Make a Chalkboard for Under $1 in Under 1 Minute - No Paint!

I love it when cheap, easy, and beautiful all come together in a project, don't you?

Years ago, a friend gave me this gorgeously framed picture, because she was moving.

And while I love old pictures, I just never really fell in love with this one.

But I do love this frame.

Look at the detail.

I've wondered how best to enjoy it, and I finally came up with this simple solution.  Best of all, it's a temporary change, so it can be undone if I ever decide to do something different with this picture/frame.  Not that I ever change my mind...much.

I decided to make it a chalkboard,  but with no paint involved.

And I LOVE it.
The black really makes the beautiful wood frame and gold trim stand out.

Here's how I did it:

1. carefully took apart the frame

2.  inserted a cut-to-size piece of poster board into the now empty frame...

3. and then reassembled the frame, making it all as tight as possible.

{so that it ended up with the poster board in front, the glass behind that for sturdiness, and the backing in back}

And I had a pretty new chalkboard! :)

And yes, you can write on it with chalk...

AND it's erasable.

I just used a simple piece of chalk out of a box, and a cheap eraser.  Works fine.

Now go pull out a frame you've been saving, put some poster board in it, write something sweet on it, and hang it up.

Guaranteed to make you smile every time you look at it.

especially since you know how eeeaasy it was to do!

As a side note, this 50-cent paint opener makes a handy-dandy little tool for opening the backs of picture frames. ;)