Gorgeous blackboards.

Blackboards came into decorating fashion a couple of years ago, they are everywhere. This is something so easy to do yourself and so useful!

My first attempt was when I found a huge painting in a gorgeous frame. The frame was just beautiful but the painting was hideous. So I painted right over the painting with blackboard paint. It was a service to humanity and gave me a huge blackboard for my kitchen which I would write various things on as I felt like....

Then blackboard tags. I bought little wooden hearts with a hole drilled in them and painted them with blackboard paint. Tied on to bottles and jars they look great as labels. Also I have tied them on to my pantry and freezer baskets and labeled things that way and it looks really good.

I always have an easy time making things for girls, boys I find harder! I have used a blackboard theme on some parcels for Christmas, you can do the same for tags... 

Black paper or cardboard and white writing = the blackboard look. It looks quite stylish!

Ok so some secrets... it is hard to get lovely writing with a piece of chalk. The gorgeous signs you see are mostly made using not chalk at all but liquid chalk markers. They look like chalk but they are fine and accurate and do not smudge or wear. Big difference! 

I did this sign for my husband for his office, it's in a thick black frame which I found on the side of the road and painted black...

Andy really likes his sign, it was a hit!

So two things... as I don't intend to rub it out and change it I use the texta and there is no point painting a blackboard, black cardboard LOOKS exactly the same, you cannot tell! Big money saver for framed signs.

When working on a sign, use real chalk or a pencil to lightly design your work and do the final thing in the liquid chalk texta. Very easy. There are online tutorials on how to draw up a design or even trace one.

The liquid chalk came from Spotlight. If you have trouble they are available online readily. It's the best stuff. It means you can make labels for all kinds of things that look really neat and clear. I have never been able to work out how the signs I have admired are so neat when my chalk writing looked to shocking! This is it! Now please note the liquid chalk on a porous surface is not removable unless you paint right over it so it is strictly for things you want to stay put.

There are just so many things you could do. Yesterday I saw an old door thrown out. I thought if I had little kids I would paint it in blackboard paint and mount it somewhere for them. Or you can paint the top of an old coffee table as a play table for the kids.I have a friend who did that recently for her boys and it looked great!  Or if your fridge or freezer is scratched paint the whole thing and write artfully on it! This looks amazing! Or a whole wall...  For a fabulous and inexpensive gift there are so many options and for designer style home wares for yourself. My next project is finding the top of an old bed head ie Queen Anne style and painting that as a sign for on top of my kitchen cupboards... but the side of the road has failed to deliver (so far)!