Chalkboard or bulletin board made from half of a mirror frame.

I broke this mirror a long time ago and was going to have a new mirror cut but decided to do this instead.  It’s really pretty easy and you can make the cuts with a hand saw if you don’t have a power saw.  

Materials:

• One half of a mirror frame.
• One piece of chair rail trim the length of the bottom of your mirror frame.
• One piece of chalkboard or smooth board that can be painted with chalkboard paint. 

Step 1.

Cut your mirror frame in half. You can do this by measuring from top to bottom from the center of the frame.  Mark the center point and then lay a ruler across the entire frame using the center mark as your line. Use a level to make sure you mark it right.  You can then make your cut with a power saw or hand saw.

Step 2.

Using newspaper or craft paper make a pattern for the backboard.  I lay the paper over the frame and press it onto the frame marking it with a pencil.  When you get to the bottom fold the paper to get an even bottom edge.

Step 3.

Cut out your backboard using the paper pattern.

Step 4.

Paint the backboard with chalkboard paint.  If you want to make a bulletin board you will apply corkboard to your backboard.  You can buy cork in rolls at any place that sells office supplies.  When it dries you can attach it to your frame with glue.

Step 5.

Cut your chair rail to fit on the bottom of your frame.  Attach it with glue.  For more strength you can use L braces.  These are flat metal things that are shaped like an L and have holes for screws.  You can buy these at any store that has hardware.  I attached a picture hanging bracket to the back of mine so I could hang it on the wall.  The chair rail gives you a little shelf to hold chalk.