Cheap and easy holiday chalkboard art

I was recently invited to share a few tips on how to do seasonal decorating for less with the lovely and amazing women from the Ladies in Fellowship Together (LIFT) group in Juniata County, Pa.

I had an absolute blast talking, laughing, crafting and snacking with these sweet ladies!

During our time together, I thought it might be fun for us to whip up an easy and inexpensive holiday chalkboard art craft/gift.

Event photos courtesy of LIFT

There are so many free Christmas chalkboard printables available through Pinterest right now. I chose a few of these and had 30 5″x7″ prints produced at Walmart for about 50 cents apiece.

Then I took some 2″x6″ boards that were collecting dust in our garden shed and cut out 30 pieces on my miter saw that were each 7 1/2″ in length. That made each piece 5 1/2″ wide by 7 1/2″ high by about 1 1/2″ thick (2″x6″ boards lose about 1/2″ of width and depth due to planing and shrinkage).

I sanded them really well on all sides and applied a coat of Minwax Express Color Wiping Stain and Finish in either Emerald or Crimson. (Of course I was sanding and staining like a madwoman the night before the event because I refuse to take my own advice and quit procrastinating!) 

I took the dried blocks and chalkboard prints with me to the LIFT event. The ladies chose a block and a print, then distressed the edges of their blocks with sandpaper and adhered their prints to the wood blocks using Mod Podge (matte finish).

Tip: When using Mod Podge on wood, I recommend coating both the wood and the back of the photo with Mod Podge, then using something like a Bondo plastic spreader to make sure the seal is tight and to eliminate all air bubbles between the wood and the print. I also like to apply a coat of Mod Podge over the entire top of the print as well. (Don’t worry. It dries clear and won’t damage the photo.)

These decorative holiday blocks look great standing on their own on a side table, windowsill or mantel. They also make inexpensive, yet thoughtful gifts.

Thanks again to all the lovely LIFT ladies for a fabulous time of fellowship!

I’m linking this up to Saving4Six.com and A Glimpse Inside.