DIY Project: Chalkboard Menu.

I have wanted a chalkboard wall menu in my kitchen for quite a while, with the dual purpose of meal planning, as well as to avoid the nightly "what's for dinner?" questions. As always, I had a pretty specific idea in my mind.

The easiest solution to create what I was looking for, would have been painting it straight onto the wall, using chalkboard paint. However, since we're renting, that was not an option. So instead I began searching for large chalkboards online. 1st stop: Etsy. Quickly, I found great framed chalkboards, like this one, and this one, but it wasn't quite what I had in mind. Besides, I didn't really like the price tags... Honestly, $150 for a homemade chalkboard in a vintage frame, which probably cost 1/4 of that to put together! Caaa-Ching! Somebody is obviously raking in the cash. All I could think was (a) "you cannot be serious?", and (b) "I should start a chalkboard business".

Then I stumbled upon Simple Shapes, a lovely Etsy shop, selling vinyl wall decals. Their Weekly Planner was VERY similar to the vision in my mind.

Image Source: Simple Shapes Etsy Shop

Using vinyl decals would give me the painted on look that I was looking for, while still being removable, and shave at least $100 off the price tag. However, I wanted plain panels, without the cut-out weekday labels Simple Shapes was selling. So, I figured I could make my own. With that in mind, I went looking for plain vinyl decals.

I found these Wallies Peel & Stick Chalkboard sheets, which looked pretty much identical to the Simple Shapes version, sans the weekday cut-outs and the top lettering. And they were $16 for 4, with free shipping (Yay for Amazon Prime!). The letters, also removable vinyl, were $10.

I ordered 2 packages (of 4) vinyl chalkboard panels, and 1 package of vinyl press-on letters. Although, I was a bit worried that they would be flimsy, fall off, or be difficult to write on with chalk & chalk ink pen, especially on our slightly textured walls. My supplies arrived 2 days later (Another yay for Amazon Prime!), and much to my relief, the panels didn't appear flimsy, or cheap. They tested well with both chalk and chalk ink pens, they erased well, and the letter looked even better than I had hoped.

A couple of minutes after I ripped open the box they came in, I already had applied all the panels onto my wall. I didn't measure when positioning them, instead just slammed them up, estimating the position of the 1st piece, using the doorframe of the pantry that is 1/2 foot to the left of it (out of frame) to make sure it was straight. Then I used that piece to position the next piece one, and so on. I added the letters above, and the entire application took about 2 minutes.

Super easy!

Here is my new chalkboard menu:

I'm really happy with how it turned out, and they work well. I've literary been using this thing every single day since I got it. As an additional bonus, when I added it all up, I realized I actually saved a few bucks by doing it myself.

Price Comparison:

Buy:

Simple Shapes Weekly Planner - $54

Simply Shapes shipping - $12

Total: $68

DIY:

2 x Wallies Peel & Stick Chalkboard - $16.08 ea = $32.16

Press-On Removable 6" Vinyl Letters - $10.54

Shipping - $0.00

Total: $42.70

DIY Project: Chalkboard Heart Mugs

I made these cups as a Valentine gift for my fabulous book club friends, and while it took several days to finish, this project was quite easy.

I had this idea to paint mugs with chalkboard paint, but since I couldn't find chalkboard china paint that wasn't black (& I really didn't want a black heart for Valentines), I ended up making my own chalkboard paint.

What you'll need:

China paint in desired color - I used Pebeo Porcelain 150 China paint

China paint thinner - Pebeo Porcelaine 150 China Paint thinner

Dry White Unsanded Grout

paint brushes

oven safe Porcelaine china of your choice - I used large humongous cups

stencils or painters tape, to create a sharp edge on your design

What to do:

1. Make the chalkboard paint by adding a small amount of grout to the china paint, 2 tablespoons grout to 1 cup of paint is the correct ratio.

2. Mix very well, until the paint is smooth, and all the little grout clumps have completely dissolved. If needed, dilute the paint a little using the thinner. (I did not have any thinner, but I wish I would have, since the paint quickly got thick, making it difficult to get a smooth application. Make sure to use one that works with your brand of china paint & remember to keep the ratio of grout to paint.) A mortar and pestle would be great for mixing in the grout (Note to self: get a mortar and pestle).

3. Create the stencil for your design of choice. I used Avery label paper for my stencil, which worked really well. I folded my paper in half for symmetry, and then cut the heart out. I used the cutout heart as a stencil for the next label, so all the mugs would look pretty similar.

4. Stick the stencil to the cup.

5. Cover the stencil with a couple of layers of the paint, carefully remove the stencil, and let the paint dry for a full 24 hours.

6. Bake piece in the oven at 300 degrees F, for 35 minutes, or according to the directions on your paint of choice.

7. Let cool.

Done!

I stuffed my mugs full of heart-shaped butter cookies, a note, & a small package of chalk.

Here are some pictures my friends posted of their mugs on Twitter & Instagram:

Image Source: Toni's Instagram

Image Source: Cate's Twitter

Image Source: Melinda's Instagram

Image Source: Beth's Twitter

Image Source: Kerry's Twitter

Image Source: Sam's Twitter