Monday, December 23, 2013

Holiday Chalkboard Wood Tray DIY Craft

Crafts


Guest Post by
Chris Long, The Home Depot

Editor's Note: There's no better way to spend quality time with children than to craft together. Making something special like this chalkboard wood tray project for the holidays not only stores away fond memories that will be recalled in the future, it also creates an heirloom seasonal decorative item for your home that is also quite practical. Come to think of it, this would be wonderful to make and use any time between now and New Year's.



A Fun, Easy Craft Project to Make With Chalkboard Paint


For Christmas décor projects that you will enjoy as much as your kids, think about the myriad uses you can come up with for chalkboard paint! Whether you want to make DIY decorations or functional pieces that also enhance the festive feelings in the home, a coat or two of chalkboard paint is all you need.

One such project is a painted serving tray that can be displayed all season long and then put to use in your entertaining (label your treats as you serve them) or on Christmas Eve for Santa's treat. 

Steps to Make Your Own DIY Wood Tray




Customized Chalkboard Paint

First, you can always mix up your own chalkboard paint using flat paint and unsanded tile grout (that you can purchase at your local home improvement store).

Alternatively, the popularity of chalkboard paint has prompted paint manufacturers to start pre-mixing their own using their custom colors and today, the chalkboard paint serving tray is painted with Martha Stewart Chalkboard Paint.

Chalk Conditioning

But first, no matter which paint path you select, once the item has been painted and dried at least 24 hours, you'll need to condition the surface before you can begin writing on it.

To do this, take a piece of plain chalk (white works best for creating a "non-colored" chalkboard foundation) and rub the surface with the long side of the chalk. Once the entire surface is covered, simply erase!




Chalkboard Paint Project: Christmas Tray


Materials Needed
  • Wood Tray (new or recycled)
  • Chalkboard Paint (Martha Stewart's blue and gray used here)
  • Foam Roller for the Base Coat
  • Brushes for Sides and Details
  • Multi-Colored Chalk
If the weather is nice, take this painting project outside and make winter use out of your patio furniture – just be sure to protect it with a plastic or canvas drop cloth or an old sheet.



Begin by painting the sides of the tray with one of the larger brushes and the blue chalkboard paint. Don't worry if the paint isn't perfect because you'll touch up the edges later.

Wait for the sides to dry and use the foam roller to apply the gray paint to the base of the tray.



Use the smaller brush to touch up the corners.


Allow the paint to cure for 24 hours and then get ready for the fun chalk phase


Condition the surface with the white chalk and wipe the tray off with a paper towel


From here, you're ready to go wherever the merry-making takes you!



A really original way to preserve your child's artwork. In addition to a seasonal serving tray, what other uses can you and your kids come up with for using this chalkboard painted project?


About the Guest Post Author
Chris Long has worked as a Chicago area The Home Depot associate for over 12 years. Chris has lots of experience with DIY projects which he often shares on the company blog. Chris provides tips on everything from type of craft paint to use on your furniture or project, to the correct techniques and paint to use to create a faux finish.

About The Home Depot
The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer with stores in all 50 U.S. states as well as in D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Canada. Various locations of this DIY retail mecca offer free workshops and seminars to consumers throughout the year ranging from how-to crafts and woodworking to preparing for hurricanes and other practical topics of interest to home owners and renters. Stay up to date on everything Home Depot is doing on HomeDepot.com and by following them on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

For more Holiday Arts and Crafts inspiration, visit these MBE posts


FTC Disclosure: Home Depot and Chris Long provided all the content and images for this post. However, no payment or other compensation  was exchanged in connection with this post. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's home page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.