» mirror
any mirror is makeover worthy, but if you want to add a paper edging as shown here, you’ll want a mirror with a smooth flat edge.

» paper & paint
I used one piece of scrapbooking paper in black and white, but any paper that’s not too absorbant will work well. I used latex interior paint, but you can experiment with other types of paints and finishes.

» glue
Mod Podge works great for a project like this, as would PVA

» tools used
scissors
ruler
pencil

prep and paint the mirror
This particular mirror had a really smooth finish to start, but you will want to sand down any irregularities before painting. I used our wall paint since not only do I have a lot of it on hand, but I wanted the mirror to blend in with the wall when seen from the front view. I taped off the mirror surface and gave it a few coats of the white paint, letting it dry in between coats and overnight before the next step.

decorate!
I cut strips of a scrapbooking paper to match the depth of the mirror. The paper was twelve inches square and was more than enough to cover the entire edge.

glue
I used the mod podge to coat the back of the paper strip and then pressed it down onto the wooden edge of the mirror. I overlapped the next strip a bit, but if you have a more subtle pattern where the overlapping would be noticeable, you might want to align the ends of the paper more carefully. I continued around the mirror until I covered the entire edge with the paper. I didn’t add any glue over the paper when I was done because I wanted the natural paper texture to stay as is.

» hooks
Most of mine are from Anthropologie collected over the years, but any variety of hooks in any color finish will do.

» spray primer
Use white primer for lighter top color and grey for deeper colors. I used white for my bright yellow paint.

» spray paint
One can was more than enough for this project.

» screws & anchors
Make sure they fit through the holes in your hooks and choose a style that matches your hooks.

» vinegar

» tools used
hammer
drill
screwdriver (flathead)
level
pencil
measuring tape
mask & goggles (spray paint is great but yucky)

prepare the hooks
If your hooks are new, rinsing them in vinegar will remove any oily residue. This is a neat trick I learned from the helpful folks at my local hardware store. Make sure you rinse them in water afterwards and allow them to completely dry before the next step.

prime the hooks
Following the directions on the can of spray primer, coat the hooks on all sides with one or two thin coats of primer. I allowed mine to dry about 2 minutes between coats and just used 2 coats. I also primed the screws I was going to use to hang the hooks by screwing them into a flat piece of cardboard so the ends would all face up and be easy to paint.

paint the hooks
Again, directions are your friend as they vary for different brands of paint and the local climate. Also paint your screws with the same paint. I used 2 coats spaced a few minutes apart, let them dry overnight and then 2 more coats.

hang the hooks
Once the hooks are FULLY dry, use your best measuring and placement methods to decide where you want your hooks on the wall. I spaced mine about a foot apart and staggered the height to intentionally look irregular. If your hooks are all the same style it might look better to space them out exactly. Totally up to you! Be sure to use wall anchors if you are not drilling into the studs.

touchups
As careful as I thought I was being while screwing the hooks onto the wall, I did end up stripping some of the yellow paint from the screw heads. Spray some of your colored paint into a small plastic cup and (carefully) apply a few thin layers over the screw heads with a brush or cotton swab. Remember, spray paint is really thin and stains almost anything, so be careful not to drip any paint in unwanted places. You can see in the above photo that the paint still doesn’t 100% cover the screw, but you have to be really really close to tell.

» primer
It’s always important to prime under darker paints, and especially important with chalkboard paint. There are magnetic primers available as well, but I’ve heard they take several coats and even then aren’t as magnetic as you might want. I stuck with a grey latex primer shown here.

» chalkboard paint
As far as I know, Rust-oleum is the only brand that makes a tintable base. There are about 15 colors available and you need to have it mixed at the paint counter. I used about 80% of the can for my wall that’s only about 4 feet by 10 feet. I used 4 coats of the coffee color which came out a richer brown than shown on the website and packaging.

» foam paint roller
This is important! You want a very smooth finish and the foam roller is the way to go. Since my wall was only four feet wide, I used a smaller sized roller which made it easier to get close to the edges and blend in with the edging paint strokes. The roller should say something like “very smooth finish” on the packaging. I used one for the primer and a second one for the chalkboard paint.

» chalk
You won’t need this until your paint is fully dry, but I suggest buying a slightly nicer “artsy” chalk to use instead of the more dense Crayola chalkboard chalk. The nicer chalk will feel lighter weight and will make a bit more dust, but it erases a LOT easier than the school-type chalk used on classroom chalkboards.

» general painting supplies
sandpaper and spackle
drop cloth
paint tray
edger or brush for edging

Make sure your wall is clean and fill in any holes or cracks with spackle and allow it to dry fully before priming. If I was starting over with the project I would have taken the time to sand the entire wall down before painting. I thought my wall was really smooth to start with, but even the slightest texture means it will be harder to erase your chalk, so try to start with as smooth of a wall as possible.

