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Thursday, April 22, 2010

DIY: photo booth chalkboard

As you can clearly infer from these posts, I am obsessed with the wedding photo booth phenomenon. Or is that fauxtobooth? I don't know.

Either way, I'm lovin' it. And most of my favorite examples include a chalkboard upon which guests write their messages to the happy couple when they get their photos taken. See below.

Loooooove.

In spite of this love affair, there was no way in hell that I was going to fork over $30 or more for a pre-made chalkboard. Plus, I wanted one in a fancy frame which suited the colors in the backdrop which has yet to be decided. And that means, I'd probably have to get something custom done. Because I'm picky. And since we still don't know for sure what we're doing as a backdrop, there was no way I could commit to a color at this point. Remember how indecisive I am?

Thankfully for me, there is a wonderful invention known as chalkboard paint. So a couple weeks ago, we head over to Home Depot to grab a can. For a mere $21. Sweet.


But what good is a chalkboard without a pretty frame?

Originally, I had planned to get a really cool antique frame which I hoped to locate at one of the many local antique stores. But with exams and a trip to Florida in the works for next week, we have had zero time to go antique hunting.

Once again, thankfully for us, there is a wonderful little invention known as the dollar store. We were in there last weekend when we stumbled upon some of the ugliest frames I have ever seen. Okay, the ugliness aspect is not the good part. The good part is that they were frames. And the other good part is that I happen to have an extensive collection of acrylic paints left over from our centerpieces.

So I've got a before and after for you today. Although I ended up forgetting to take a picture of the frame before I painted it, the one below has the exact same finish so it's a pretty good example of how ugly it was beforehand.

Yeah, I know, ew. We're not bronze people.
But after a few coats of paint, it gets much better, I promise.

Ta-da!

Although you can't really tell from the photos, instead of going for a matte finish, I chose of the acrylic paints that dries with a glossy finish and I'm glad I did, because it's more durable and it's gives it more of an antique look.

And after the 3 days is takes for the chalkboard paint to dry properly, I was able to make sure it actually works. "Chalk"... I know, how creative am I?


Even though I hate waiting for the paint to dry for 3 days and I wouldn't recommend it for use in an apartment because it's stinky, it was all worth it. The $21 can of paint is going to last forever. I've already done this frame, a plain canvas and a few large pieces of cardboard with it and the can is still 3/4 full.

The acrylic also ended up working out great for us. But it's not super durable, especially the ones that aren't glossy. So if I thought it was going to get a lot of wear and tear, I'd probably go with a spray paint that's designed to bond with plastic.

The cost is what really makes me smile. Since I already had the acrylic paint, the only costs involved were the $1.50 for the frame, $1 for chalk and $21 for the chalkboard paint. And since we still have an abundant amount of paint left, it's really works out to about $6. Crazy.

Of course, there were a few more costs. Once I saw how well this worked out, I decided to buy a few more frames so our guests would be able to use multiples. Mr. FP thought 1 was enough. I did not. But since they were a dollar, he couldn't object too loudly, bless his heart.


An extra $6? Totally worth it.

17 comments:

GM said...

Nice! I want chalkboards too if we end up having a photo booth. :o)

Chocolate Lover said...

I really like chalk boards too! I love the frame! Nice job!

Sharon said...

Very cool and affordable idea! Did you just put the chalkboard paint straight on the glass?

Cupcake Wedding said...

I love the frame!

miss fancy pants (the bride) said...

@Sharon: I completely forgot to mention that part. I actually used a piece of canvas I had because I thought the paint wouldn't bond to the glass as well.

Hi-Fi Weddings said...

wow!!! this looks so good! i'm a sucker for that color :)

Amberdawn said...

Great craft project! Gotta love chalkboard paint. And what a bargain with those frames!

Heather said...

I love chalkboards! They’re cute, simple and fun. Yours looks great!

JEM - Aqua Bride said...

I really like it. I also want to have a photo booth the DIY way.

Julie Whitlock said...

You are a crafty inspiration. You really should do this for a living you know!!!

Lisa said...

looks great! you're giving me new ideas!

Jess said...

OMG that looks gorgeous. You're always full of amazing DiY inspiration. I love coming back and visiting your blog and finding all of this kind of stuff!

Your wedding is going to look fantastic!

TenThouBride said...

I love this idea! I'm new to your blog and this was a GREAT post to start with. Thanks for sharing!

Sharon said...

@fancypants Thanks for the follow up - great project :)

E said...

I am doing this also at my wedding coming up in May! Found your blog when searching for diy mustaches :) You made it sound super easy so think I will try those to!

Don't you just love chalkboard paint? I'm almost obsessed with it now! lol and your hubby sounds like my fiancée - cost his important thing to! So the cheaper the better :)

Fritz John Marajas said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Joe Root said...

I went over this site and I trust you have a ton of brilliant data, spared to my bookmarks photo booth

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