Chalk It Up

I really like chalkboards.

Some day I'll probably wonder why I ever thought it was cute
to randomly scatter chalkboards all over my house. 

But for now, chalkboards are a fun and inexpensive way
to add a little something spunky to my house.
Besides, it's fun to take something old and ugly and make it fun and functional!

Let me show you how it's done!

Supplies:

old framed print with glass

spray paint or acrylic craft paint for the frame

chalkboard spray paint for the glass

fine sandpaper

glass cleaner

hot glue gun

1. Disassemble.

First thing you need to do is take your ugly old framed print apart. 

Rip off the paper backing and disassemble.

Save the actual print and cardboard backing because you are going to need it later.

2. Paint the frame.

Spray paint is fine if the weather is cooperating for you to paint outside.  

Otherwise,  brush on some acrylic craft paint.  

I like to distress the paint with a little sandpaper treatment here and there.

3. Paint the glass.

Lay your glass from the frame on a flat surface and sand one side with fine sandpaper.

This will help the paint adhere and you will not see the scratches.

Next clean the glass with glass cleaner and clear of any dust from your work surface in preparation for the chalk paint.

I prepare a table in my garage with newspaper,

 lay the glass flat(sanded side up),and spray several thin coats of chalkboard spray paint.

Just follow the directions on the can. 

Don't even think about writing on it yet!

4. Prep the chalkboard surface.

After the required drying time, the chalkboard surface needs to be prepped.

Remove any dust from the surface with a dust cloth.  

Using the side of a piece of chalk, slowly cover the entire surface with chalk.  

Then "erase" the chalk with a soft cloth or eraser.

(In case you were wondering...this step is important! 

If you don't prep the surface this way, you will forever see the first words you write 

no matter how hard you try to erase them. Trust me.)

 5. Re-assemble.

First place the chalkboard painted glass back into the frame.

The front of the painted glass and the front of the frame 

will be face down on your table for this step.

Use your hot glue gun to make a globby bead of glue 

all the way around the inside edge of the frame to hold the glass in place.

Like this:

Now it's time to put the ugly print/cardboard backing back into the frame.

Again, run a bead of hot glue around the edge to hold the cardboard in place.

Like this:

It will now look something like this.  

You could quit at this point and hang her up on your wall, 

but I can't stand to leave the back side so ugly when the front is so cute.  

So....

6. Don't stop now.

This chalkboard is for my niece. It's going to need one more final step of cutesification.

Measure the frame and cut out a piece of backing paper.

This baking paper can be anything--I just happen to hoard old maps.

Glue on the backing with tacky glue.  

You can trim any excess paper with an exacto knife.

That looks WAY better, right?

7. But wait! There's more! 

Why not take the map scraps and make some bunting too?

This one is for you, Mikaela Joi.

Hope you love it!

Heat Wave

What do you do when it's too hot to be outside 

and the brother is sick so you have to stay home all day?

MAKE STUFF!!!

Thanks to our Pinterest addiction, we have plenty of inspiration.

Hanna started off the fun by glitzing up her chargers.

Really?

Well, I guess we won't get them confused anymore.

That must have wet her appetite,

because before you can say "hot glue gun" we were whipping up a crayon storm.

Crayons? Check.
Canvas? Check.
Hot glue gun? Check.
Blow dryer? Check.
Three girls? Check.

We had everything we needed right here at home.

Perfection!

Hum...wonder what they'll create tomorrow?

~ ~ ~

Since we are having so much fun with the girls today,

why not throw in another one of their favorites:

Kid History videos.


My kids quote these videos all the live long day.

This one is a household favorite...

I can't explain it, but it's funny stuff.

FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACT!

Feeling the Love

I clearly remember sitting on a yellow vinyl chair at our white formica dining room table making fancy paper valentines for the valentine exchange at school.  Always the Elmers glue, the paper doilies, and the carefully traced construction paper heart.  Maybe even a candy conversation heart glued to the middle. A classic!


I loved everything about Valentine's Day.  I certainly did not want my kids to miss out on the Valentine's festivities during our home school years, so we made our own kind of fun.

Heart Shaped Pizzas

Heart-shaped Pancakes--yes, that is a heart shape. You'll just have to take my word for it.

Wearing pink and red, of course... and sometimes balloons.

Sorry, I have no pictures of the heart shaped meatloaf. No, I'm not kidding.

But the greatest thrill of all?
Valentine MAIL BOXES

A week or so before the 14th, each person makes a "mailbox" to hang on their bedroom door.

We set up a table somewhere with all the supplies needed to make little valentines.
Each day you "secretly" make and deliver a little note to each person's mailbox.

 Josie's enthusiasm for this has been building for weeks. 

She always makes her cards first thing in the morning, still in her pj's.  

Maybe for the kids it's all about the stash of chocolate.
Nothing like a little sugar to motivate acts of kindness.
But I hope it's more than that.  I hope it's making sweet memories.

You know I'll be keeping these little scribbled love notes forever.

See! They really do love each other-- I've got it in writing!

Muster up some FUN.

Josie is a crafty girl.  Lucky she has a crafty teacher.

 Look at the colorful cuteness we made in school this week.

How cool is that?  Peel 'em. Melt 'em. Freeze 'em. Done.

Trust me, you need to do this.  I know you want to.  

Better yet,  make them heart shaped and pass them out at school on Valentine's Day.
Okay?

Now go make some memories.
You might be surprised at how much fun you can muster up for February.