Getting Crafty: DIY Custom Chalk Board Signs

It has been quite awhile since I blogged, personal and work obligations have been a bit overwhelming lately. The main reason I've been so preoccupied is that my husband and I are expecting twins (if you can believe it!) in early 2016.

I wanted to make our announcement in a creative way. My husband and I had always said 'one and done' when it came to kids. Having more than one child was just never in our plans and then, well, life happened and caught us by total surprise! As Mr. & Mrs. Murphy we laughed and chalked this up to Murphy's Law. After awhile I thought, how funny it would be to do a play on words with Murphy's Law on the Supreme Court steps.

To make the sign for our announcement, I bought the following items for a total of about $30.

- Chalkboard Sign from Target
- Chalkboard Markers from Michaels
- Small Pack of Regular Chalk from Michaels
- Pencil

Below are step by step instructions with photos showing how to make a professional looking, graphic chalk board sign. It was a fun and super easy project, enjoy!

Step One: Create the text on your computer (I used Powerpoint) and then print it out to the appropriate scale.

Step Two: Turn over the paper print and roll the chalk so that you cover the entire back side.

Step Three: Trace over the font with a pencil. Press down hard so that the chalk on the back side of the paper transfers to the chalk board. If the chalk board is magnetic, you can use magnets to hold the paper in place.

Step Four: Trace over the chalk transfer with the chalk board marker. The chalk transfer will be light so make sure you have a well lit space to work in. For the larger fonts I chose to draw in horizontal lines within the text for a bolder look.

Step Five: Enjoy the final product! 

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Photo Credit: Lola Snaps Photography

Step Six: Repurpose the chalk board and tools for another event or announcement. When we found out the genders (a boy and a girl!), I changed the chalk board text. I also reused the shoes from the original photo and by wrapping the velcro laces with blue and pink yarn. I loose laid glitter and stickers from the craft store for a more graphic look. It photographed beautifully on my iPhone and worked great on social media for the gender announcement!