I think I’m finally getting control of the chaos. I think. . .
Last week, I told you I was overwhelmed and, trying to stay positive, called it a sneak peek into what I’ve been diligently working on for the past few weeks. I showed you this picture:
Any ideas as to what this could be? Give up? Chalkboard placemats!
Hope over at Seasons with the Sewells posted several ideas for ways to use chalkboard paint, one of them being to make fun placemats. I thought this was a great idea and would be totally fun at a casual dinner party/get together with friends or for kids. I used to love (honestly, still do) going to restaurants where you could write on the tables with crayons. My dad and I would always play tic tac toe and draw funny pictures. Husband and I do it too. I like men who doodle. This easy project is a great way to do this at home.
Here’s the nitty gritty on what you need:
- Chalkboard paint. Hope used a spray version but all I could find locally was the roll on kind. I still have SO MUCH LEFT. You will definitely see it in future projects.
- Flat canvas panels, 11x14 or 12x16, which is the size I used because I wanted ‘em big.
- Chalk
I patiently (ha!) waited for the canvas panels to go on sale at Michaels. After hitting up so many great 50% sales at craft stores, I have trouble paying full price nowadays. Once they were on sale, I snatched up three packs of three. I knew I would have an extra one but I had an idea of where it could go in my home. Waste not want not!
The steps are pretty straight forward. Be sure to read the label on your paint for specific drying times.
1. Lay out your panels on a protected surface. Learn from my mistake. Put something underneath the panels (such as some bottle caps) to raise them up a bit. I had some issues with the paint drying and sticking to the newspaper. Rookie mistake, I know. Learn from me!
2. Apply your first coat of paint. Let it dry for how ever many hours the directions recommend. The directions for my paint recommend 4 hours.
3. Apply a second coat and let dry overnight. My dining room was a wreck while this was drying. Right after I finished painting, a friend came over to pick up our weight bench that we were no longer using. We had to carefully push the table and the chairs out of the way, so we could pass through the dining room. It. Was. Messy. It’s all good now though, so don’t worry about me anymore.
4. Once your panels have cured overnight, rub them down (rawr) with a piece of chalk to “treat” them. Then, rub off the chalk with a rag.
5. Set your table and invite some friends over to doodle until their hearts' content! I like to leave little messages for my guests and Husband. These would also make fun place cards.
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| I put the chalk in a glass in the middle of the table, so everyone could grab a piece! |
The placemats took awhile to dry but, as far as actual hands on time, it only took about 30 minutes to do. Nifty!
In case you were wondering, the leftover panel went here!
I keep it clipped to my pin board over my desk. I use it to write notes or goals and keep them in sight. See how I made my pinboard for free using upcycled materials here!
Anyone out there have a cool use for chalkboard paint? Please share because did I mention I HAVE SO MUCH LEFTOVER.
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