I know I have talked about my Rustic Farmhouse Entryway for what is now the 3rd post, but I had so many requests for this chalkboard tutorial I had to share it with you! I actually made this last year for my fall home tour, but my dining room still isn’t close to where I want it to be… so I decided to move it into my living room area.
I used the cheapo 1×2’s for this project because they are only 83 cents a piece at home depot and well… you can’t go wrong with that. With that said they are pretty warped so you usually have to dig through and find a decent one. There are also a lot of knots and cracks in them, but I was ok with this because well….if I didn’t buy it like that, my kids would take care of it for me ; ) I beat them to the punch this time! haha!
Supplies:
(some of the below links are affiliate links to some of my favorite tools)
– 2 1×2’s @ 42″
– 2 1×2’s @ 38″
– Piece of 1/4″ plywood @ 38″ x 45″ (I think I used underlayment, but it’s been a while – I just got the cheapest thing I could find in the plywood section at Home Depot)
– Wood Glue
– Nail Gun
– Kreg Jig
– Rip Cut
– Drill or Impact Driver
– Stain
– Chalkboard paint & paint supplis
How to make an Oversized Rustic Chalkboard
First you need to cut your 1×2’s to size and stain them. I used Minwax’s Special Walnut… one of my favorite colors. While that’s drying you can head out and cut your plywood. To do this I used my Rip Cut from Kreg Jig! This thing is AWESOME if you don’t have a table saw. Typically I get Home Depot to cut things down for me, but the aren’t always exact and I needed to make sure it wasn’t too small or too big for my frame. But who are we kidding. I wanted to play with my new toy! The rip cut attaches to your circular saw and allows you to create a super straight cut! You can read more about it here.
Once you have that cut and painted you can head back to your frame and get that all put together! If you notice in the first picture the very top piece goes all the way across. To attach these I used my Kreg Jig, another MUST HAVE tool to attach the side pieces to the tops and bottom pieces!
Now it’s time to attach the plywood to the frame. I put wood glue along the inside edge of the 1×2’s (don’t overdue it or it will squeeze out everywhere when you nail down your plywood. Then nail it down with your nail gun and appropriate sized nails.
As you can see I left a little space around the perimeter of the frame. I didn’t want the plywood going all the way to the outside edge just because that wouldn’t be very pretty ; )
That’s it! You are done with your new awesome Overside Rustic Chalkboard! PS if you have kids, they will love drawing on this!!
Looking for more projects to build? Click the links or pictures below!
Have a beautiful day!
Tara@LehmanLane says
Ashley thank you so much for posting this! The chalkboard is awesome and I love the wreath with it too! I was literally searching online for ideas for changing my entryway and saw this pic. The bench is great too. I think I am going to try and find/make something similar to your bench to hold my 4 kids backpacks:) I am so excited, thanks for the inspiration – Tara
Ashley says
Thanks Tara! So glad you like it : ) If you decide to build either one I’d love to see how it turns out! : )
Man, I look forward to the day when I can get the guts to build something on my own. Currently, I design and hubby builds. I think I would bring new meaning to ‘build like a girl’. Your project is great and I love the rustic touches. I have the same galvanized storage containers! I love them.
Thanks Michelle! I was raised around a dad who built things and very involved in technical theatre. It was there that my teacher pushed me to not be afraid of the “big tools”. They seem so intimidating but it’s not so bad once you do it the first time! You can do it!! Plus Ryobi’s tools are such great tools for women, I love how easy they are to hold, especially since I have such small hands!
Love this! So rustic and pretty at the same time. And styled with the wreath?! PERFECTION! I need to get my hands on a kreg jig–i’ve never used one!
Thanks so much Kristen! Yes, the Kreg Jig is AWESOME! It will change your DIY life ; ) And they are so easy to use, they might seem intimidating, but they are great for beginners!
Love this!! it’s so cute and easy to make! Thank you!!
Thanks Laurel!!
Hello! Love this board….. Did you paint with chalkboard paint? Did I miss the final direction on what to do with the plywood after attaching? Thanks!
Love this tutorial! I too, missed the chalkboard part— did you just paint the plywood with chalkboard paint? Thanks so much for sharing!!
Hi Joy, thanks so much!! Yes, I just painted it with chalkboard paint. I think I might have done a coat of primer first just because it soaks into the bare wood so much, but it’t not absolutely necessary!
So cute and looks really easy to do! P.S. I love the shelves underneath with the metal storage drawers.
Thanks so much Alex!!
This looks ideal! I built industrial shelves in my boys room and have been looking for galvanized bins like you have here. I have only come across one at Ross, where did you get yours?
Hi Ashley. Thanks for posting this fantastic tutorial. Iam not clear about the chalkboard. Did paint the plywood with chalkboard paint? Or…?
In the process of making mine now. Just concerned because the wood feels rough after two coats of paint and worried that this won’t allow for the chalk to be easily erased??
Hey Virginia. If your plywood is on the rough side, you can always sand it down with a sander. It’s ok to do this with the paint already applied, you will just want to do one final coat after sanding. The plywood is a little rougher than a traditional chalkboard, but you can always wipe it down with a damp cloth if it doesn’t erase easily.