DIY Family Reminder Chalkboard

*This post is sponsored by Martha Stewart Crafts® via Blueprint Social. All opinions, thoughts, craft errors, chalk hands and paint stained floor are my own.

I am a list maker. I literally write everything down so I don’t forget it. But the problem is, I’m also a stacker/straightener. Do you know what that is? It’s where I straighten things up by making stacks. Which means I bury my to-do lists. So I wanted a way to be able to leave out family reminders so we don’t forget things as we head out the door in the morning. DIY chalkboards are not new. But I wanted to do mine a little bit differently. I wanted it to sort of blend in with our decor a little bit, a little more arty. And I also wanted something that wasn’t totally permanent in terms of what it says. I like to use things in multiple ways. I figured out that Chalkboard Paint would be the perfect thing to use.

Martha Stewart Crafts® has these awesome products out that worked perfect for my project. The color options for the Martha Stewart Crafts® MultiSurface Chalkboard Paint are amazing! While of course the traditional, dark chalkboard color is classic, I was excited to play around with some of these other colors. And they work on any porous surface so they are totally versatile. And the Martha Stewart Crafts® Erasable Liquid Chalk is EXACTLY what this project needed! It goes on like paint, dries and doesn’t smudge, but can be wiped off with a damp cloth! Totally perfect. The Martha Stewart Crafts® Adhesive Silkscreen Stencils are made to work this awesome paint so I couldn’t wait to try them out.

For this project you will need:

A wooden board

Black spray paint

Martha Stewart Crafts® MultiSurface Chalkboard Paint

Blue painter’s tape

A paint brush (I used a roller brush, but either will work)

Martha Stewart Crafts® Erasable Liquid Chalk

Martha Stewart Crafts® Adhesive Silkscreens

I laid out my board on a drop cloth and used the spray paint to create some lines. There is no rhyme or reason to how I did this, I just knew that I didn’t want it symmetrical.

Next I taped off the edge of the board with the painter’s tape. I used a small roller to paint on the Martha Stewart Crafts® MultiSurface Chalkboard Paint in Oxblood. I found that using a brush left the surface a little less smooth when finished but either is fine. I let the first coat dry for about an hour and then painted on a second coat. I let that dry and then did some touch ups where the board needed a little bit more paint. I didn’t prime this area first as I was fine if the black lines showed through a little bit. But the paint covered it really well.

I then let the paint dry for 24 hours before priming it with chalk. If you don’t prime your chalkboard paint first, whatever words you first write will not completely wipe off. It’s such a bummer. All you have to do is take a piece of white chalk, lay it on its side, and rub the chalk on the board. I did this in rows, first cover the board in one direction and then turning it one half turn so the lines were going the other direction. Then, using a soft rag, wipe it all off. Make sure to do this outside. It’s crazy messy.

Once it has been primed, your chalkboard is all ready to use. I decided that although the Martha Stewart Crafts® Adhesive Silkscreens are super awesome, the letters were not quite the scale I wanted for my board. I decided to free hand “don’t forget” and then use one of the decorative stencils for a little extra fun.

The stencils work best if you rub them to your surface, concentrating on the area right next to the screen. Also, start with a light hand with the Martha Stewart Crafts ® 2 oz Erasable Liquid Chalk but make sure to cover completely. As you can see from the arrow on the right, I missed the tip. But once it was dry, I was able to wipe it off and redo it. I chose to use the Liquid Chalk for this part of the sign as it won’t change from day to day. While once in a while I will probably change what the sign says, you know, for birthdays, holidays, special messages, etc., mostly I want it to just say, “don’t forget.”

I really like how it came out! While it may not fit in everyone’s decor, it goes perfectly with our aesthetic and vibe. The Oxblood even matches our carpet really well!

We now have a place where we can write notes to ourselves about what we need to remember each day as we are heading out the door.

The smaller chalk works better for smaller writing so I’m keeping some right by the sign to make it super easy.

And of course Ronald has to watch over it. Forgetting to bring any of the things on this list, well that just wouldn’t be prudent.

I also decided that I wanted to make a chalkboard area on a fabric lunch bag. Since my youngest son will only be in school a few hours a day, we will still be running a lot of errands together in the afternoons. I love to grab things to keep him busy and I know that if I keep a few “grab bags” ready to go, it will cut down on the time it takes to get out the door for our errands too.

This liquid chalkboard paint is kind of amazing. While I am sure the kid’s can rub it off if they really set their mind to it, it will absolutely make it through your trip to get your tires rotated, mail something at the post office or wait the 3 hours to see your doctor… I am also in love with this color of paint, Habanero. And it didn’t make it in to this post, but I also tried out the color, Ink, a navy blue color and it is SO great!

And how cool is it that “Legos” easily wiped write off the bag when I decided the lunch sack would also make a fantastic back to school gift…

The Martha Stewart Crafts® Chalkboard Paint, Liquid Chalk and Adhesive Silkcreens are available at Michaels. In addition to the new Martha Stewart Crafts® Chalkboard line, visit Michaels to learn about more new product, including Martha Stewart Crafts® Vintage Decor Paint!

Want to know more about the Martha Stewart Crafts® Chalkboard Paint? Watch this quick video from Martha, herself:

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*I wrote this post as part of a paid campaign with Martha Stewart Crafts® and Blueprint Social. The opinions in this post are my own. http://cmp.ly/3/FdAzcC

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