Printer Friendly Version

Gone Fishin' Chalkboard for Dad

Designed by Amanda Formaro

What a fun gift for Dad, and so easy to put together! Sit the kids down with a little paint, a chalkboard, and a few scrapbooking stickers, and you'll end up with a great note board for Dad. Change the theme to fit his favorite hobby!

You will need (for a fishing theme)

wood chalkboard
masking or clear tape
wooden letters (d,a,d)
acrylic paints in red, white and blue
paintbrush
old toothbrush
white craft glue
acrylic spray sealer, matte finish
fishing themed stickers from the scrapbook aisle

What you do

The chalkboards that you purchase and craft supply and discount department stores should already be smooth and not require any sanding. Begin by putting a border of tape onto the outer edge of the chalkboard, up against the wood border. This will prevent any paint from accidentally going on to the chalkboard. Paint the wood letters red and the outside of the chalkboard blue. Allow paint to dry between coats. 2-3 coats will be necessary.

Put a small amount (about the size of a dime) of white paint onto a paper plate. Add a couple of drops of water to the paint to thin it out a bit. Using an old toothbrush, pick up some white paint. Before applying this method to the letters, test it on a piece of newspaper. Flick the bristles of the toothbrush by dragging your finger or thumb across them. This causes the paint to spray off the brush onto your "target", in this case, the newspaper. Once you are happy with the result, flick the paint all over the red letters. Let dry.

Once all the paint is dry, apply a coat of acrylic sealer spray. Let dry and repeat once more.

After sealer has dried (allow about an hour), remove the tape. Next, glue the "dad" letters to the upper left hand corner of the chalkboard. Use the scrapbooking stickers to decorate the border and lower right corner of the chalkboard.

About the Author:
Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in sunny Nevada with a houseful of kids, dogs and cats. They enjoy traveling in the RV, swimming, and riding their four wheelers. While Amanda’s professional background was originally in finance, she chose to stay home to raise her family after her third child was born. Amanda enjoys tole painting, crafting with her kids, walking her dogs and working on her website, FamilyCorner.com Magazine

If you have any educational articles, homeschooling techniques, activities for elementary aged children, parenting resources, hobbies/crafts, money-saving ideas, or family time activities, please submit them and we will be posting them soon! We would love to hear from you!