Super Cute Mini Chalkboard DIY – Thrift Store Makeover

This cute mini chalkboard DIY project is the perfect size a college dorm or small apartment. But, it can also blended into your established farmhouse style decor.

It can be used as a tiny message board, menu, or in our case a wifi sign.

Trust me, it’s so much easier to just point to the sign when guests arrive to give them the crazy password that came with our router.

I’m sharing this really, really easy project for the monthly Thrift Store Challenge I do with a bunch of other creative bloggers. 

The Rules:

• Upcycle an item(s) from a thrift store, resale store, or garage sale into a new piece of decor.
• There’s no monthly theme.
• There’s no budget to stick to.

Meet the Hosts:

Angela | Simply Beautiful By Angela – Gail | Purple Hues and Me – Pili | My Sweet Things – Beverly |Across the Blvd – Molly | Just a Little Creativity – Michelle | Michelle Jame Designs – Angie | Grandma Creates – Jenny | Cookies Coffee and Crafts – Amanda | Domestically Creative – Marie | DIY Adulation 

How to DIY a Cute Mini Chalkboard

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Right up front I’ll say that I realize you probably won’t find something exactly like this tile on an easel like I did, and that’s ok.

Bear with me, because I’ll show you how I did mine, but after this tutorial I’ll give you some ideas on how you can still make your own if you can’t find one just like this. 

First, I used painters tape & printer paper to protect the wood easel. 

Then, I used Rustoleum Chalkboard spray paint on the tile. It took two coats for really great coverage. 

Well, as things sometimes go during projects, taping the edges didn’t do much good in the long run.

While it was drying outside, a bug got stuck in the paint (yeah, gross). So, needless to say it messed it up a little, and the tape & paper fell off when I got the bug out. 

I was too lazy to retape, so I just sprayed it again for a new even coat, and a little got on the edge.

Oh well, no big deal because I was planning to paint the easel anyway.

I have General Finishes White Swan at the house, so that’s what I used for the easel.

You could use whatever type or color paint you want, I also use the FolkArt chalk paint a lot. You could even stain or leave the wood unfinished, totally up to you.

The thing to remember about any chalkboard is you have to “prime” it.

Why? Because if you don’t, you could potentially see a ghostly image of your first words or drawing on it forever. That’s because this type of paint is so porous.

To prime your chalkboard, just lay a piece of chalk on its side and rub it over your entire board. Then, erase it. I usually do this 3 or 4 times. This is what gives it that cool, dusty look anyway.

That’s it! 

Other Ideas for Your DIY Mini Chalkboard

I mentioned before that chances are you won’t find this exact item to use. And that’s the thing about sharing thrift store makeovers. They’re meat to inspire, with the thought in mind that you’ll find your own project to recreate in a similar way. 

Amazon has everything you need to create this on your own, but unfortunately the supplies come in multiples, like these white tiles.

You can look at your local Home Depot or Lowes for single tiles. Your local craft store will have small easels. 

For the same mini chalkboard concept, you could use regular white canvases. Check out this canvas set on Amazon. 

Unless you’re making these to give away (which you could) you don’t need an entire set of 12. So again, I’d definitely try to source locally if you can. 

One positive idea on buying multiple pieces online, is you could have a really great girls-night-in craft night! Gather your friends, have them bring their favorite wine or other beverage, cookies, etc. and let all the ladies create their own. It could be fun!

One last idea if you wanted to skip the chalkboard paint and using your own handwriting all together. Download a chalkboard style background, and add your own text.

Print it & use ModPodge to attach it to your tile. This is obviously a more permanent idea, and you couldn’t change your messages, but it would still look great as a wifi sign, for example. 

And now for more thrifty goodness!

Check out what my fellow upcyclers created below