chalkboard place mat and tag tutorials

Stacy and her little guy made some of these cool chalkboard place mats for my boys back before we even started this blog, and they're still at hit at the dinner table! They love drawing pictures while I make dinner, and I love to leave little love notes for them that they'll see at breakfast.


Chalkboard Place Mat Tutorial

What you'll need:

*Oilcloth (ours was about 13" x 18", but you can cut it to whatever size suits you--find it at many fabric stores and online)
*Chalkboard cloth (can be found at many craft and fabric stores, and online)
*Bias Tape
*Spray Adhesive
*Sewing machine and thread

1. Cut your oilcloth and chalkboard cloth to the size you want. Spray the back of one piece with spray adhesive and adhere it to the back of the other piece, smoothing out any air bubbles. (Once you make a hole in these materials, they never go away, so don't use pins to baste them together.)


2. Fold bias tape over the edges and sew around edges to permanently attach the two pieces. Check out this tutorial from Angry Chicken if you want a really professional bias tape finish.


That's it! Before you try writing on your chalkboard, don't forget to use the side of a piece of chalk to cover the entire board with chalk. Erase it with a cloth and you're good to go!


Now here's a fun little twist on this project. Reusable chalk gift tags! Use them over and over--just erase the name and write a new one. These would be really great for family birthdays or Christmas gifts.

Reusable Chalkboard Gift Tags

You'll need:
*Small piece of oilcloth (ours was 2" x 3"--you can find this at many fabric stores and online)
*Small piece of chalkboard cloth (found at many craft and fabric stores)
*About 6" coordinating ribbon
*Sewing machine and thread

1. Cut the oilcloth and chalkboard fabric the same size. Use pinking shears for a more finished look.

2. Put the two pieces together with wrong sides together. Insert ribbon between pieces.

3. Stitch around edges. Done!



We've got more chalkboard projects coming up soon--stay tuned for part 2!