Wedding Chalkboard Signs

 

I've had a few people ask about the chalkboard signs I made for last months wedding reception, so I figured I do a little recap of how I made them.

The three food signs were made from a sheet of chalkboard panel sold by Home Depot. I had them cut one board down into three 16x20 pieces. Instead of buying frames, I drilled holes and glued on metal washers in the corners using E6000, It finished off the chalkboards without the expense of framing them.

The next two chalkboards were made from old kitchen cabinet doors that I found in front of a neighbors house years ago. I painted the raised edge blue, and the flat panel with chalkboard paint. If you use chalkboard paint it's always a good idea to prime your surface first. Otherwise, the chalk can scratch the paint right off.

For all the writing I used a bistro chalkboard marker made by Uchida.

A couple of tips: erasing is easy before the paint sets. As I was working, if I messed up I just swiped it off with a damp towel. The longer the marker sets, the harder it is to get off. The lettering on these stayed on for a couple of weeks, so it took some elbow grease, and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to completely remove it.

If you want a "chalkier" look, rub a dusty chalkboard eraser over the board once the marker is completely dried.

The bistro markers are so much easier to control than regular chalk, so in my opinion it's worth the extra trouble of cleaning the boards.