DIY Thanksgiving Chalkboard Art
Disclaimer: I did receive the Americana Chalkboard Paint for this project from DecoArt in exchange for my honest, unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
This DIY Thanksgiving Chalkboard Art is super cute and a great way to welcome guests to your home for Thanksgiving dinner.
In This Article
Cricut Project Primrose
Recently I received a Cricut Explore Air at a discounted price with the intention of doing some beta testing on the Project Primrose site that Cricut set up.
The site is really cool because you can share projects you have created with other users - and see what they are creating.
You do have to request a profile before you can start to share projects but if you are super creative or spend a lot of time working with your Cricut, I do recommend checking into the site.
My third project was this Happy Thanksgiving DIY Chalkboard Sign.
The first step was to find a used chalkboard and re-do it using DecoArt paint.
I then used my Cricut Explore Air to cut all the pieces out, then assembled the pieces and attached them to the chalkboard.
Here is how I did this project, step-by-step. It did take me two days to complete the project.
Paint The Chalkboard
I found a used chalkboard at a local flea market.
The previous owners had painted on the chalkboard and the finish was pretty messed up because you could see the old chalk writings still.
The frame was a turquoise - which wasn't bad but I wanted this sign for Thanksgiving so I needed it to be less bold and blend in more with the natural fall colors.
I do work with DecoArt - and they had sent me a 2oz. borrow of their Americana Chalkboard Paint, so I decided to refinish the chalkboard first and see if I could cover up the paint.
I did have to use several coats of the paint but I was able to make the chalkboard look brand new. I used a foam brush to spread the paint on with.
Paint The Chalkboard Frame
The next step was to paint the frame.
I had a bottle of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Acrylic Paint in Venetian Gold on hand.
I had purchased this 2oz. bottle of paint for another project but had quite a bit leftover so I decided to use it for the frame.
I used a small paintbrush and applied four thin coats.
I wanted some of the turquoise to show through to give it a patina look.
I was quite happy with the outcome.
I did work on this project outside and I did use some plastic to cover my work area so when I painted the edges I did not end up with paint on my deck.
I allowed the newly painted chalkboard to dry overnight.
Printable DIY Thanksgiving Chalkboard Art How-To Card
Here are the supplies and steps for my Thanksgiving chalkboard sign in one place, including the chalkboard refinishing and Cricut cardstock decorations. The story and photographs above show how the project came together.
DIY Thanksgiving Chalkboard Art with Cricut
Refinish a secondhand chalkboard and decorate it with a layered paper Thanksgiving design cut on a Cricut Explore Air.
Materials
- Used or existing chalkboard
- DecoArt Americana Chalkboard Paint and foam brush
- DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Venetian Gold acrylic paint and small paintbrush
- Cricut Explore Air with Cricut Design Space and original Thanksgiving design
- 2 sheets brown 12 x 12-inch cardstock
- 1 sheet each of fall leaf, patterned orange, white foil patterned, black, another orange pattern, solid orange and green 12 x 12-inch cardstock
- Glue stick
- Protective covering for the work surface
Instructions
- Find a secondhand chalkboard or use one you already have. Clean and prepare its surface.
- Use a foam brush to paint over the old chalkboard surface with chalkboard paint. Apply additional coats if needed, allowing the paint to dry according to the product instructions.
- Protect the work area. Use a small paintbrush to paint the frame with thin coats of metallic paint. Sheri Ann used four thin coats of Venetian Gold over a turquoise frame, leaving some of the original color showing for a patina effect.
- Allow the refinished chalkboard and frame to dry overnight.
- Set up the Thanksgiving paper-cut design in Cricut Design Space. Sheri Ann used images from the Cricut Access Image Library.
- Connect the Cricut Explore Air to the iPad over Bluetooth, following the equipment instructions.
- Cut the different shapes from the chosen cardstock, switching the cardstock colors as needed.
- Assemble any layered paper shapes by gluing their backing pieces together.
- Apply glue stick to the backs of the cutouts and press them into position on the painted chalkboard.
- Allow the entire sign to dry thoroughly before displaying it as Thanksgiving decor.
Notes
Sheri Ann used DecoArt Americana Chalkboard Paint for the old chalkboard and DecoArt Dazzling Metallics Venetian Gold paint for the frame. She used Cricut Access images, cut multiple cardstock colors, attached the assembled pieces with a glue stick, and completed the project over two days. See the full article for her original photographs, finishes and sponsor disclosure.
I highly recommend the following articles:
- Table Decorations For Thanksgiving
- Awesome Ideas For An Eco-Friendly Thanksgiving
- Fall Decorating Round Up Post
- How To Make Birthday Safari Theme Decorations
- Easy Handmade Birthday Cards For Mom
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