Upcycle: Cabinet Door to Chalkboard

In the spirit of #JustStashJanuary, my husband decided to make me a little present.  It was supposed to be a surprise, but in true Jen-fashion, I ruined it.  I was in my craft room working away on my own project when I noticed the house was quiet - very quiet.  Suspiciously quiet.  I suddenly heard a little noise below me in the garage and it peaked my interest.  My husband was so upset when I came strolling out, asking "Whatcha up to?"  There he was... bending over and spraying painting something... "You ruined the surprise!"  Sigh...story of my life.

Anyway, my dear husband had decided to give life to a kitchen cabinet door we had in the garage.  The door was replaced a few months back by the builder of our house because it had minor cracking on the edges.  Instead of tossing the old one, the guy asked if we would like to keep it.  Of course we would!  We would find a use for it.

The cabinet door has now been given a new life as a chalkboard above the bar in our front room.  My husband drilled a second hole and installed a matching door knob so we can hang items from the sign if we would like to.  

I didn't realize until he told how he made it that making your own chalkboard sign was so easy!

He used Rustoleum Chalkboard spray paint.  He taped off the future board area and covered the rest of the door to protect it from over-spray.  Three light even coats later, it was ready to set.  You have to let the paint set for 2-3 days to make sure it fully dries.

THE NEXT STEP IS VERY IMPORTANT!

Once dry, take a white chalk stick and lay it flat on the board.  Swipe the chalk all over the board.  Cover the entire surface going side-to-side and then top to bottom.  Wipe off with a cloth and repeat.  If you skip this step, whatever you draw on the board the first time will be forever visible.  

I'm so in love with this project!  My husband is so crafty!  Now we can decorate it for the seasons or events.  I love "living" decor.  

Give it a try!  I see spare cabinet parts for sale at thrift stores all the time - or, better yet, go dig through your garage!