Saturday, September 8, 2012

Make Your Own Chalkboard Easel

Have you ever noticed those charming little chalkboard easels in front of  cute shops and boutiques?


I have. And, I'm not sure why but I have a thing for them. They're such an inviting part of the decor in front of my favorite places.




(All photos via Pinterest)

One day while I was shopping at a fun little boutique it occurred to me that an easel just might be the ticket for near my front door.  I have a large front porch so I'm always trying to figure out how best to decorate that space.

I kept the thought of an easel tucked away in my head until one day at Joann Fabrics I found a little chalkboard on clearance for $7.  It looked like this one but had a very bright and crazy little rooster on it.

(Photo via Meanginful Menagerie)

So I picked it up and brought it home knowing that somehow I could put legs on it and turn it into an easel.  Here's how I did it:



This project really doesn't require a lot of DIY expertise.  If you know how to hammer a few nails and use a drill, you can do this project. 

I have to admit that I was a little nervous about drilling the hole for the dowel through the "leg."  It takes a pretty big drill bit to fit the dowel.  I started drilling on one side and stopped about halfway through and then drilled through the other side to meet the hole in the middle.  I did get my hole a little crooked but it still worked. 


Then, to help the leg swivel more easily, I cut the end that's closest to the chalkboard at an angle. I made that cut after I drilled the hole.

I finished the project by using my Annie Sloan Chalk Paint in Old Violet that I used for my china cabinet to paint all but the chalkboard. (I finished it with a dark wax this time giving it a grayish blue color).  Then I gave it a couple of fresh coats of chalkboard paint and covered the crazy rooster at the top. 


Ta da!!  A new chalkboard easel. It's exactly what I wanted!

Thanks for reading!


Linking up to:
Tatertots & Jello
Jennifer Rizzo
My Repurposed Life
Craft-o-Maniac
DIY Showoff
Claiming Our Space
Not Just a Housewife
Elizabeth & Co.
The Shabby Nest
AKA Design



8 comments:

  1. maureen at Cottage 960September 10, 2012 at 1:22 AM

    Cute idea! I love chalk board easels too. Found you from Jennifer Rizzo's link up.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Antonia LuddenSeptember 10, 2012 at 1:57 PM

    That's really sweet, Julie!

    ReplyDelete
  3. ~ Liz ~September 12, 2012 at 5:33 AM

    I have a thing for those too! I love how you made it swivel with the dowel. You're right, very doable and yours turned out so cute, even the lettering. I also need to learn to write with style, because even though I could put one of these together, sadly the nice handwriting eludes me. I would just find something to copy though or enlist someone else do that part. :)
    Liz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ~ Liz ~September 12, 2012 at 5:34 AM

      PS: I'm your new follower. Hope you'll stop over at Quirky Vistas for a visit and follow as well, if you like!
      Liz

      Delete
  • gail@My Repurposed LifeSeptember 13, 2012 at 5:50 PM

    Thanks so much for linking up and linking back to Catch as Catch Can Julie! I love your chalkboard easel! "catching" you tonight!

    gail

    ReplyDelete
  • Claiming Our SpaceSeptember 17, 2012 at 12:08 PM

    This is too cute. Hmmm, where can I use a chalk board easel at my house? Thanks for sharing on Tout It Tuesday! Hope to see you tomorrow.

    ReplyDelete
  • Lisa/Fresh Eggs Daily Farm GirlNovember 3, 2012 at 8:58 PM

    Very creative! Love it! And I would love for you to come share at my Farm Girl Blog Fest: http://fresh-eggs-daily.blogspot.com/2012/11/farm-girl-blog-fest-7.html

    And while you're visiting, enter to win a copy of Laura Childs' new mystery Stake & Eggs (the tab to enter the contest is at the top of my homepage)

    Lisa
    Fresh Eggs Daily

    ReplyDelete
  • Laurie RitcheyMay 14, 2013 at 11:46 AM

    How clever. I really like this. laurie

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for your comment, I love hearing from you!


DESIGNED BY THE MIDNIGHT CREATIVE