A DIY Project and Stockpile Update

I'm so excited because I had a chance to get crafty today, and I love the result! I can't quite recall where I saw it, but a few weeks ago I read a blog where a chalkboard was made out of a photo frame. I thought it was super cute and so I decided to do my own take on it. I wish I'd taken photos of the before and after and the steps I took, but I was too excited to get it done and skipped that. With future projects I plan to take pictures so I can show you all photo tutorials on how to do it yourself.

Here's the finished product displayed on my kitchen wall. I plan to use it as a menu board, or just for little notes. Ignore the outlet please. Unfortunately, there was no way around that. No chalk on the board yet as the paint has to cure for 24 hours, and I need to go buy some chalk.

Here's the process involved in making the board.

Step 1: I found the picture frame at a local discount store. I actually bought it as a prop for a photo shoot, but then came to realize that it was just too small for my needs. So, it sat in the attic stairway for a few months until I came across this project. I believe the size of this frame is 16 x 20.

Step 2: I purchased the aqua spray paint, and Krylon Chalkboard spray paint at Joann Fabrics. I also purchased a small frame with the hook on it for just a few dollars on clearance.

Step 3: I removed the hook from the small frame and taped off the metal part with masking tape, leaving just the "knob" on the end. I then separated the glass from the frame, and removed the mat and cardboard insert.

Step 4: I sprayed the frame and the hook with the aqua paint. The frame was originally a dull cream color which would have blended way too much with my kitchen walls.

Step 5: I sprayed the glass insert with 2 coats of the Krylon Chalkboard paint. This stuff was super easy to use and coated very well. I would totally recommend it for any project  you can come up with!

Step 6: Once everything was dry to the touch, I inserted the glass back into the frame. I then screwed the hook into the back of the frame. And voila,I had a great chalkboard for my kitchen wall! I had the basket on hand and will use it to store chalk and an eraser.

I also wanted to post an updated photo of my stockpile. It's grown quite a bit just in the last two weeks with the addition of boxed foods and laundry supplies. I got an awesome deal on Wisk detergent today! Save A Lot had it for 3.99 a bottle, and I had six $2 off coupons that expired today, saving me 50%. I hear a local grocery store has the same sale later in the week and I happen to have six more coupons, so I may just grab some more and we should be good on detergent for a year or two.

And here's a shot of my deep freeze just for fun. Check out my multiple packs of .50 cent hot dogs! We made several packs to sell at the yard sale yesterday and did quite well on those.

I can't wait to see what upcoming sales I'll find this week. My coupon group is meeting tomorrow afternoon to swap coupons. Those will be pretty lucky ladies because with my purchase of multiple Sunday papers, and the help from my dad in getting extra inserts, they're going to have quite a few inserts to scour for some great coupons!