Chalkboard Chic: How-To Make Your Own Wedding Chalkboard

How to make your own chalkboard?! What?! I thought you said you were some kind of awesome photographer. Yes I am (thank you for the awesome part) and guess what I know how to make stuff too. That's right I am a multifaceted individual. I got the idea of a wedding chalkboard from The Knot (a very cool site indeed). I thought the ideas was cute and then I was like "I could do that." Then I thought " I can tell people how to do that!" Now that you know how I came up with the idea lets get started.
 






You will need:

1. (4) 24" in. and (4) 36" in. floor or door molding strips of your choice
2. (2) 24X36 carpenter grade plywood pine
3. paint or spray paint (for the molding and back of the boards)
4. chalkboard paint (spray or roll on)
5. paint rollers (if you aren't using spray paint)
6. chalk
7. miter box and hand saw
8. (2) chain links (this will dictate how wide the A board will stand)
9. (2) door hings
10. finishing nails make sure they don't go through the board and molding (we want to put some sweat in this but we don't want blood, just sweat and maybe some tears)
11. short round top screws for the chain
12. screws for the door hings, number and type depends on hinges (we just want them short enugh to go threw the plywood not the molding.)

Now on to making this thing

1. Paint your molding (preferably the colors at your wedding)
2. Prime the plywood with a dark colored primer
3. Paint the 24X36 plywood with the chalkboard paint. Give it about two coats or until the board is evenly coated. Allow a good hour in between each coat if you are rolling on the paint.
4. Don't forget to paint the back side of each board with your wedding colors.
5. When the paint on the chalkboard is dry lay the two chalkboards in a line and screw the hings onto the tops of them (on the underside of the board). Make sure that the ends of the boards are matched up so that you don't have a wobbly chalkboard.
6. After the paint is dry on the molding use your miter box to cut the the ends at 45 degree angels. (make sure they look like trapezoids and not diamonds or slanted rectangles.) When they are all cut they should fit together like a frame (here is a tip you can put the molding down in a rectangle and mark which way the angles should be)
7. Then nail the molding to the chalkboards
8. Since the boards are attached close them and attached the chain about half way down the sides of the boards.
9. Allow the chalkboard to cure for three days
10. Now you can take the chalkboard to your reception and allow everyone to admire your handy work

Let me know how you used your chalkboard! Please send me pictures so I can put them on my Facebook page.