Burlap & Denim

Another chalk post?  Why yes, that is the beauty of chalk art, it is always changing.  This was my summer board.

I had sprayed it with a heavy coat of hairspray and it stayed clean and crisp all summer.  To clean off the chalk and hairspray, I took a wet paper towel and wiped it down.  Some of the chalk wasn’t budging so I added warm water and some foamy hand soap.  After a few wipe downs we were back to a clean slate.

For fall I wanted a bold wheat graphic.  I searched till I found one I liked and added the words “Give Thanks”.  I measured my chalk board and created a template in Publisher.  I selected fonts and scaled them to fit.  I took the printed piece of paper to my local FedEx store and had them print it on a transparency.  I laid it on my overhead projector and copied the outline.

Of course things don’t always go according to plan.  When my back was turned mid drawing, my 2 year old decided to add his personal touch by smearing my outlines.

No worries though.  I just grabbed my trusty QTip and dipped it in some water.  The smears wipe right way.

Don’t let any beautiful chalk walls fool you, they are MESSY.  This chalky snow was left after just outlining the design.  So plan ahead where you place your chalk board and who you let draw on it.  For instance, I can clean up this area easily, but when I see a giant chalk wall in a beautiful home over light carpet where the children can draw at will, I think “they are crazy!” OR “they didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.”

An easy tip to embellish any font is to add a shadow.  I love the depth this adds to the word Give.

In a close up of the board you can see that my lines are not perfect, the chalk isn’t smooth and flawless, but when you step back, the imperfections add to the casual look.

And voila!  I think it fits in nicley with my entry gallery wall.  I am also fond of how simple this design is compared to my summer board.  Just mixing things up.

Thanks for reading along and don’t forget to “Give Thanks” this fall.

For other chalk tutorials from Burlap and Denim, click below:

Linked Up: Funky Junk, Tatertots & Jello, Home Stories A2Z

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