Art Room Chalkboard - Pinterest Inspired

Thanks, Pinterest, for keeping me busy.  Like I had nothing better to do.  Okay, nothing really better to do, but I have lots of laundry and housework that needs to be done.  Instead of working on my chores I am surfing Pinterest boards and working on pins.  Here is an good example.  I have seen tons of pins on how to make your own chalkboard, whatever color you want.  I first spied this project on Design Sponge.  It was in a DIY post called Bonnie's Chalkboard Planting Pots. 

.The project was written by Bonnie from Going Home to Roost.  Here's her recipe....

I kept seeing DIY chalkboard pins on my Pinterest feed, so I had to make my own.  I used acrylic craft paints to make my board and mixed several colors to add layers.  This is how my board started out.

I didn't like it plain so I stenciled some citron colored paint over that layer with punchinella.  Much better.  To frame the board I decided to paint something bold in black and white.  Here's the coat of white with a little note-to-self written in chalk.  I had to test it out!

Work in progress of my detail trim work in black and white. I used latex paint to do the black and white flower frame.  I got a little farther than this and decided to call it quits for a few days, which turned into a few weeks.  Then I couldn't remember why I stopped but knew I didn't feel up to doing it.

I put a movie in a few days ago and got back to it.  Hubby kept asking when I would finish it.  When I got started working I remembered why I stopped - it was literally a pain in the neck, and my back.  I am so short and I had to use a step stool just to stand on my tippy toes and paint.  And I had to bend over to finish the bottom part.  

Whine, whine, whine, complain, blah blah.  I finished it and here it is.  It was worth it and I am so glad to have it done.  By the way, my couch is never this clean.  It usually holds the laundry I put off doing for days at a time.  When it's not covered in laundry, it is covered with tons of toys.

Chalkboard Desk

I've had this really great desk for a while now.  Hubby got it for me at a local thrift store, and I adore it.  It have lots of work area and storage.  We just redid our floors in my craft room and our kitchen, so I decided this ol' girl needed a paint job.  I knew I wanted to use black paint, and I thought a chalkboard top would be great for me and my little girl.  I made my own chalkboard paint using this tutorial from Emma and Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.  It's super easy, just add 2 tablespoons unsanded grout to 1 cup of paint.  I used latex paint, but you can also use craft paints.  

Here's a before picture of my desk...

And here it is after painting...

I made the curtain from an old bed skirt.  As you can see in the next picture, Lula approves of the updates.  She has drawn on it for the last two days.  And if Lula is happy, then Mommy is happy.  

I'm also working on a mural in my art room, and I plan on posting some pictures of it soon.  

My Art Room Light

I found a really cool birdcage in the thrift store a few months back.  I knew I wanted it somewhere in my art room, but had no idea what to do with it until I saw some really cool photos on Pinterest.  Here's what I found.....

So of course I fell in love with the idea of turning a birdcage into a light and had to have one myself.  I bought some lights at Hobby Lobby, painted my birdcage pink, and wired the lights inside.  I wanted bright white light and did not notice when I got these that they are color changing lights, but now I really like the green and blue of these lights.  The pink paint I used is Rust-oleum American Accents Gloss Berry Pink; I got it at K-Mart.

I also put a pegboard up in my room yesterday. 

When I get my desk cleaned off again I will post a picture of the whole room.  I think I have figured out what to do with my sewing desk now as well, so I hope to have it done before Grayson gets here.  My baby boy will be born in 8 days!!!!  So it may be a while before I post again.