Easy DIY Chalkboard Signs
- By Joan
- July 6, 2017
- 2 Comments
Thanks for following me the last couple weeks as I’ve taken you through the many projects from my son’s wedding. First up was the rustic stick arbor, followed by the chalkboard card box, pallet wood centerpieces, and mortise lock table numbers.
My last assignment was chalkboard signs. Two large signs, one welcoming folks to the wedding and a second, trust me you can dance sign.
As long as you don’t have to do lettering free hand then this project is fairly easy. It takes a bit of time, but it still is totally doable for anyone that likes a craft project and has a printer. Even if you don’t have a wedding in your future you could still make this project with any saying, for any occasion.
From Home Depot I got one, four foot square 1/4 inch handy plywood panel and cut it in half.
Paint the two halves with either chalkboard paint or flat black paint.
I used Microsoft Publisher for the chalkboard card box last week and I’m using it again for this project. As I’ve mentioned before, you can make your project any size. This time my dimensions are 24″ x 48″.
Choose your font. If you go into one of the free font sites, this one happens to be Dafont.com, you can type in your saying and see ahead of time what it will look like in every font. Here I’m trying out script fonts.
I showed you these fonts when I shared the wedding card box. These will definitely get you started on your own chalkboard sign.
If you don’t already have these in your font library you can download free fonts at Dafont.com, 1001 Fonts or 1001 Free Fonts. All three sites have more fonts than you’ll ever need.
I also laid out my “Trust me You can Dance” sign in Publisher.
Both signs were printed out, trimmed and taped back together.
Where there is lettering, coat the back in chalk.
Tape the paper printout to your board, trace over it in pen transferring the lettering to your board.
For these larger signs, I used a combination of paint pen and acrylic paint to fill in the lettering.
On an unexpected trip to the salvage yard I found molding for $3, enough to frame both signs.
The molding was glued on with construction adhesive and clamped where needed.
The fancy squiggle at the top and bottom of the sign is another font, It Was a Good Day. The squiggle is the letter “Q”.
On the sign below, in the same font, the line with the hearts on both ends, is the number “2” and the banner around the “menu” is the letter “L”.
I thought I was all finished with signs, when I get a text from my son a few weeks before the wedding. Apparently they had run out of time, and would I mind making five more signs…a menu sign, peach cobbler, coffee/tea, chocolate mousse and a take a picture/polaroid sign.
First up, the menu. Above, you can see the layout on the computer, below, the finished menu.
I didn’t have a chance to return to the salvage yard, so this sign is going to remain unframed.
For the remainder of the signs I used both a Chalk Marker
To get a softer finish on some of the food , I applied real chalk and just smeared it with my finger.
All of the main menu items on the menu board were typed using the same font, KG Second Chances . I varied the look with shading and even giving the Salmon a 3D look with a shadow effect. I’m finally making use of the doodling I used to do in grade school.
The fish was freehand! That’s right, I drew him without the aid of a computer.
I had all the frames on hand for the last few chalkboards but painted them all with white chalk paint for consistency. Glass and cardboard were replaced with a thin sheet of plywood.
If you use the chalk pen make sure you coat the final sign with polyurethane so it won’t smear. Chalk pens will wash off if they get wet.
You really don’t have to have a wedding in your future to make a chalkboard style sign. Pick a saying, make a sign!
Stay inspired.
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Great job on the signs!
Amazing Content!