Cutting boards are definitely one of the favorite collectibles of many farmhouse lovers, and we know you are always looking for new ways to decorate with these iconic kitchen accessories. Plus, who doesn’t love repurposing vintage items into something new and exciting! In our Spring 2023 issue, we featured a chalkboard grocery list made from a standard cutting board. With some chalkboard paint, a chalk marker, a notepad and the design template below, you can create this easily with one of your own cutting boards. And although this design is made with a typical rectangular cutting board, the beauty of this project is that it can be done with any shape board. Have a round cutting board? Put the notepad in the center and add the design elements on the side. Have a long and skinny board, or another shape? Simply rearrange the elements to the look you love. In just a few hours, you can have this charming cutting board chalkboard grocery list hanging on your kitchen wall!
INSTRUCTIONS
STEP 1 Gather your supplies. You’ll need a cutting board, sandpaper, chalkboard paint, small brush or roller, painter’s tape, ruler, pencil, piece of white chalk, chalk markers, graphic template below, notepad, removable adhesive dots, jute or twine, vinegar and water mixture and clean cloth.
STEP 2 Prepare your cutting board by cleaning it with a 50/50 mixture of white distilled vinegar and water; scrub thoroughly and wipe away any excess. Let dry completely. Lightly sand the board with a piece of fine 220-grit sandpaper, following the grain of the wood. Wipe away any dust.
STEP 3 Use a ruler to mark off the rectangular area where the chalkboard paint will go. For this design, we marked 1″ in from all sides of the cutting board. Tape off the 1″ border with painter’s tape.
STEP 4 Paint the inner rectangle with the chalkboard paint, let dry and apply one or more coats to get solid coverage, letting dry between each coat. Note: be sure to use chalkboard paint and not chalk paint. Once the paint has thoroughly dried, carefully peel away the tape.
STEP 5 Season the chalkboard by holding a piece of chalk on its side and rubbing the chalk across the chalkboard paint, covering the whole section. Switch direction and rub the entire section again. Wipe off the chalk dust with a cloth. This will allow you to change your design without leaving “ghost” marks from the previous design.
STEP 6 Determine where you will put the lettering, branch design and notepad. Print out the graphic template (link below) and separate the lettering from the branch design. Adjust the size before printing if needed. Rub the back of the printed text template with chalk and carefully lay it right side up on the chalkboard at the position you want. With a pencil, carefully trace over the lettering. This should leave a chalk outline on your chalkboard.
STEP 7 Remove the paper template, and using chalk markers, carefully draw over the chalk outline on the chalkboard, filling in letters as needed. Be careful when lettering as the chalk marker paint stays wet for a little bit; you don’t want to smear your design. However, if you do make a mistake, or if you don’t like the finished lettering. You can clean it off and start again (see below for how to clean chalk marker from chalk boards). Repeat for the branch design. Once the chalk marker has completely dried, wipe lightly to remove any remaining chalk dust.
STEP 8 Once your chalk designs are set, attach removable adhesive dots to the back of your notepad and adhere it in place on the chalkboard, pressing firmly. The removable dots will allow you to replace the notepad when it is empty.
STEP 9 Cut a length of twine or jute and tie a loop in the hole in the handle of your cutting board and hang your finished chalkboard grocery list.
Cutting Board Chalkboard Graphics Template
CLEANING YOUR CHALKBOARD
It’s easy to clean the chalk marker from your chalkboard, but it does take a few steps. First, remove the notepad. Then, with a clean sponge, carefully wipe clear water over the chalk design. Let soak for a minute or two. Lightly sprinkle a powdered kitchen cleanser, such as Comet on the design. Use the sponge to lightly scrub the cleanser across your chalk design; you will start to see your chalk marker disappearing. Alternately, you could also try using Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. Wipe off as much of the cleanser or residue as possible with the sponge. Wet a paper towel and wipe off the remaining cleanser to reveal a clean chalkboard.
To see a how-to video of this project showing step-by-step directions, visit our YouTube channel.
For more ideas on decorating with cutting boards, see the Spring 2023 issue of Country Sampler Farmhouse Style, on sale now at a store near you or available online here.
Project designed and photographed by Marty Walden of martysmusings.net for Country Sampler Farmhouse Style.