the one with the old windows

Well the upcycling continues in the Ghoman household this week! I should definitely update you on all of our summer trips and excursions...so consider this a prelude to a longer post. But I also promised tell you more about our apartment decorations - so here ya go! 

When we got married last summer, we suspended several old windows behind the "altar" in the barn. It was really beautiful and one of my favorite details from the day. Ever since, I've been wanting to incorporate the windows into our home decor. So - we decided to convert one of them into a chalkboard piece for the kitchen. Chalkboards are pretty much the trendiest thing out there right now and I feel like quite the bandwagon decorator for doing something with it in our house. But, who cares! They're cute...and it's far too exhausting to try to be cool and cutting edge all the time:) 

Here's how we did it: 

1. First, we painted the frame in a bright color (we used the same blue from our previous dresser endeavor). It took about one coat plus edge work.

2. Next, we used chalkboard paint to fill the panes. This took about three coats to really cover it which surprised me. Definitely make sure you mix the paint REALLY well until it's thick. It was much too streaky on the first pane. Also, you the instructions for preparing the chalkboard for use afterwards is very specific - it makes a big difference in how the board turns out. 

3.  Finally, we hung it up using wiring, screws and a special hook hanger. 

Overall, I really like the way it turned out! It adds a much needed color pop for the kitchen and will be useful for grocery lists and some fun chalk art in the future. The one down side? It made us realize that our oven isn't centered on the wall...awesome. I love it when projects prompt additional projects. 

Price break down: 

Window - found on the side of the road

Paint - reused (a $3 sample would have been more than enough)

Chalkboard paint - $10 Home Depot 

Screws and hanging supplies - $3 hardware store 

Total Cost for us: $13! 

Hooray for cheap projects:)