How to Use Chalkboard Paint on Glass to Make a DIY Chalkboard Sign!

Learn how to use chalkboard paint on glass to create a beautiful DIY Christmas sign. Plus grab a free Christmas tree SVG file to use on a glass chalkboard!

Hi Friends! I may or may not have a problem, and it may or may not involve clutter. It’s everywhere, and it just. Doesn’t. Go. Away.

The main culprit?  Old Frames.  They’re in the closet, in cabinets, under beds… Like I said, they’re everywhere.

Along with the current status of my storage space, rises a certain question: When will these frames ever get used? The answer is simple: DIY Christmas decor!

Enter my love of paint… any kind of paint, but especially chalk paint and chalkboard paint.  Really you can paint anything with chalk paint to turn it into something unique and new. 

Today, I’m going to show you how I did that plus give you a FREE SVG file!

This is what I found in one of my closets.  A cute picture from my daughter’s nursery (who is now 17!!).

And this is what it looks like now…. drumroll, please…!

What a difference, right??  An extra bonus is that I did not have to spend any money, woohoo!!  If you hoard craft supplies as I do, you’ll probably have most of the items you need. 

So, let’s get to making a glass chalkboard!  (If you like printable directions, make sure to click the print button on the card at the bottom!)

Materials Needed for DIY Chalkboard Sign

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links from Amazon and/or Cricut.com. I receive a small commission at no cost to you when you make a purchase using my links.

• old frame with glass – Mine is 18 x 23
• chalkboard paint
• chalk paint – I just used what I had on hand.
• chalkboard markers
• contact paper or vinyl – I used contact paper from the Dollar Tree since it was a big sign and I didn’t want to waste vinyl
• clear contact paper or transfer tape – I used clear contact paper from Dollar Tree since it’s less sticky, which is better when using contact paper for the stencil
• Cricut cutting machine – always check prices between Cricut.com and Amazon (click links to compare!)
• sandpaper
• FREE Farm Fresh Christmas Trees SVG Cut file – see below

You Should Know This about Putting Chalkboard Paint on Glass

Can you use chalkboard paint on glass??  My original thought was to just paint the chalkboard paint directly on the glass.  I tried it.  It didn’t work:(  It just chips right off. 

Short answer:  NO, you can not use chalkboard paint directly on glass!

Plan B – give it something to stick to!  So I painted a layer of dark gray chalk paint on the glass first and it worked! 

Make sure to clean your glass first.  Then paint the chalk paint directly on the glass.

Once that’s dry, lightly sand it to remove any ridges.  Dust it off and then paint a layer of chalkboard paint on. 

I ended up applying three layers of chalkboard paint, allowing them to dry at least an hour in between.

To be honest, it is not perfect.  It has some crevices and lines through the paint. 

One reason I love the rustic farmhouse look, imperfection is preferred…“It’s the imperfections that make things beautiful.”

Once the paint has set for 24 hours, cure it by rubbing a piece of chalk all over it.  Wipe off the dust.

Now you have the chalkboard paint on glass and it’s ready to add the stencil too.

Directions for Making a Chalkboard Sign with a Cricut

First thing I did was paint the wood frame.  If you are ok with the color of yours, you can skip this step.

I painted mine with a white chalk paint I had on hand and then sanded the edges to distress it.

Cut your stencil out. 

FREE Farm Fresh Christmas Trees SVG File

As a reminder, all of my FREE SVG files are for personal use only and not for commercial use. Please click here to purchase a commercial license if you want to use the files for commercial purposes such as to sell items for your small business.

Sometimes the file will look blurry when you first open it, but once you download it, the SVG will open up clearly.

If you want to use mine, CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE CHRISTMAS TREE SVG. 

If you need help with this step, watch this video tutorial on how to upload a file to Cricut Design Space.

I also have a great roundup of FREE Christmas files and other Cricut Christmas crafts to make. So make sure to check those out!

Cutting out Dollar Tree Contact Paper with Cricut

For big projects like this, I like to use contact paper since it’s cheaper.  I use the Vinyl setting on my Cricut Maker with the pressure turned down to less.

If you are working with a frame that is less than 12 inches, you could cut the whole image out at once.  Since mine was 16 inches wide, I had to cut them out in separate sections making it a wee bit more difficult! 

If you have a smaller sign, watch this video tutorial on how to apply the stencil.

Now you are going to negative weed in order to use the vinyl as a stencil.  Remove all the letters and insides of the pictures.

Since showing you the next few steps with pictures is a little tough, I made a video of how I apply the different sections to the glass and color in the letters.  Make sure to watch it at the top or side of the post!

Note: You will notice in the video that the sign turns different colors.  That’s because the first time I applied the stencil it peeled off all the chalk paint from the glass.  That’s why I said you need the layer of paint underneath to get the chalkboard paint to stick to glass.

So, I had to redo it and cut new stencils out of contact paper….ugh!  Sometimes we all have those days!

DIY Christmas Wall Decor that I Love!

I love how this glass chalkboard sign turned out!!  Again, it’s not perfect.  You can see some lines, but who cares??  It was free to make!

It goes perfectly on my guest bathroom wall across from the Christmas tree shelf I just made and the DIY felt poinsettias (Click purple link for a full tutorial!).

As promised, here are your printable directions!

If you’d like to save this tutorial for later, you can PIN it now by hovering over the image below.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  Please let me know if you have any questions!