DIYing A Chalkboard Sign Or Banner

When I first started blogging, DIYs and tutorials were all the rage, and those type of posts were my favorites to read. I loved seeing how fellow young women were creating beautiful homes from flea market finds and revamping furniture pieces that were abandoned on the side of the road.

Then ... bloggers got all pro on me.

You know what I'm talking about. Tutorials started blowing my mind and looking like nothing I could ever achieve. DIY blog posts had big-time sponsors footing the bill, and suddenly these projects seemed unattainable, expensive, and way too time-consuming.

I'm here to share a little DIY today that is not professional, not sponsored (darnit), but something that I think just about anyone can do. It's just my easy way of decorating chalkboard signs and banners.

So, let's do this.

Above are the signs I've done so far, in order of completion. Nothing ridiculously professional, but not too shabby looking either, if I do say so myself!

Quick list of three things you will need:

+ Chalkboard sign or banner (I've purchased mine from Michaels using a 40% off coupon, but you can also find these at Walmart in the craft section or on Amazon HERE or HERE)

+ Bistro Chalk Marker (mine is from Micheals but it's also extremely inexpensive HERE on Amazon ... maybe even less than I paid at Michaels?)

+ And lastly, you'll just need some fun text to try to copy freehand ... you can google "calligraphy alphabet" or use those search terms on Pinterest. I usually just search Pinterest for inspiration. 

Okay, here's the basics on how I put mine together. You start off with your blank board.

To make it look less "pristine" and more like a normal chalkboard, I start off making some squiggly doodles on it, and then wipe it (mostly) clean with a slightly damp paper towel, leaving some streaky chalky residue.

This is when I turn to Pinterest to find some cute font ideas. I just freehand these on and do a fair amount of erasing and re-doing until it looks pretty enough. Pinterest also has fun ideas for add-ons, like embellishments. 

I find that if you go over your letters multiple times (instead of having just one "brushstroke"), the added dimension really helps it pop and look nicer.

And, the most important thing here to remember is that you will be your own worst critic. After a while you just have to step back and try to look at it as a whole and not pinpoint every little error you see. Chalkboards like this aren't supposed to be perfect ... you can leave perfection to a computer font. Let this one look homegrown and FUN! Happy chalkboarding!