DIY Chalkboard{from and old mirror!}

I found a great mirror at Goodwill a few weeks ago for about $6.00 and I just had to buy it.  I didn't really need a mirror, but it had the funnest arched top detail and I had an idea in the back of my mind . . . and for the price I couldn't pass it up.

I'm a big fan of chalk art and I have loved having a chalk wall in my kitchen.  I just can't help myself, even though it is getting to be over-done nowadays.   The chalk wall has served its purpose for the past two years and will soon be a thing of the past {along with the yellow paint we've had since we bought our home}as I make a few minor changes in our decor, but I still wanted to have a little bitta' chalkboard up in here.

And so my great big, super heavy vanity mirror underwent a major transformation.

I failed to take any before pictures of this project, but you can imagine it, right?  Big mirror . . . honey oak frame . . . yeah?  OK.  Now, here's what I used to make the magic happen:

First, I sprayed the whole thing down with several coats of primer.  That is super important to make sure the paint will stick to the glass mirror.  I just took it outside and sprayed the whole thing, frame and all, until I couldn't see myself in the mirror anymore.

Next, when the primer was nice and dry I painted the frame with white satin finish paint that I had leftover from another project.  It took about 3 coats to cover the frame well.  I didn't bother masking off the area I was painting.  I was just careful not to get too much white paint on the glass. {But I did get some on there and it wasn't a big deal.}

Then, when the white paint had dried I painted the glass part with my chalkboard paint.  Again, I didn't mask anything off.  I just used a good edging brush and a steady hand.  If you feel like you might need to tape off the frame, wait at least 24 hours for the paint to cure and use the painter's tape for delicate surfaces to make sure you don't peel off the fresh paint on the frame.  I think I ended up painting on 5 thin coats of chalkboard paint so that I would have a good, thick layer.  Try not to leave any brush strokes so that you get a really smooth writing surface.

I waited overnight for the chalkboard paint to really set up before I primed the surface by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk all over the area and then erasing it.  Be careful as you're rubbing the chalk -- I made a couple scratches in the surface of the paint with the rough edges of the chalk.  You can't really see them unless you look close, but still.  Boo.

I love my new, smaller chalk "wall".  It fits perfectly right on top of the dresser next to our front door so I can change it with the seasons.  And the super-smooth mirror underneath the paint makes an awesome writing surface.  It's so much nicer than my textured wall has been.  Mmmmmm . . . she makes me happy every time I walk past her.  {I'm not in love with the artwork yet, but the chalkboard? She's a keeper!}Sometimes a little change is all it takes to make you love your home all over again.