Anthropologie Inspired: Chalkboard Globe

This post is part of our Anthro Love Blog Series -- where we are spending February sharing some Love for Anthro by creating our own DIY Versions of some great products. If you'd like to see all of the posts from this series, go here.

Erica spotted this Soapstone Globe on Anthroplogie, and she sent me the link right away. I love anything globe or map related, and already have a small globe collection in our living room.

However, the price tag on Anthro's version comes in at $368 - yikes. If I was going to own this globe, it would have to be a Knock-Off.

I picked this vintage globe up at a yard sale back in the summer. It's actually a toy, the globe is metal and the stand is plastic. I think Mike thought it was a little odd that I was adding a toy to my globe collection, but it was $2 and seemed silly to pass up.

Since it was such a steal, I figured it would be good for this project.

Apparently, I was so anxious to try out this project that I didn't think to prime the globe first. Don't make the same mistake. When I tried to put the globe back on the stand, paint was peeling off at the mere contact with the stand, let alone rubbing a piece of chalk across it. So, after a few coats of chalkboard paint I ended up sanding it down a bit and applying a coat of spray primer. Once the primer was applied, I added 3 more coats of chalkboard paint.

Based on that experience, I decided to apply a little bit of matte mod podge to protect the paint at the top and bottom of the globe before I put it back on the stand.

Always remember to prep your chalkboard (i.e. rub a bunch of chalk all over it) before writing on the surface!

The stand got a couple coats of silver spray paint. It was a little too shiny for me, so I went back over the spray paint with some gold Rub'n Buff to give it a more natural patina.

I'm really liking how it turned out! 

Right now we've got this verse from 1 Corinthians displayed on it.

Globe - thrifted, $2

Chalkboard Spray Paint - already owned

Spray Primer - already owned

Silver Spray Paint - already owned

Gold Rub n Buff - Amazon, $5

TOTAL = $7

If you had to purchase the spray paint, I find they run $4-$6 a can, which would put your total in the $20-$25 range, but you'll have plenty of spray paint on hand for future projects too.

P.S. Erica will be back on Thursday with more Anthro Love.

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Linking up at the Inspiration Gallery, If it's not Baroque, Dog Days of Winter and these parties: