Chalkboards, Magnets, and Old Windows!

  Today while everyone else was watching the game Bethany, Sydney and I decided to be crafty (Lynda and Chandler came to offer moral support. Lynda professes to like crafting/painting and such but I have yet to really see any evidence of that being the truth...).  We have actually been trying to plan to be crafty for a while but everyone is so busy we never have the time.  We figured an away UA game Saturday would be the perfect day.  Don't get the idea that we are not Alabama fans because we didn't watch the game.  That is the exact opposite of what is true!  The reality is that we are such big Alabama fans that we didn't have to actually watch the game because we already knew they were going to win :)  Therefore, let the crafting begin!  RTR

  We found and idea in the  Fall 2011 Better Homes and Gardens

Do It YOURSELF magazine. 

This is the inspiration picture.

We started out the morning at Anne's Tiques buying 6-pane windows. (They have them for $10 but they are very weathered which was fine for us since we were going for the more rustic look.)  We then taped off each pane with painters tape and applied the magnetic paint to the front of each pane.

first coat

We got the magnetic and chalkboard paint at Home Depot.

The chalkboard paint we used is also made by Rustoleum.

4 coats

When using magnetic paint you should apply a minimum of 3 thin coats (we used 4) letting it dry for 30 min between each coat.   Note:  Wear crappy clothes. Magnetic paint stains clothes and will not come out even if you strip the shirt off immediatly and put it under the water and scrub.  Just ask the girls.

Then we applied 2 coats of chalkboard paint letting it dry for 2 hrs between coats. 

 (The label said 4 but we were impatient.  I hope we don't regret that.) 

After the second coat of chalkboard paint we removed the tape. 

That worked fine on Sydneys but it peeled the paint off the window frame of Bethany's. 

 We thought it just added to the rustic look but after its completely finished and hanging if she doesn't like it it will be easy to tape off the panes and repaint the frame.  We aren't completly finished with the windows we still have to let them dry completly and install the hooks for the hanging chain.  I will post more pics when it is hanging on the wall but it was such a relaxing and easy project I just wanted to go ahead and share it with you.  Bee and Syd both chose to go with the plain black chalkboard paint so that it would match any decor.

When I posted on FB what we were doing today my friend Tiffany Curry sent me some pics of

some more fun chalkboard projects I want to try. 

I want to do this one soon for my classroom.  How cute would it be in the art center as crayon holders?  I like to keep the crayons seperated by color so that when someone breaks a red I can easily find a new one.   If I painted the rim of the pot the color of the crayons inside and wrote the color word on the chalkboard part it would be cute and serve a wonderful purpose (not to mention getting those color words up in yet another place in the classroom)!  I cannot wait to do this!

This is a wonderful idea if you have a window that has cracked panes or missing panes (or you could remove them yourself).  Just attach chicken wire to the back of the window frame and pick up some small clothes pins for holding notes & pictures.  Thanks Tiff for such cute ideas!

I will let you know how the finished product turns out soon.

Enjoy your weekend in this amazing weather!