DIY Large Leaning Chalkboard (Mirror-Style)
It’s Tuesday the 30th, and that means it’s time to share this season’s unofficial Pinterest Challenge project. This was a fun one: instead of a true mirror, we built a large, chunky-framed leaning piece and turned the face into a giant chalkboard. Designed like a mirror so it can be leaned and moved from room to room, it doubles as a place for notes, lists, and Clara’s drawings. We secured it to the wall with leaning-mirror hardware to keep it kid-safe.
Inspiration
We took ideas from several pinned projects and blended the concepts: a large chalkboard, a leaning easel-style board, and a door-style chalkboard. Using those ideas as a starting point, we built our own version that’s sturdy, mobile, and kid-friendly.
- Big chalkboard idea
- Leaning easel board
- Door-style chalkboard
Materials and Prep
We were lucky to have a 68″ x 21″ sheet of plywood leftover from a previous project, which became the chalkboard face. Before applying chalkboard paint, we applied magnetic paint — four coats to make it reasonably strong. After the magnetic paint cured, we rolled on two coats of chalkboard paint purchased from a big-box store.
Building the Frame (No Special Saws Required)
One great thing about this project is that you don’t need fancy tools. Home improvement stores will cut plywood and 1×6 boards to size for you, so all assembly can be done at home without a miter saw. For our 68″ x 21″ plywood we used:
- Two 1×6 boards at 29.5″ for the top and bottom
- Two 1×6 boards at 63″ for the sides
The slight overlap when assembled makes the plywood look like it sits inside the frame while the board actually rests just behind it. The finished piece measures about 29.5″ wide by 74″ tall.
Stain and Assembly
We stained the frame pieces before assembly to avoid getting stain on the chalkboard surface. We used Minwax Dark Walnut (leftover from other projects), and after the stain dried we joined the frame with pocket-hole screws using a Kreg Jig. If you don’t have a jig, metal corner brackets or screws from behind work fine.
Once the frame was assembled, we attached the chalkboard plywood from behind. The plywood overlaps the frame slightly; just use screws long enough to go through the plywood and bite into the frame without poking through the front. We used roughly 1¼” screws for this.
A Little Secret Color
For fun, John painted the back of the plywood in a leftover Citron paint because the raw, rough back was bothering him. It’s a hidden pop of color that will only show when we move the piece around the house — a small detail we both love.
Finishing Touches and Placement
After letting stain and paint cure fully (both can be smelly until they cure), we brought the chalkboard into the living room and leaned it where we wanted. We secured it to the wall with lean-mirror hardware to prevent tipping — a must in homes with small children.
Before writing on it, we “conditioned” the surface by rubbing a piece of chalk over the entire board and wiping it off. That primes the chalkboard so chalk erases more evenly.
How It Looks and Why We Like It
The frame’s dark walnut finish ties into other wood tones in the room, and the chalkboard’s color complements the sofa and ceiling beams — a useful bridge piece that helps the space feel cohesive. For now, I wrote a favorite quote at the top: “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything.”
Family Reaction
Clara woke from her nap to find a giant drawing surface in the living room. After a moment’s hesitation she was thrilled to be handed a box of chalk — the scribbles were instant and adorable. Mom bias aside, her drawings are the best.
Budget Breakdown
- $0 – leftover plywood, leftover stain, leftover magnetic paint (if you had to buy all these items, estimate roughly $45)
- $10 – chalkboard paint from a home improvement store
- $16 – four 1×6 boards to build the frame
- Total: $26 (If you don’t have leftover materials, the project could run closer to $70.)
Join the Challenge
We had a blast turning inspiration into something functional and family-friendly. If you tackled a Pinterest-inspired project this week, share what you made and encourage others to stop pinning and start doing — it’s amazing what a few leftover materials, a little planning, and some elbow grease can produce.
