A couple of weeks back I was a guest on New Day Northwest (video here). On the show I brought enough stuff to fill an hour on the air. As real-time TV goes… I had about 5 minutes and only got to talk about my pumpkin crafts (that post is here).
Since the show I have had several folks ask about the thrifted clipboards DIY I never got to talk about.
UNTIL NOW.
Because I wasn’t DIY’ing with a post in mind, I don’t have as many photos of the process for you. However, I will do my best to give you all the info you need to make your own. This project is pretty easy, and fun if I do say so myself.
First – the Chalkboard Clipboard. Since I made this right before school started, I had school on the brain and thought a chalkboard clipboard with a coffee card would make a great teacher gift.
Of course this would be a fun gift for just about anyone. Or awesome to keep for yourself. You just need a few items…
I got the clipboards for my 2 finished projects at Value Village, and I had all the other supplies at home:
- • Chalkboard paint
- • painter’s tape
- • paint brush (a medium one and a little little guy to touch up edges around the clip after tape is removed – sorry no photo!)
- • washi tape
- • coffee gift card
I taped off the metal with painter’s tape because I am not a clean painter. I used 2 coats of chalkboard paint. When the paint dried, I removed the tape to cut in with the little brush. That took a couple extra coats because those little brushes paint thin.
I used a little washi tape to give the board a little more personality. The beautiful thing about working with chalkboard surfaces – you don’t need a card – you can just write your sentiment right on the surface!
The second clipboard was a bit more complicated… because of the 12.
The 12th Man Clipboard!
Here’s whatcha need:
- • Clipboard (obvi)
- • Paint (I went with Seattle Seahawks colors because – OBVI)
- • Big and small paint brush (the small to cut in and finish around edges of metal clip)
- • Painter’s tape (to protect the clip)
- • A pencil (to outline the area designated for letters, numbers, etc…)
This is where more pictures would be helpful, but… My amazing husband used a pencil – OH, and a ruler, to write the block number 12.
I have no template for you, but if free-handing letters and numbers is not your thing… print out letters and numbers in the font size you need, cut them out and trace. Orrrrr… there are loads of stickers available online in in craft stores, so don’t forget about THAT option. I just knew my need (a HUGE green 12) was pretty specialized so I decided no stickers would suffice.
Once the 12 was traced, I used the white paint first and my little brush to get that white to the edges of the penciled outline. It took about 3 coats to get the blue covered. The – using the power of only the human eyeball… I eyeballed the green and how much white I would leave showing.
It’s not perfect, but it’s handmade so therein lies the charm, right? And in full disclosure, we actually gave the 12th Man clipboard to Lucy’s teacher and not the chalkboard one because apparently Lucy’s new teacher is quite the Seahawks fan. We still have the chalkboard one and the girls LOVE it.
Oh heck, I love it too.
Did I explain alright? Do you have any questions? I think clipboards are going to be the new mason jar in the craft world. Mark my words.
Or don’t mark my words. I’m not the boss of you. Heck I’m barely even the boss of me.
