My vintage schoolhouse chalkboard is one of my very favorite things! In fact, I have chalkboards in several shapes and sizes around the house. I love using them in fun new ways for parties and holidays. (My extra large one is one of those pieces that sort of migrates around the house because of its versatility!) I especially enjoy creating cool chalk art but my hand writing is just okay. I'm certainly no calligrapher and my attempts to duplicate beautiful fonts and typography are almost always futile. Typically they resemble elementary level scribbles at best! But I do have a few tricks up my sleeve.. And it's a short cut that doesn't require a projector! It's super easy and your lettering will look perfect. All you need is a printer, some chalk and a little tape.
First things first.. pick a design. The world's your oyster!
Once you decide what you want your board to say, you need to print your graphic. You can use a fun printable or download some pretty fonts and create your own design. My inspiration for this demonstration piece comes from Lauren Buzetti over at Schoolhouse Electric. I swoon every time she changes up their board!
The next step is important! Once you have your sizing just right and you've printed your words/letters/pictures, flip your paper over and evenly rub chalk all over the backside. Then, flip the paper right side up and place it exactly where you want it on your chalkboard. You can use tape to secure it so that it doesn't shift!
Next, take an object with a firm tip and trace the outline of your letters or shapes. I like to use a carpenter's pencil. The tip isn't so sharp that it will scratch or leave an indention in the board, but it's firm enough to transfer the chalk onto the hard surface. You can use a pen or pencil or just about anything firm enough to hold comfortably and trace with.
Once you've traced all edges, carefully lift and remove all the paper. The outline of your graphic will be transferred onto the chalkboard and you can use chalk or chalk markers to fill in as desired. (I prefer the aesthetic of regular chalk. Just keep in mind that chalk markers are semi-permanent and can be more difficult to erase. They're great to use in heavy-use areas or on things like pantry labels that get touched a lot.)
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| Light outline.. ready to be filled in! |
I like to use the broad side of regular chalk to coat the backside of my paper and these two tools to fill in my art by hand after I've traced everything. You can buy the fine tip cartridge here! It's my very favorite and it also has a handy eraser tip that really helps to clean up your edges without using your fingers!
Easy peasy, right?! And the possibilities are endless.. You'll look like a pro in no time!
-Lauren
