create a shadowbox around them, with photos and other mementos from the trip. We also take a goofy “theme” photo that captures the essence of the state!
How adorable!!! Great job Bethany!!
I have been collecting shotglasses for several years now, but the hubby and I started the vacation postcard tradition after seeing it on your blog! You guys are such a great decor inspiration :)
What a great job! I love how the frame went from gaudy to chic and classy.
I think this is great! I love visible lists… can’t avoid it when it’s staring back at you! And who wouldn’t want to make lists on this message board? So cute.
Ack! You’re doing it on purpose now! ANOTHER “oh so”?!?!
Really like the frame makeover though. Definitely an achievable project for even a non-crafty person like me.
Haha, let’s just say I noticed it when I was proofreading… but I left it in anyway! Call me a rebel.
xo,
s
I have a frame similar to that! I got mine at a So Cal Salvation Army for $1.50. It was a pukey grey color. I painted it gold and put a mirror in it. It’s now white and used as my bathroom mirror.
____
http://ifididnthaveasenseofhumor.blogspot.com/
I love smaller projects like this. It’s perfect! And I would not have thought to just paint the glass. I would have found a hardboard piece to go in the back. It’s so smart to just use what’s already there. Great job!
I LOVE THIS! i might do this myself, honestly!
very cool and chic! i’m gonna have to find a way to incorporate this in one of my rooms.
Love this!!
My sister just did this in her bedroom at our parents house with old picture frames and mirrors-minus the chalkboard paint- and it looks totally chic and vintage-y. keep up the good work!
I LOVE how ornate that frame is. I must have the worst garage sales/thrift stores around here. I never find anything!
Love it, love it, love it!!! You could also put a light colored paper behind the glass and use whiteboard markers to write on the glass. I did this in a rental house that had a cheezy wall of tiled mirror. Great work and fabulous idea Bethany!
I just love how white paint can make anything so chic and beautiful! Love it!
Wow! Thanks so much for posting this and thanks to everyone for the kind words! This is a SUPER easy, quick and cheap project… anyone can do it, I promise. Feel free to shoot me an email with any questions, [email protected] :)
as a fellow sushi lovin richmonder i’ve got to let you guys in on the secret of “mai sushi”. it’s a small sushi place out in the west end (near UR) that isn’t too well known yet (aka not crowded), super delicious and reasonably priced. it’s like a little hidden sushi gem!
whoops… meant to leave that comment on your new years eve tradition post. oh well, there ya have it.
Oh, how cute is that frame! I love the inspiration and simple things in life. Repurpose, recycle, reuse!
You can find the grestest things at garage sales and with just a little creativity you can turn something into a treasure. Great idea Beth!
VERY pretty redo :) LOVE it :) Nice job.
Wow, what a great idea! It looks amazing! Love that it was done on a budget. Great job :)
This is such an effective and beautiful project. I’m filing this idea in my design-to-do list for the future! Thanks for sharing this!
Gorgeous!
Ooh! A fellow Minnesotan! I bought a can of spray chalkboard paint in hopes of making tags for baskets, but haven’t follow through as yet. Maybe this project will inspire me to finally get it done!
Love, love the frame. What a great idea and simple project!
I want to do this! We could really have fun with a chalkboard here.
I’m so bummed. I LOVE seeing all the chalkboard projects and making one would be right up my alley. I want one but my husband hates them and says they are too messy. They are adorable but I do agree (don’t tell him, hehe) that chalk is messy and not the easiest thing to write on. Does anyone have a hybrid idea?? Something as stylish as a DIY chalkboard but functional like a white board? Does anyone know about that (I think its called) chalkboard paint pens? You know like the blend of the day menu at Starbucks.
Hey Suzi,
I think chalkboard pens are the answer! Just google around for them and order them in a plethora of colors and forgo the dusty chalk!
xo,
s
The black and white contrast is so fresh, I love everything about this. Especially that it was trash-to-treasure. I just solved a window shade situation by rummaging around in my garage for unused stuff and sewing a new curtain panel, for free. It’s very satisfying to re-use things that could otherwise end up wasted.
Love the detail on the frame and the fact that the makeover was so inexpensive. Much more fun to be organized when it’s pretty to look at!
hi sherry! i love this! i once found a really old ornate frame similar to this- and made a chalkboard out of it (love that paint!) and kept it in my kitchen. perfect for menus or grocery lists! i also put a coat of the magnetic paint (found at lowes) on before the chalkboard paint- so it held magnets and notes as well!
I did this same thing recently with stuff that was just lyin’ around. I love my new chalkboards!
Pictures of the project here:
http://bearandhoney.net/2009/12/10/could-it-be-a-craft-project/
http://bearandhoney.net/2009/12/28/chalkboards-finished/
I love this project. I am wondering if the glass will hold up or if it might be better to put in a thin wood panle in?
Good question! Substituting thin wood for the glass pane definitely wouldn’t hurt so it’s all up to you. Although if you don’t have another use for the pane of glass it’s a great way to use what you have and see how it works out (before buying wood for the job if you need to). Hope it helps!
xo,
s