With the back to school season upon us, it’s time to get our spaces ready for studying (sad, I know)! However, in order to get good grades and not forget when those projects are due, having a space which works for you is important. With that being said, it’s easy to drown in all the products that you have to get for the back to school season. I mean, were talking supplies, bedding, organizers and possible a new computer (if you’re going off to college).

To save on money and bring a little DIY into your life, I’m going to be showing you how to make your own mini framed chalkboard from a cheap unfinished wooden puzzle piece tray!

Now these unfinished wooden puzzle trays you can find at the craft store or online for super cheap. The nice thing is that you sort of get two potential projects in one because you have to remove the puzzle pieces in order to make your mini chalkboard. These puzzle pieces can then be used in a later project, like creating coasters. After removing the pieces you will have your tray, which will be used for this project.

However, if you can’t find an unfinished wooden puzzle piece tray, you can always use a small skinny tray instead!

Supplies

Unfinished Wooden Puzzle Piece Tray or Regular TrayChalkboard PaintAcrylic PaintFoam BrushScrabble Tile HolderE6000 GlueChalk

Step 1: Paint the outside edge of your puzzle piece tray and set it to the side to dry.

Step 2: Paint the inside of your puzzle piece tray with chalkboard paint.

During this step you want to follow the directions on the chalkboard paint you are using. Some paints have different drying times and a set number of coats you should paint. For this project I ended up painting four layers of chalkboard paint with each layer going a different direction (the first layer I painted vertical, the second horizontal and so on). Between coats I let the paint dry an hour and then (once all four coats were dry) 24 hours for the thing to cure.

Again just follow the directions on your chalkboard paint bottle.

Step 3: Paint your scrabble tile holder and set it to the side to dry.

Step 4: Apply some E6000 glue to the back of your scrabble tile holder and adhere it the edge of your wooden tray. Then set the whole thing aside to dry.

Once your scrabble tile holder is dried on to your puzzle piece tray, then you’re ready to hang up your new mini chalkboard!

This mini chalkboard would be the perfect addition to a dorm room or even to a kitchen! You could also go as far as adding mini clothespins or hooks on the frame portion, to make the mini chalkboard even more useful.

On a side note, my puzzle piece tray already had a sawtooth hook on the back for hanging. However, if your using another type of tray for this project, simply glue a sawtooth hook onto the back of your tray.

If you made this mini chalkboard frame, what color would you paint yours?