Crafts
Guest Post by
Chris Long, The Home Depot
Editor's Note: There's no better way to spend quality time with children than to craft together. Making something special like this chalkboard wood tray project for the holidays not only stores away fond memories that will be recalled in the future, it also creates an heirloom seasonal decorative item for your home that is also quite practical. Come to think of it, this would be wonderful to make and use any time between now and New Year's.
A Fun, Easy Craft Project to Make With Chalkboard Paint
For Christmas décor
projects that you will enjoy as much as your kids, think about the myriad uses
you can come up with for chalkboard paint! Whether you want to make DIY
decorations or functional pieces that also enhance the festive feelings in the
home, a coat or two of chalkboard paint is all you need.
One such project is a
painted serving tray that can be displayed all season long and then put to use
in your entertaining (label your treats as you serve them) or on Christmas Eve
for Santa's treat.
Steps to Make Your Own DIY Wood Tray
Customized Chalkboard Paint
First, you can always mix
up your own chalkboard paint using flat paint and unsanded tile grout (that you
can purchase at your local home improvement store).
Alternatively, the
popularity of chalkboard paint has prompted paint manufacturers to start pre-mixing
their own using their custom colors and today, the chalkboard paint serving
tray is painted with Martha Stewart Chalkboard Paint.
Chalk Conditioning
But first, no matter which
paint path you select, once the item has been painted and dried at least 24
hours, you'll need to condition the surface before you can begin writing on it.
To do this, take a piece of
plain chalk (white works best for creating a "non-colored" chalkboard
foundation) and rub the surface with the long side of the chalk. Once the entire
surface is covered, simply erase!
Chalkboard Paint Project: Christmas Tray
Materials Needed
- Wood Tray (new or recycled)
- Chalkboard Paint (Martha Stewart's blue and gray used
here)
- Foam Roller for the Base Coat
- Brushes for Sides and Details
- Multi-Colored Chalk
If the weather is nice,
take this painting project outside and make winter use out of your patio
furniture – just be sure to protect it with a plastic or canvas drop cloth or
an old sheet.
Begin by painting the sides
of the tray with one of the larger brushes and the blue chalkboard paint. Don't
worry if the paint isn't perfect because you'll touch up the edges later.
Wait for the sides to dry
and use the foam roller to apply the gray paint to the base of the tray.
Use the smaller brush to
touch up the corners.
Allow the paint to cure for
24 hours and then get ready for the fun chalk phase
Condition the surface with
the white chalk and wipe the tray off with a paper towel
From here, you're ready to
go wherever the merry-making takes you!
A really original way to preserve your child's artwork. In addition to a seasonal
serving tray, what other uses can you and your kids come up with for using this
chalkboard painted project?
About the Guest Post Author
Chris Long has worked as a Chicago area The Home Depot associate for over 12 years. Chris has lots of experience with DIY projects which he often shares on the company blog. Chris provides tips on everything from type of craft paint to use on your furniture or project, to the correct techniques and paint to use to create a faux finish.
About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer with stores in all 50 U.S. states as well as in D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Various locations of this DIY retail mecca offer free workshops and seminars to consumers throughout the year ranging from how-to crafts and woodworking to preparing for hurricanes and other practical topics of interest to home owners and renters. Stay up to date on everything Home Depot is doing on HomeDepot.com and by following them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
For more Holiday Arts and Crafts inspiration, visit these MBE posts
FTC Disclosure: Home Depot and Chris Long provided all the content and images for this post. However, no payment or other compensation was exchanged in connection with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
Chris Long has worked as a Chicago area The Home Depot associate for over 12 years. Chris has lots of experience with DIY projects which he often shares on the company blog. Chris provides tips on everything from type of craft paint to use on your furniture or project, to the correct techniques and paint to use to create a faux finish.
About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer with stores in all 50 U.S. states as well as in D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Various locations of this DIY retail mecca offer free workshops and seminars to consumers throughout the year ranging from how-to crafts and woodworking to preparing for hurricanes and other practical topics of interest to home owners and renters. Stay up to date on everything Home Depot is doing on HomeDepot.com and by following them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.
For more Holiday Arts and Crafts inspiration, visit these MBE posts
- White House Gingerbread House
- DIY Personalized Photo Christmas Ornament
- 12 Hanukkah Menorah Crafts
- Paper Hanukkah Menorah Centerpiece Craft
FTC Disclosure: Home Depot and Chris Long provided all the content and images for this post. However, no payment or other compensation was exchanged in connection with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.