Upcycled Window Dry Erase Board

 Did you ever have one of those ideas that floated around in your head for weeks or months or years, but you were never sure how to make it happen? Of course you have! That's what this widow frame-turned-dry erase board has been for me.

First of all, I needed a window. And it needed to be large enough to actually write on. Do you know what a challenge this is? Of course you do! So on a trip to Martha's Nook and Cranny, there it was. A big, beautiful - although slightly worn - double-paned window. The small one on the left is another project for another day ... stay tuned.

I fell in love with its size first, but the more I looked at it, the more I fell in love with its story. I have no idea where this window came from, but it has an old-fashioned hook pin that reminds me of the house I grew up in. I was also tickled to find multiple layers of paint, letting me know that it has been through several refurbishes over the years. 

I couldn't bring myself to remove all those layers of history, but after testing a portion with a paint scraper, I'd still be there removing paint instead of sharing a finished product with you today.

Instead, I turned it over to the back side and taped off the wood so all the glass was exposed.

Then using black paint, I coated the back side of the glass. This is super important, so I gave it three coats. And I ended up adding a little more around the edges once I took the tape off.

When they were done, it already looked pretty impressive.

Time for the front. This time I taped off the glass so all the wood edges were showing. Three coats of antique white paint covered up all the differences in color while leaving the imperfections that give it character.

Plain white is just boring, so I used pigment ink and a staple brush to add a little color and texture to every surface of the frame.

And now it's hanging in the sky ... of our Sunday School classroom. It's the perfect way for us to replace our old, ugly chalkboards with a one-of-a-kind piece. We can't wait to see how the kids react!