nashville narnian: Guest Post: Whitney | Antique Door Chalkboard Tutorial

I dont remember how I found Jitney's Journey's but I do know that Whitney is one of the sweetest people on the internet. She and her husband, JD, have traveled to some amazing places and she has such a flair for crafty things. I love this chalkboard she made and I'm excited to share her tutorial. As an ex-owner of two craftsman homes I actually have a couple of old doors and plan on making one of these myself! Thanks for the tutorial, Whitney! - Lindsy

There are TONS of tutorials on how to take an antique door and transform it into a chalkboard but I've had this baby tucked away for about a year now... and, well, it felt like it was finally time to piece it together and share it with y'all.

So grab your electric sander, paintin' pants and some good tunes.

Let's rock 'n roll.

Supplies

electric sander

sand paper

several old rags

roller brush / big-bristled paint brush

paint

[i used Bright White from the Caromal Colours Reclaim line]

antique glaze

[i also used the antique glaze from the Caromal Colours Reclaim line]

painter's tape

magnetic primer

chalkboard paint

chalk

Step 1

Find an awesome antique door for a super low price.

Bring it home and set up shop.

My vision was to have a five panel door so that I could make four panels into chalkboards and create a cute design for the middle panel. My parents actually found this for me at an antique shop about an hour away from Huntsville.

Step 2

Paint the door the color of your choice.

I placed painter's tape over the door knob plate because it would add some contrast to the door.

Step 3

Break out a piece of sandpaper.

Sand the edges, corners and even brush along the surface in some falt areas to create the distressed look.

I love the rich brown of the original paint color that appears under the white.

Step 4

Wipe the debris of the sanded door away with an old, dry cloth.

Step 5

Paint antiquing glaze over the entire surface of the door and wipe away quickly with a damp cloth.

Paint the sanded areas more heavily if you'd like a deeper distressed look.

You can also use a flicking motion with a coarse-bristled brush to create splatters (see the example in the bottom three pics -- I blotted the the splatters so that they looked more natural and not so heavy).

Step 6

Place painter's tape around the edges of your panels.

Paint the magnetic primer on first if you'd like a magnetic chalkboard.

{I used the Rust-oleum Magnetic Primer but it doesn't hold magnets very well...}

Roll on the chalkboard paint (follow directions on the package for drying time and coats).

Step 7

Remove painter's tape after about a day of drying.

If you're lucky, the tape will remove some bits of the painted surface so that it gives even more of a distressed look - and you didn't even have to work for it!

Draw over entire chalkboard surface with a piece of chalk and erase.

Step 8

Nail some hooks and wire on the back, find the perfect place to hang it and...

voila!