How to Make a Faux Chalkboard

Love the beauty of chalkboard art, but don’t want the permanence? Make a faux chalkboard out of any decorative glass window or picture frame.

Chalkboards.

They have been a part of history for hundreds of years (since 1801).

Though they started out as an educational tool, chalkboards are now used as a beautiful way to decorate your home. Chalkboard paint can be used to paint an accent wall in a bedroom. You can easily make a diy chalkboard to hang on your wall that you can decorate with whatever message you want to share.

Chalkboard paint can even be applied to containers so you can label and organize to your hearts content.

But even though chalkboards are supposed to be a way to change your art easily and frequently, the actual chalkboard paint can be pretty permanent. What if you want to get the look of a chalkboard without adding another large decoration or permanent chalkboard wall to your home?

Never fear!

Creating your very own faux chalkboard is not as hard as it seems. You can easily turn any glass decorative window or glass picture that you own into a temporary chalkboard art piece.

Supplies to make a faux chalkboard

What you will need:

  • A decorative glass window or picture frame with a glass front
  • Black construction paper or poster paper
  • Double sided tape
  • Scissors
  • Chalk Markers
  • Template art or words (optional, but helpful if you don’t want to free hand your art) Need some winter coloring pages and snowflake templates? I have some available in my resource library which is free to my email newsletter subscribers. (Not a subscriber yet? Sign up at the bottom of the page.)

Steps to Make a Faux Chalkboard

Step 1: Measure and Cut Your Paper

Measure and cut your black paper to fit into your window or picture frame. If you are planning to use a template to draw your art, don’t attach the paper to your glass yet.

However, if you are planning on drawing your pictures free hand, then go ahead and tape the black paper on the back of your glass with the double sided poster tape. It is much easier to do this now when you don’t have to worry about smudging your art.

Step 2: Draw Your Picture

Now, here comes the fun part! It’s time to design and draw your picture. If you are planning on using a template to design your art work, tape it to the back side of your glass and use a chalkboard marker to trace the lines onto the front of the glass.

Drawing with chalkboard marker on glass

Or, if you feel confident in your drawing abilities, draw your picture free hand. (This is what I did on my mantel window. I had already taped black paper on the back of the window for my Silent Night Christmas Mantel display. I didn’t want to go through the hassle of taking it all off and putting it back on, so I drew what came to my mind.)

If you need some ideas, I did create a few printable coloring pages and a snowflake template based off of the hand drawings I did on my window. If you are interested they are in my free resource library available to my email newsletter subscribers. Not a subscriber? Sign up at the bottom of the page.

My favorite thing about using chalkboard markers on the window?

It cleans off easily.

You can easily fix any mistakes that you make. (I used a q-tip to clean up any small details and a kleenex if I needed to start a drawing over.)

Fixing a mistake on faux chalkboard drawing

My least favorite thing about using chalkboard markers on the window?

It cleans off easily.

Yes. You read that right. I totally just gave the same answer for my favorite and least favorite thing about using chalkboard markers on glass.😜

It is VERY easy to smudge your work. I recommend working from top to bottom so your hand doesn’t mess up your picture. I did not do this and I had to be extra careful not to smear my drawing.

Step 3: Tape on Your Paper (If you didn’t already do this in step 1)

If you were using a template to draw your picture, it is now time to CAREFULLY tape your black paper onto the back of your glass using double-sided poster tape. Don’t smudge your work!

Window with winter themed chalk marker art on mantel.
Faux chalkboard on display

Choose a safe place to display your art. The chalk paint is not very permanent, so you will want to display your picture somewhere it won’t get bumped and smeared.

faux chalkboard window above the fireplace

When you get tired of your display, simply wash it off with a damp rag or paper towel and remove the black paper.

Presto Chango!

Your window or picture is back to it’s original form, ready for new ideas and displays.

I decorated this faux chalkboard for Spring using stencils. I love how easy it was to change. You can read more about it and get my stencils by going to How to Stencil Chalkboards.

faux chalkboard spring is here and flowers stenciled on window.

Want to remember this idea later? Save it to your favorite DIY Pinterest board.

Make an easy faux chalkboard from a glass window or picture

Want another temporary chalkboard solution? Make these diy removable blackboard labels to keep organized. I use them to keep track of cups when we have guests, but you can also use them to label other containers in your house.

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Smiling woman with brown hair

Thank you for reading! I am so glad that you stopped by! If you enjoyed reading this, I would love for you to share it on Pinterest and Facebook!

Creatively Yours, Erin

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