A couple months ago I found the perfect ornate mirror at a thrift store. I had been looking for one for a long time, knowing that I wanted to turn to use the frame with a chalkboard and finally this one showed up in my path. It lived untouched on our fainting sofa until Saturday, the day before out engagement photos, when Peter and I decided we wanted it to be a prop. Of course, I swore I had a before picture and of course I don’t. Arghhh. I’m going to blame the fact that we were running around like crazy people.
The picture of the back of the mirror will show you the original color.
I removed the red ribbon and the screws from the back of the mirror. If you want to turn the mirror into a chalkboard then you can fit a piece of wood to the frame or you can just use the cardboard. I opted for the latter. Spray the cardboard and the frame with primer.
Follow up with the color that you chose for the mirror and chalkboard paint for the cardboard. The main reason that it took us so long to get around to this project was that we were’t sure what color we wanted the frame. We should’ve just done it since we can always repaint, but we were back and forth between a statement color, silver, trying to silver leaf, or white. I think this is a great choice for us for now.
Here’s the final product.
And here it is in action.
These are the sneak peak from our fabulous photographer Mary Sledd. If you’re in the Austin area and looking for a photographer I definitely recommend her. When I get a bit more time I’ll write more of a review.
What projects have you been putting off for awhile? Is there anything that you think would really motivate you to move forward with them?
That chalkboard is stunning! I especially love the save the date photo, it is awesome – as are your shoes
I’m putting off putting my den back together. We’ve been living with stuff all over the house for the last month, but I’m dragging my feet because I’m attempting to build built-in shelving along a 12 ft wall. Yikes! Talk about scary.
Jamie Lee!!! This is ADORABLE! You found that beautiful frame at a thrift store? I need to start hitting up antique shops and flea markets more often because my Goodwill and Craig’s List finds are nowhere near that amazing. That chalkboard is adorable!
And that save the date is absolute perfection!! Not to mention those adorable red heels.
Thanks yall!! Meg–I did find the mirror at a thrift store, but I will say that it took a lot of patience (something I usually don’t have). Every time we went in somewhere Peter and I would both keep an eye out for something similar. I was hoping to find a mirror for $3 like it seems everyone else in the blog world manages to do, but when I found this one for $20 I will willing to fork over the money. If you can make a running list of things you’re looking to buy, I’ve found it helps keep finds focused and fabulous!!
Sara– that’s a huge project but I have no doubt that you’ll be able to pull it off. The things that you do are always amazing, but I definitely see how it would be really intimidating!
Thanks again for the great compliments you guys!
Your pictures/ mirror are amazing!
PS My friend used Mary Sledd for her wedding… her pictures were beautiful.
Thanks Kasey! For some reason I was never notified of your comment, but I appreciate the compliment. Mary Sledd is wonderful. If you ever need a photographer you should definitely talk to her. She’s so sweet and instantly made us feel at ease. She also has a super Austiny vibe to her. She’s fabulous.
Hi, I have a mirror that I want to make into a chalk board… Can you use the chalk paint over the glass or do u need to get cardboard? A little confused on that part. Thanks
Hi Shawna,
You don’t have to buy a chalkboard you just need to buy chalkboard paint from your local hardware store. I found mine with the spray paint at Home Depot. To make the chalkboard you have a couple options. 1.) You can get a piece of wood cut to fit inside your frame (or diy if you have the right kind of saw at home)and then prime and paint. 2.) You can paint over the mirror. I didn’t want to do this because I thought I might want to use the mirror with the frame at a different time. You also might have a hard time with paint not sticking or chipping from the surface. If you choose this option make sure you prime the surface and you may want to talk to someone at the hardware store to find out more about what type of primer would work best on a mirror surface. 3.) Paint the backing that keeps the mirror in place. This is actually what we did. The problem is that our backing was a warped piece of cardboard. It works really well but if we weren’t trying to get the project done quickly for our engagement photos then I probably would have gone with option #1.
Good luck Shawna! Let me know if you have any more questions.