Chalkboard Obsession

 My friend, Jacque, made this chalkboard & sign for Olive's baby shower back in March of 2013.  I loved it so much that it's stayed this way every since.  It had always hung in Olive's nursery, but when we moved I decided it would fit better in dining room.  The pink of the frame perfectly matched the pink the area rug.  I felt nostalgic erasing the baby message and had to assure myself it wasn't really that big of a deal.  

 I used a really damp washcloth since the message had been on the board for about 18 months.  I went over it a few times to ensure that the message was fully erased.  Then let the board dry completely for about 15 minutes.

I didn't want to spend much money to update this chalkboard sign and knew that I needed to buy some chalk.  Target came through for me big time!  I found this container of chalk for less than $2 in the party supply aisle and it had every color  I needed.  I wasn't sure if it would work for my writing project, but figured it was worth the risk since it was so cheap.  I am happy to report that it worked great!!  I've since noticed that Wal-mart carries a Crayola line of similar chunky chalk for about a quarter a stick or a four pack for only $1.  I'm thinking I will definitely be investing in other colors as I acquire more chalkboards.

I did a practice sketch on a post-it note to map out what I wanted to do.  I knew that I wanted to write welcome and include colors from the dining room rug.  The chalkboard is the first thing you see when you walk in our front door so it had to be cheery and welcoming.  I free handed the cursive with green and then went back over it several times.  I got my stick of chalk wet to add some darker green in certain areas.  The more layers I did the better it looked.

 I added the stems, flowers, lines and polka-dots next.  I repeated the process of working with dry chalk first, wetting my chalk stick and then going over it to get the colors I wanted.  Let it dry for 10 minutes or so and then go back and darken or thicken lines.  I let it dry completely for about one hour and then we hung it (and by we I mean I told my husband where to hang it and he did the heavy lifting :)

 

 I'd love to have another chalkboard frame in Olive's bedroom, one in the kitchen for a menu board and maybe another to use on our patio.  I've been keeping my eyes peeled for ones that I really like but they seem pricey in the stores.  I probably just need to branch out a bit and head to my local thrift stores to see if I can DIY one.  I haven't checked out any thrift shops in Mississippi yet so I look forward to the fun adventure.

 My next project of the week:

Start pulling together gallery walls in my kitchen, family room and Olive's room.  Topher is eager to help with the selection process...

 Linking up with Best of the Nest