Another re-post

This is another re-post for The Girl Creative Party!  Forgive me if you've already seen it!
I needed to repost - rather than just link to the original - because back then it was a giveaway.
Anyway - here we go!

I like to get ready for Christmas early, mostly because so much of what I give is handmade and I need the extra time!

I saw some cute chalkboards at a local home decor shop last year.  They were Christmas themed and adorable - which they should have been for $50 each!

I filed the idea away for this year and started picking up cheap (but chunky!) frames at the thrift store and at garage sales late this summer.

Once I had a few, I got started.

Here they are - BEFORE.

(this was actually my second group, I did a couple before this to see how they would work out)

First, I removed the glass and pictures inside.  Then I used needle nose pliers to take out the staples.

I taped off any portion of the frame that I did not want painted (many of these were gold, and since my color scheme was red and gold, it worked out to tape some off.)

Then I spray painted everything with Rustoleum's Colonial Red.

Most took 2 coats, some took 3.

When they were dry I removed the tape and added some decorative painting with gold craft paint.

I'm not much of a painter, so most of my decor was polka dots, lol!

I started out using hardboard, one of my favorite crafting supplies, for the chalkboard portion.  Eventually, though, I did use the back of a few pictures, since they were sturdy and already cut to size.

In the past I've always used spray chalkboard paint, but recently I picked up another type at JoAnn's.

I don't love it as much as the spray on kind, but it worked okay.  It took a lot more time, (and several coats!) but seems like it will last longer than the spray did.

Once the chalkboards were dry and the frames were complete, I broke out the Gorilla Glue.

In my crafting I use 4 adhesives.  Hot glue, if the project might need to be taken apart later and/or doesn't require a 100% permanent bond.  Liquid Nails, if I'm gluing wood to a wall or if I'm gluing a particularly large area that will have plenty of time to set up.  Quick Grip, if I need something that will set up in a hurry and/or I want something that will last forever.

Gorilla Glue, if it's a small area that needs to be bonded fast and strong.

For this project, I used Gorilla's Super Glue.

I ran a bead of glue around the channel that the chalkboard would sit in, and used it to attach the chalkboard.

It requires a bit of time to set up, and a few of my chalkboards (the ones that were the backs of pictures before!) were bowed and needed some pressure to set up.

My colander full of fruit with a teapot perched on top was the perfect solution.

Keepin' it real, friends!

In the end, I have a beautiful collection of Christmas chalkboards :)

And they only cost me...

an average of $2 per frame,

plus $3 for the chalkboard paint and $4 for the spray paint.  I estimate the cost of each finished chalkboard at less than $4.  LOVE it!

The amazing Chalk Ink works best on these, of course.  I bought a package at my local craft store (with a 40% off coupon, of course) the other night.  They are pricey! I'll probably give a marker with most of the chalkboards, but not all.  Even with the coupon they come out to a little more than $2 per marker.

I plan to give the chalkboards (with or without markers) as gifts to neighbors, teachers and a few others.