Cabinet door chalkboards....
I just assume everyone has old cabinet doors laying around...probably a silly assumption! But I see old cabinets all the time at garage sales and thrift stores. If you can find inexpensive old cabinets with decent doors, buy the cabinet and use the doors to make these super cool chalkboards! Or stop by your local Habitat for Humanity...they have TONS of old doors for cheap!
I just happened to have a bunch of cabinet doors stacked up in storage at my apartments...ones I had saved for whatever reason. I decided to put them to good use! (I have no doubt I will need one next week...always happens!)
First remove all the old hardware and fill the holes with wood putty. Some doors have European hinges and those leave big holes...just ignore them! They are on the back...no one will see them!
Next, sand the door with a 110 or 220 grit paper...just enough to knock the shine off the finish...then use TACK CLOTH!!!
I always paint the back or underside of any project first...that way when I flip it to do the top I don't feel too terribly bad if I ding or scratch the back or underside!
You are going to use chalkboard paint in the center of the front, so you only have to paint the back and the frame of the front.
I painted all these cabinet doors different colors since I will be putting them in my flea booth.
I spray painted a few with bright colors, so I primed those with Kilz (sanding and tack cloth between coats!). I used plaster paint (no primer) on a few and sanded the edges.
Regardless of the paint you use, always apply 1-2 coats of clear coat to seal the paint. Do this BEFORE applying the chalkboard paint!
Let the paint and clear coat dry over night and then tape off the frames with painter's tape.
I wanted to try the new Frog tape because I have read really outstanding reviews but I could NOT find the roll I bought last week...it is here somewhere, I just can't find it. So I used good ole' blue painter's tape.
Several months ago I bought a quart of black chalkboard paint at Lowes. I have used it on several projects and it really is outstanding. When Katie wanted "chalkboard" walls, we just used Valspar flat paint since we needed 2 gallons and it has worked great!
I think for this size project, the "real" chalkboard paint is worth the investment.
I used a brush for the corners and edges and then I used a 4" sponge roller. I applied 3 coats.
After all the paint dries, put a hanger on the back. I used cup pulls for the little tray for chalk.
This is a fairly simple and inexpensive project! If you have any old cabinet doors sitting around or stumble across a few at a garage sale or thrift store, give it a shot!
