Chalkboard Tutorial

Dust off a frame

Ready to start

Super easy chalkboard and my attempt at a tutorial. Please let me know if any instructions are unclear.

Need:

• Picture frame or document frame WITH glass
• Chalkboard Tape 
• Chalk (duh)
• Scissors or other cutting tool

So you might have an old frame laying around, like I found. Awe, President of Junior Optimists, he won't mind his frame going to a good cause. And I hung the certificate on a bulletin board with some other empty nest kid paraphernalia. 

The Chalkboard tape that I found is Scotch brand, and was at my local grocery store in the school supply section. I happened to go to Joann's today and looked at their variety of Duct tapes, but none of those are chalkboard.

This tape has it's own backing, and it is easily removable as it says.

Measuring tape

Five pieces of tape

Start in the center

Cut Chunk Picture

Back ready

Front ready

Done!

Since the tape has a backing, it's super easy to cut the pieces you need and lay them out to see how much you need before you stick the tape. I needed five pieces for the 8 x 10 1/2 frame I was using. Cut the tape a bit longer than the glass, about 1/4 inch on each side.

When you've measured and cut your tape, you're ready to start applying it to the glass. Start by putting the middle piece on, I eyeballed it, but you could draw whatever lines you need right on the glass because you'll be covering it up.

After the center piece is in place, add the next piece, with a slight overlap-1/8-1/4". Again, eyeballing is fine, and resticking is easy. Work out the air bubbles as you go along, and leave the edges 'till last.

When you have all the strips down, and readjusted as much as needed, press it all down more. A magazine or book is a good flat hard surface to smooth with.

Time for the edges! Do the sides with multiple edges first, from center out, like the front. For each edge, I stood the glass up on end, and kinda folded the tape around the side.

The side edges done, cut a chunk off the corner, the part where the tape would overlap. See Cut Chunk Picture. Then fold the other edges. I'm sure there's lots of other good ways to do the corners.

That's basically it. Now we have a piece of glass, covered with chalkboard tape. And just put the glass back in the frame.

I've drawn on it with the regular Crayola chalk and sidewalk chalk. It does seem that the regular chalk scratched the tape somewhat, but it's not so bad to make me want to redo it. The colors don't seem as bright as they show on the package, but I don't know if that is the tape or the chalk.

The tape says to clean with a tissue or dry wipe and sometimes use a wet wipe. I tried both. Dry leaves a ghost of the previous drawing, but baby wipes clean it wonderfully well.

OK. That's my tut.
Please let me know if you have any questions!

Thank you for the comments, I'll update/correct things as they come up.