Giant Stand-Alone Chalkboard

Posted by Cate

So as you may have read, I am marrying Chelsea's brother in January.  Up until now I have been VERY secretive about my {outlandish} wedding ideas.  But I have decided to share one element of my wedding with you lovely lot on Chelsea's Garage - this giant chalkboard program sign.

What Did I Use:
1} One 2'x6' pine panel
2} Two 1.5'x6' pine panels
3} "Weathered Oak" wood stain & stain brush
4} Sandpaper
5} Four brass hinges with shallow screws
6} 2" painters tape
7} Primer spray paint
8} Chalkboard spray paint
9} Chalk
10} Screwdriver

I started by staining the edges with my weathered oak wood stain and stain brush.  I followed the can's instructions to brush the stain along the direction of the grain and wipe of the excess.  I like the grayish effect it had on the yellow pine so I only bothered to do one coat.






After the stain dried, I applied the painters tape right over the stained trim and primed the bare wood in the center.  Raw wood {especially pine for that matter} is EXTREMELY thirsty when you first apply paint and will soak up a lot.  A good starter coat of primer will help your final color go on thick in less coats because the primer will have already filled up many of the wood's pores.  After the primer dried and was sanded, I applied the first coat of chalkboard paint.

After the chalkboard paint dried, it was time to peel the painters tape off.  And I must say, I LOVED the finished look - especially the messy edges where excess paint bled under the tape.  If you are trying this at home and want a neater look, just go slow with the tape application and make sure you have smoothed down the edges as you go - this will prevent the bubbles you might get that would collect puddling paint. 

I then went about using my screwdriver and short brass screws to install the hinges {the hinge kit I bought came with longer screws for traditional doors, but my pine boards were too thin - if this happens to you, be sure to also pick up a couple shorter screws with wide screw heads that will still fit your hinge}.

  

Now I have a wonderful statement piece for my wedding that will have my entire program written out in chalk.  The kicker: after the ceremony, it will be erased and become the photo booth for our guests!  I love repurposing items {as you may already know}.  After the wedding, it could easily become a dress-up backdrop for Shire - who knows!

Now it's your turn,

~ Cate