Follow the directions on the can of primer. You should only need one coat of primer. Make sure your edges are neat since a messy primer edge will make a clean painted edge more difficult. Allow your primer to fully dry before painting. I waited an extra hour from what the directions suggested just to be sure.

Now here’s the fun part! Chalkboard paint behaves pretty much like regular latex paint, but you’ll notice some differences. Even when well mixed it’s a little gritty and runny at the same time. I didn’t want any roller edges to show on the finished wall, so I was really careful when applying the paint. I let it dry 2 hours between coats and ended up needing 4 coats total to fully cover the primer and achieve a nice, rich, even brown color. I was a bit worried that the finish would be uneven after the first two coats, but the end result is very even and I can’t see any roller edges or uneven distribution of paint. Have patience and make sure you don’t apply the paint too thickly.

Tips for Writing & Erasing
The directions on the chalkboard paint suggest allowing the paint to dry for 72 hours before using chalk on the wall. Again, I waited an extra day since it was a bit damp outside during this project. Here’s the biggest tip I learned after almost making a big mistake…Do NOT “condition” the entire wall by rubbing the chalk sideways over the entire painted surface and then erasing. It made sense that it might help with future erasing and prevent the writing from showing through when erased, but it really doesn’t. I started at the top of the wall and after about 2 inches of “conditioning” I not only had chalk dust everywhere, but I had a cloudy brown wall.

Since this wall is in the hallway dividing the kitchen from the living room I still wanted it to look like a nice rich brown wall. I stopped rubbing the chalk on the paint and decided to try just writing and erasing. It worked just fine. We only use about 20% of the wall for messages/lists/etc. so we let this part look a little cloudy from the erasing history and keep the rest of it cleaner. I realize the point of the wall is to use it (and we do!) but I wanted to maintain some degree of cleanliness to the wall as well. Yes, I’m a Virgo.

If you *really* want the wall to look clean, you can wipe it down with a damp sponge and most of the chalk residue will disappear. It may take a few swipes of the sponge depending on how much you need to erase. I only break out the sponge about every other month since overwashing the wall is not good for the paint finish.

» frames
Save money and use old frames you already have or try stores like Ross or Marshalls for inexpensive frames. It doesn’t matter what color they are to start with since you’ll be painting them.

» spray primer
I used white since my paint colors were fairly light. I was covering over bright red and yellow paint and the white primer did a great job with just one coat. Be sure to wear a mask and work outdoors in a well-ventilated, drop cloth covered workspace!

» spray paint
I chose a green theme and found five different shades of green paint. Some were gloss finish and some satin, but you really don’t notice the difference once they are all hung together. The Rust-oleum “Painter’s Touch” brand shown here worked really well and comes in a wide range of colors and cost about $4 per color.

» tools used
hammer
picture hanging hooks & nails
tape measure
paper for artwork placeholders
step stool

Follow the directions on the can of primer and make sure you remove the glass from the frames before painting. Rotate the frame around to make sure you cover all surfaces with the primer.

Paint the Frames
The sky’s the limit here! I was going for a “shades of green” theme, but you could use any color paint and any number of colors of paint. All white frames on a painted wall would look great or a mix of metallics all hung together. Check out your local hardware store to see what kinds of spray paint they have. If you’re in the Bay Area, the best selection I’ve found is at the Home Depot in San Carlos. A huge variety of really nice colors AND they aren’t locked up so you can actually look at everything without being guarded by an employee.

Plan Your Layout
To avoid putting too many extra holes in the wall, test your layout of frames on the floor first. Arrange and rearrange as much as you want and take quick photos (as I did above with my iPhone) both to have another perspective on the layout and to help you remember once you start hanging them.

Layout & Hanging Tips
The options are endless, but here are a few guidelines I use when planning a collection of frames on a wall.

• Decide on a “gutter” width that will be consistent between frames. Mine are all spaced 2 inches apart here
• Try to make each frame align with at least one edge of an adjacent frame. If you are going for the “random but organized look” this helps keep some order to the collection.
• Once you are ready to hang the frames, measure the width of your layout and decide where the entire set will be placed on the wall. I wanted my collection centered, so I made sure there was equal wall space on the left and right sides by carefully measuring a few times and marking the edges lightly with pencil.
• Start with one frame towards the center of the collection. I started with the open square one (with the hook hung in the center) since I could measure the gutter of 7 of the other frames from this one.
• This is one instance where your eyes can play tricks on you, so measure carefully to find the correct distances and don’t count on your eye, no matter how spot on you think you can be. I ended up hanging all 10 frames with only one extra hole in the wall.
• Use painters’ tape to mark edges of where you want your frames as another method. I prefer the great carpet layout plan, but do whatever works for you!