DIY Blackboards

Something a bit different for this post....a DIY project from Steph - a very loyal reader! 

Hey guys. I'm Steph and I am getting married in February 2011 up in Mangawhai Heads. There is so much I want to incorporate into our wedding to make it unique that I am always on the hunt for some cool DIY projects. It really gives us complete creative control on the look and feel of our day and personally makes me look forward to it that little more. I hope you enjoy this DIY journey as much as I do.

If you are like me and you like the idea of having a whole lot of blackboards at your wedding (or event) then this is the right tutorial for you. I am not a particularly hand-crafty person yet I do want to do a lot of DIY for my wedding so it is unique. This project is a really easy thing you can do to add that personal touch without going into crazy DIY-ing.
For this blackboard, you will need to get:
- Blackboard paint from a hardware store (generally around NZ$ 25 for a small pot, which will probably work for a lot of blackboard projects)
- A paint brush
- Newspaper (for protection)
- Something to paint on to create your blackboard

In my case, I bought a NZ$20 old mirror that used to be mounted on a dresser table. I loved the unique shape of it. I would also consider normal mirrors, picture frames and the likes. The only thing I would recommend is to use something that is sturdy (for example the glass on picture frames could be too thin and break easily). Alternatively, you could use wood and replace the glass from the frame with that piece of wood.

The DIY part is simple:
1. Brush or clean the surface to paint on
2. Paint one first coat over the surface (some paint recommends to paint an undercoat first so I would use just basic white paint)
3. Let it dry for 24 hours and paint a second coat over it

Tip: Make sure you do long and uniform brush strokes so it looks nice once dry.
Two coats should be enough but it will also depend on the surface. Wood will 'drink' more of the paint than mirror/glass.

Tada!