Old Window Turned Chalkboard

8 Materials
$25
3 Hours
Easy

Have you ever seen old windows on the side of the road, at a yard sale or flea market with the glass still intact and wondered “what would I do with that?” Keep reading and I’ll show you how I turned old windows into chalkboards.

First, you’ll want to gather your materials:

•old window

• primer

• chalk paint

• chalkboard paint (this is different than chalkpaint)

• painters tape

• craft roller sponge- paint brush

• paint brush

• sand paper

• window cleaner

• razor bladeicon icon


Tip: I like to buy the 4 oz or 8oz sizes of paint as it doesn’t take a lot of paint for this project. Some stores call them trial sizes.

Next: prep your work space. I padded between the table and the window with an old towel. Remove any hardware you don’t want painted, then using the sand paper I sanded the wood frame and checked the glass for any old paint that may have been left behind. If there was some I used the razor blade to carefully scrape it off. Then washed the glass to have a clean surface. Depending on how much paint overlap there is on the glass and how rough the edges of the frame are will depend on how much time the prep work takes. This one pictured took about 30 minutes to prep. It was a fairly clean window.

Using a craft sponge roller I applied a generous coat of primer. I like using a water based primer, it washes out of brushes pretty easily. Do not skip the primer. I find every time I skip this step, the paint just peels off the glass when I start drawing on the board with chalk.


While the primer is drying (check the can of primer for drying times), I added plastic covering under the window as a barrier to to any paint splatter or brush marks.


Then paint the wood frame with white chalk paint (or your desired color of paint). Once the chalk paint is dry place the painters tape around the inside edges of the frame to protect the wood from the black chalkboard paint going onto the primered glass.

I used the craft sponge roller to paint on the chalkboard paint. I like to apply two coats of chalkboard paint, letting the first coat dry completely before adding the second coat. While the paint is still wet, pull off the painters tape. Once the paint is dry, distress the wood frame,if you are going for that look, with your sandpaper. The painting time will depend on how long it takes each coat of paint to dry. Generally, the painting is quick, it’s the drying time that drags out the process.

Reattach any of the hardware. Taking a piece of chalk, turning it on it’s edge, rub the chalk all over the surface of the board and then wipe it off with a dry cloth. This preps the surface for future chalk art, writing and drawing.

You can hang the window on a wall, in a high traffic area of the house where you can change out the messages for your family.

The chalkboard windows also look good on a dresser, buffet or countertop. Changing up the message for the holidays.

Placing the windows on the floor as part of your decor works too. I would suggest securing your window or making sure it’s in a low traffic area so it doesn’t get knocked over. Just beware the glass can break if it falls over.

Another favorite place we like to put our old windows turned chalkboard is on the entryway bench. And decorate around them.

You can find old windows in a variety of sizes and shapes. They make great wedding presents, Mother’s day gifts even birthday gifts. I’m always on the look out for a new, old window.

Resources for this project:
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Joleen | The Refining Home
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