Ye Ole Cabinet Door (How To)

So my husband

and I share a little addiction: We like to pick up trash. No, not as in "trashy" people but as in other people's trash :)

The hubster is a handyman extraordinaire around these here parts, and whenever there is demolish involved, he often gets to keep the trash he demolishes (lucky us, huh?...no I mean it, we're lucky like that)

Oftentimes I go into our treasure trove of junk otherwise known as the garage (pfffftt who needs to store CARS in there not us!) and look for things to use in my crafting projects. I noticed he has been saving (hiding) some cabinet doors from me and I quickly swiped one of them.

I've always wanted to have one of them chalkboard message centers in our kitchen but for some reason the builder made this kitchen with very few walls but pleeeenty of windows!



So what to do? Make a little message center out of that door and hang it on another door! JEANIUS you say! Well me too!
These are the things you'll need:
cabinet door
screwdriver
chalkboard paint
wet rag
chalk
any embellishments
foam mounting tape
modge podge
E-6000 glue
scrapbook or other paper
paint
foam brushes
twine
embelished clothespins
ribbon
picture hanging hooks or hardware

So
here are the very simple steps to transform an old cabinet door into a message center.
Take your cabinet door and wipe it clean with a damp rag. Remove all hardware.

You don't have to worry about filling in the holes with putty because we are going to be covering them. But if you paint the door instead, go ahead and fill in the holes with wood filler, sand down and wipe clean. 

 Remove hinges from the back.
Start painting your door with the chalkboard paint. Do you know that they make them in many colors now? So you don't have to stick with black, but since I had it on hand that is what I used. Use a clean, wide, foam brush to minimize streaks or a small roller.
Give it about 3-4 coats letting dry completely between coats.
After your last coat of paint, and when it is dry, take your chalk and rub it all over really good to prime it. After a few minutes wipe clean.

Take
some paint and paint all the way around where your paper won't cover. Let it dry.

Next
I took the paper I wanted to use and placed it on top of the cabinet door aligning it to the edges of where I wanted the paper to cover. I took the end of a pen cap and scored it so I knew where to cut my paper.

 After I cut my first piece of paper, I then used it as a template for the rest of the pieces I needed to cover the door edges all the way around. For this particular door, I only needed one 12X12 piece of scrapbook paper.

Take your template and flip your paper over so you can see the cuts. Take your straight edge and use a very sharp knife to cut the strips of paper. Press firmly and slowly cut. The new piece of paper should quickly come off. If it doesn't your blade is dull. Go over it again without lifting the pressure from the straight edge. 

 Start
to adhere your paper to the door by brushing a good amount of modge podge to the door and laying your piece of paper on it. (now don't over do it on the modge podge, if you start to see your paper curl or buckle, you're using too much)
Go around the entire door putting the pieces of paper end to end so as to minimize the seams. Let it dry.

Go over it again with more modge podge all over the paper making sure you get enough under and over the edges. Do this a couple of more times. 
You want to make sure all of your paper is covered.  
I then took my embellishments and used foam tape to adhere them to the board.
I used my scalloped punch to punch out some shapes from some pretty paper I had.
I also used the foam mounting tape on this.
Turn your door over and nail in a couple of the picture hangers on the back.

I took

a piece of twine and glued it under the two embellishments so I could hang some messages from it with my prettied up clothes pins. For that tutorial go here >>clothespins

Punch out some pretty scalloped paper and have it on hand to write yourself notes, etc.

The piece of chalk fits nicely in the ridge of the cabinet door.

I then

threaded some sturdy ribbon through each of the picture hangers I had nailed on the back and tied it to the pantry door via the wire pantry rack. This way I didn't put holes in my door and it can be easily accessible to everyone.

Total cost for this little doodad----$0

I had everything on hand. And isn't that the best price?

Well I'm off to scour the neighborhood :) See ya soon!

Linking up to the following:
http://www.bystephanielynn.com/
http://www.betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/
http://www.dittledattle.blogspot.com/
http://www.theygypsyscorner.com/
 http://www.atthepicketfence.com/




http://www.delightfulorder.blogspot.com/
http://www.brandyscrafts.blogspot.com/
http://www.firefliesandjellybeans.com/