Weathered Wood Chalkboard

I been wanting a large chalkboard and couldn't really find one that I was looking for.  So I decided to make one that fit my need.  I wanted my chalkboard to be trimmed in weathered barn wood.  I didn't have the right wood available, so I made my own.  Here's my version of a weathered barn wood framed chalkboard.

Materials:  23 X 47 MDF sheet
                  chalkboard paint
                  router
                  1 X 3 pine
                  tea bags
                  steel wood
                  vinegar
                  3 different dark stain colors

1.  First, wipe off the MDF, then paint your MDF sheet with several coats of chalkboard paint.  Let dry between coats.

2.  Route one side of your 1 X 3 pine boards.  Make sure your pieces are long enough to make a frame for your MDF.

3.  Cut your routed pine boards at 45 degree angles to form a frame for the MDF.  I used a finishing nail gun to fasten my frame at the joints.  Sand edges of the frame.

4.  Now for the weathered effect!  24 hours prior to staining, place a steel wood pad in a jar with vinegar and let it sit.  Now that you're ready to stain, boil the tea bags in water.  When tea is ready, wipe this using a sponge paint brush onto the pine frame.  Immediately wipe the steel wool, vinegar mixture over it.  It will immediately turn grey.  While still wet, I used a different dark stain on each piece of the frame to give it that barn wood ecletic look and to get different effects on each part of the frame.  Let it dry.

To fix my MDF to the frame I used staples shot in at an angle all around the back of the MDF.  This has made it really sturdy inside the frame.