Every few years I will try to bring some organisation to my life. Unfortunately, cleaning, tidying etc are my least favourite things to do. I can’t bear to chuck anything away. And quite frankly it’s just as well this time!

I found a load of these Ikea magazine racks in various stares of disrepair hidden away in cupboards all around the house. Some needed a little glue and TLC, all needed a good dust.

I wanted to paint them to start with but I’m planning an overhaul of my sewing space and I’m not sure what the new colour scheme will be so I thought I’d go simple.

Blackboards seem to be all the rage these days so I decided on a little blackboard panel on the front of each file. I used this cheap and cheerful paint from wilko.

First I wiped the wood down with a dry cloth. I only realised after I’d finished the first few that I should have given the front a light sanding to give a nice smooth surface….o well, I did that to the last lot. I used masking tape to mark out the area I wanted to paint.

I used a non-bristle brush to paint on a thin layer, left it to dry for an hour then painted on another thin layer.

This gave a good, even coverage. I let it dry overnight before removing the masking tape.

Although it didn’t say on the instructions, I’d read somewhere else that you’re supposed to prime the surface before you start writing all over it. I used the long edge of a piece of chalk to cover the black surface then buffed it off with a clean, dry rag.

Job done!

Now only another million things left to sort out!