Chippy Chalkboards with Chalk Art

Old picture frames are one of my favorite thrift store finds because they can be repurposed so easily. Instead of letting those mismatched frames sit in a pile, I gave them a fresh purpose as chippy chalkboards with lots of vintage charm. This is such a fun project for adding a little farmhouse style to a wall, shelf, or entryway without spending much at all.

I love chippy chalkboards made from thrift store picture frames. Today, I’m going to show you how to knock a bunch out at once. *

How to Make Chippy Chalkboards

I got a great deal on a bunch of picture frames. Some of them were 80% off. I just can’t pass up a good deal on picture frames, can you?

Ready Your Frames for Painting

 Small hand tools are perfect for dismantling frames. I prefer needle-nose pliers and locking pliers such as channel locks.

Remove Hardware and Glass

There were staples and points that needed to be removed carefully. The needle-nose pliers were handy for pulling staples and more.

This cute little gold frame was a double frame, meaning a frame within a frame. I have no idea what it’s really called. I removed the smaller frame and discarded it.

 

How to Easily and Quickly Paint Random Frames

Remove glass, prints, and cardboard from thrift store picture frames.  You may want to remove hardware and wires. All the cardboard was put in the recycling bin, and the glass was passed on to a friend who uses it in his business.

 

Paint frames with flat paint. I use a DIY chalky paint primer mixed with black paint for a base coat. Resting frames inside of one another saves space on your drop cloth.

 I started with a base coat of black paint. It’s not necessary to achieve complete coverage with the base coat.

Easy Distressing With Vaseline Petroleum Jelly

Here’s my secret to getting the perfect distressed chippy paint, and it works perfectly with the Super Finish Max Extra. It’s Petroleum Jelly! I applied it randomly with a cotton swab, then painted right over it.

Add a White Top Coat

This image shows how the petroleum jelly is randomized on the black picture frames.

Allow the paint to dry, then wipe back the areas coated with petroleum jelly. A textured rag works better than a smooth rag, such as a t-shirt.

Random White Chippy Picture Frames

It really doesn’t take much extra time to paint multiple frames at once. If you’re going to have all of the supplies out, it just makes sense to paint in bulk.

Painting Thin Plywood With Chalkboard Paint in a Paint Sprayer

Did you know you can use chalkboard paint in your Super Finish Max Extra? Spraying chalkboard paint with your paint sprayer gives your new chalkboard a fabulous finish.

You can buy the Super Finish Max Extra on Amazon. You can tell that I’ve used mine a lot!

Cut Chalkboards to Size

By spraying your own plywood, you can easily make chalkboards of any size to fit your picture frames. If you have leftover pieces, you can make chalkboard tags.

Logan Dual Point Driver Elite

Adding the thin plywood to the picture frames to turn them into chalkboards was easy with my Logan Point Driver. I find that this point driver works much better than a staple gun, however if you only have that option—by all means use it.

You can see in the above image how I used the point driver to secure the plywood in the picture frames. They resemble glazing points used to hold panes of glass in a window.

Large Chippy White Chalkboards

I love, love, love how all these frames turned out. White was my color of choice; however, I think reds and smoked glaze frames would also be very pretty! 

How to Glaze Painted Furniture with Smoked Glaze

Embellish Chalkboard with Chalk Art

This small chippy chalkboard gets easy artwork added using my white chalkology paste and this I Love You transfer. You simply apply the chalk paste, wipe off the excess, and then carefully remove the transfer.

 A really large chalkboard is decorated with white chalkology paste and two transfers, Stay Awhile and Love Grows Here. While doing large transfers, it’s best to do them one at a time so the chalk paste doesn’t dry out.

Display Chippy Chalkboards with Chalk Art

Finally, I can have pretty chalkboards that are so easy to decorate! I love all of my Chalk Couture products. I believe Glendale will be the year of the chalkboards now that I can make them so pretty. The chalk paste is totally temporary unless I spray it with a poly sealant.

 

I love making chalkboards; they’re popular with my customers. This chippy chalkboard is hanging in my hall. I may not want to take it down!

These chalkboards are simple to make, easy to customize, and perfect for using frames that might otherwise go overlooked. Whether you love a distressed finish, pretty seasonal messages, or quick thrift store projects, this one checks all the boxes. It’s a great reminder that even an old frame can become something special with a little paint and imagination.

gail

Related Content: Picture Frame Ideas For Home Decor and More

 

Love an easy thrift store makeover? Save this chippy chalkboard project for later and share it with a friend who always picks up old frames at the thrift store. It’s a simple way to turn a common find into charming decor for any room.

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