Chalkboards and Cork Boards

I just wanted to share some of the chalkboards and cork boards that I created.

The first chalkboard is made from an old window with chippy blue paint.  Two of its glass sections were missing.  I cut some wood to fit in the missing sections, primed them and painted them with chalkboard paint and placed them in the window sections.  I placed some removable contact paper over the glass in the other section.  I added a chain for hanging.

Instead of the contact paper you could also decoupage a section from a map, add a thick piece of cork, paint the glass with magnetic chalkboard paint, or even add some family photos behind.  You could even leave the glass as is and use that section as a dry erase board.

I wanted to show you that I used some glazier's points to hold the boards into the back of the window frame.

The second window still had both pieces of its glass.  I simply primed and then painted the glass sections with chalkboard paint.  I added a wood backing behind the glass for support and a chain for hanging to this window too.

The next chalkboard project used two old raised panel doors.  Again I simply primed and then painted the raised section with chalkboard paint.  One hangs vertically and the other horizontally.

The next two projects are cork board memo boards.  For the first one I used an artist's canvas.   

I used spray adhesive to cover the front of the canvas with a sheet of cork. 

 I then covered the cork with some lattice fabric.

I wrapped the fabric around the edges and secured it with nailheads.

For the last project I used an ordinary framed cork board. 

 I applied a coffee sack to the cork sections with spray adhesive.  

I outlined the border with jute cording and nail head trim.

What to you prefer?  Cork board or chalkboard?

Kathy

This is totally unrelated but while I was taking these photos I saw this huge beetle climbing the tree.  It was about two inches long.  I've seen several in the yard and have no idea what they are.  Some are black, some white, and some in between.  Does anyone know what they are?  I've never seen them before.

Kathy