DIY Moss Framed Chalkboard

Do you ever have an idea, and you’re unsure of how it will turn out, so you hold off making it just incase you end up wasting the supplies? That was this Moss Framed Chalkboard- but am I ever glad that I went ahead with it! It was a bit of an experiment, I wasn’t too sure how it would all hold together, but It was so worth it! I love the spring feel it gives to our kitchen, and it’s nice to have a chalkboard that we can change the words whenever we feel. We are actually being non-commital on painting a chalkboard on our kitchen wall- so this is a taste without the permanency.

Before I share the DIY… can I share some exciting news? Thanks, I knew you wouldn’t mind. Look over there —> in my sidebar… see something new? Yeah! That’s right! I’m busy putting final touches on a Workbook and Video package that will be launching sooooon and I couldn’t be more excited/nervous! I’m talking all about idea generation and how to make it a part of your daily life. One of the strategies I include in there is working what you have- your ‘Stash’ if you will. That’s what this project’s all about, want to hear the story?

I was looking in my pile of bits and pieces and knew I wanted to use up some of the moss left over from Ashton’s Moss Placemats from our Saint Patrick’s Day Party. It was sitting right beside the chalkboard paint (serendipity!) and I couldn’t shake it. I just needed a way to put it together. We are also working on getting pictures up on our walls, so we have a stack of picture frames in our bedroom right now. SO I was taking down my Saint Patrick’s Day decor and as I was bringing the frame from my St. Pat’s Golden Quotes back to the pile in my bedroom… I realized the mat would be PERFECT for this project. But then I questioned myself and put it down. But I couldn’t shake it. We NEED photo frames right now to fill with photos- I’d hate to wreck a perfectly good frame with this experiment. Want to know the silliest part about my fear? This frame is from the Dollar Store. It cost me a measly $3 and I was afraid to wreck it. Anywho- I’ll stop my blabbering, clearly- I took the risk and it paid off big time!

Here’s what you’ll need to make your own Moss Framed Chalkboard:

• White 8×10 Frame with Mat (specifically that has an inner frame)
• Chalkboard Paint & Chalk
• Moss (life or faux)
• Hot Glue, Double Sided Tape or any adhesive of your choosing
• Scissors

Alrighty, start by disassembling your frame. Get over your silly fears and tear the mat out. Mine had an inner plastic frame around the photo- I separated this from the paper mat. Now, if your backing is nice and smooth, you could choose to paint that and dispose your glass- but mine was a dollar store frame, so the backing had holes for hanging. I painted my glass with chalkboard paint instead. Let your paint dry completely before continuing.

Go ahead and cure your chalkboard paint before you start piecing the frame back together. This step is SO often skipped, but it can really save your butt if you’re planning on writing new things on your chalkboard. Rub a piece of chalk over the board, really working it in. I use a chalkboard eraser to rub it in when I’m done colouring all over the board. Then give it a wipe with a damp rag- tada! Now when you try to erase your chalkboard, you wont be left with those obvious ghosts of your last design.

Okay, time to get assembling. I measured and cut my moss- but even so, since it was live moss, some of it was squishier (I’m not sure if this is the right word) than other parts- so I ended up trimming down some stubborn bits to get the fit I wanted. I didn’t cut out a proper mat, I used 4 pieces- one for each side, and made sure to make really clean joints.

This is where it really turned into just trying stuff. If your frame is assembled a bit differently- you might have to just try some stuff too! Since the inner plastic frame (from the mat) used to sit between the backing and glass, the frame was quite deep. I thought the moss would solve this problem (it didn’t) so I went ahead and glued my moss in place and the mini mat frame in place as well. The moss sticks really well to hot glue, and then I used the hot glue to tack the outer edges of the inner frame to the moss (I didn’t want any gaps) and the bottom corners of the frame to the chalkboard. The chalkboard glass itself was attached to the backing with mounting (double sided) tape.

When I went to put it all together, there was still a gap between the frame closure and the backing (ugh!), so I did a bit of unconventional DIY (read: Macgyver) and hot glued leftover cork sheet where the closures attached. Worked like a charm!

That’s all there is to it! It’s perfect for Easter (and would have been for Saint Patrick’s Day too!), but honestly- I’ll be leaving it up, because I love the combination so much! There’s something about the deep green of moss (clearly I’m a fan of green), I wan’t it everywhere in my house! What do you think of this DIY? And where do you sit on the fear scale- do you seldom DIY because you’re afraid to wreck something… or are you fearless and dive in head first? I DIY enough, you’d think I’d be fearless, but every once in a while something really silly (like a perfectly good picture frame!) gets me and I question myself.