We have this little adorable thrifted desk in our living room that I’ve been wanting to update. Before, it had a 10 year old computer on it that no longer connects to the internet. I wish we could get rid of the computer, but Lars likes to play a computer game on it that he played when he was a kid (nostalgia is a powerful thing). I can’t see why we should let this computer take up such prime space when he only uses it about once a month for an hour. So I wanted to make the desk into something we could use on a regular basis.

Up until this project, I would sit on the floor in front of a mirror in our bedroom to do my makeup. It’s been fine because I don’t wear makeup every day, but honestly, how long can I keep that up? I wanted to have a nice vanity where I could do my hair and makeup. There isn’t room in our bedroom now, but this project will be perfect for when we move into a bigger place. And it is way cuter (and more functional) than what was there before!

I was able to do this project myself without help, and without any need for a drill, hammer, nails, or screws! So don’t get worried that you can’t do this project- ProBond Advanced made it a breeze.

You just need some basic supplies:

• A magnetic metal sheet (mine was 24″ by 36″)- $10
• Some plywood (cut to 24″ by 36″)- free
• 3 pieces of pallet wood  (cut to 24″ wide)- free
• Elmer’s ProBond Advanced– $4.98
• Elmer’s Clamp Tape– $5.98
• Chalkboard Spray Paint– $4
• Sample Size Light Blue Paint- $3
• Mirror- $8
• Random objects to use as weights- free
• Clamps (optional)- borrowed for free

So in total, this project cost about $36. Not a bad deal for a vanity that also serves as a chalkboard. This project took a few days to complete, but that mostly consists of drying time. In total it only took me less than two hours of work.

Step One: Glue Metal Sheet to Wood Backing

The magnetic sheet is super thin and will not stand up on its own, so it needs to be glued to a wood backing. ProBond Advanced is a multi-surface adhesive, so it was exactly what I needed for attaching the metal to the wood.

To do this, all you need to do is apply a generous amount of ProBond, making sure to get the corners, and then place weight on top of the sheet for 8-12 hours. I actually left it for closer to 20 hours, and it worked perfectly. I literally just took things from around my apartment to use as weights, as you can see in the picture. The ProBond is very easy to use- it has the ease of any craft glue I’ve ever used while still having a heavy duty hold.

Step Two: Painting

Next you want to paint the metal sheet with chalkboard paint. I normally don’t like spray paint, but it worked well for this project because it didn’t leave any paint lines behind. I painted two coats of chalkboard paint on my metal sheet, with 2 hours drying time in between.

At the same time, I also primed and painted the pallet wood a nice light blue color, also with 2 hours drying time between coats. Don’t you love that you can get a little sample size of paint so it isn’t wasted for small projects? It’s so convenient.

I also painted the edges of the wood backing the same light blue as the shelves so it would have a nice pop of color. You can see in the picture below that it would have been a plain wood color if I had left it, but I love how the blue turned out.

Step Three: Glue Shelves

After letting the paint dry overnight, I then glued the shelves onto the painted metal sheet using ProBond Advanced. The ProBond was perfect because I of course messed up and glued one of the shelves off kilter and had to slide it back into place. Since the ProBond is translucent, you can’t even see my mistake. Awesome. The glue is very forgiving.

After the shelves are glued they need to be weighed down/ clamped for 8-12 hours. I ended up letting it dry and bond for a full 24 hours. I used some leftover wood I had lying around so that I could distribute the force evenly. I used the Elmer’s Clamp Tape to secure the wood in place. The clamp tape is so easy to use- it sticks only to itself. It is perfect for weirdly shaped things like this that need to be clamped. I just wrapped it around the back of the board and attached it on top of the wood planks.

To be safe I also added extra weight from some old paint buckets. The shelves are going to bear a small amount of weight so I wanted to make sure the bond was really tight.

Step Four: Attach Mirror (optional)

I wanted to attach a little tilting mirror to make the project feel more vanity-like. This is totally optional, because you can just lean a mirror or use a magnetic mirror if you like. I ended up using both the attached mirror and adding an additional one so I could get a nice big reflection.

I glued my mirror to the lowest shelf using ProBond Advanced and then clamped it for about 12 hours. Since the plastic of the mirror is clear, it is really great that the ProBond doesn’t foam and dries translucent. Otherwise it would have looked super messy. If you end up applying too much and a little comes out the sides, you can also paint it to match the shelves! It is great for people who are a little messy but still want a clean finished product- like me.

Step Five: Place Vanity on Desk and Admire!

I decided to lean my vanity on the wall. You could also hang it if you like, but it didn’t work for my space. And then just make your adorable chalk doodles and add some magnets to your makeup so it can stick to the vanity!

I am so happy with this transformation! The ProBond Advanced had such a strong heavy-duty hold that I am not worried about any of it coming apart. It was so much fun to be able to draw little chalk designs and put my makeup right onto the vanity. I hate putting it away, so just putting a magnet back onto a surface is WAY easier than cleaning up my makeup. Who knew you could make something like this without any tools or screws or nails? 

I love having the space for myself. You can even add other decorative magnets or go nuts with the chalk- I am fan of overstuffing if you can make it work.

Finally I have a place to keep all my makeup, homemade beauty products, and hair tools. Before they were spread in random places between my bedroom and the bathroom.

If you’ve read my post about How to Use Your Beauty Routine to Set Yourself Up For the Day Ahead– you’ll know I like to leave myself positive messages in the places I get ready. This chalkboard is the perfect way!! No wasted paper- yay!

I mean seriously, how cute is this vanity?? Form AND function. Exactly the type of thing I like to make. The living room is much improved.

If you like this project- you should definitely check out Elmer’s awesome Mixed Materials Pinterest board! On the board you can find lots of cool tutorials for all kinds of DIY projects.

If you end up making one yourself, send me a picture and I will post it on the blog!

The post Turn Any Desk Into a Magnetic Chalkboard Vanity appeared first on Pins and Procrastination.