d.i.y. chalkboard necklace.

And the crafts begin.

Last summer I spent all of May making pretty things instead of actually working.  It was lovely.  One of the things that I made was a chalkboard, I love chalkboards.  Like a lot, I love that sound of the chalk on the wood, not the screeching sound, the ...other sound.  Drawing things in chalk is just wonderful, and last summer I discovered that chalkboard paint is also wonderful.  Cut out a piece of wood, prime it, paint it with chalkboard paint, put it in a lovely frame, and BAM chalkboard.

However, after making my chalkboard I still had a ton of paint left and now that school is finished I rediscovered it in my basement and wanted to do something with it.  I had seen little chalkboard lockets on pretty little websites but I didn't particularly feel like putting the effort into constructing my own little locket, maybe later this summer!

Anyways, this is my little chalkboard necklace.  It's fun because you can draw pictures on it.  And then erase it and draw new pictures.  And who doesn't love getting to draw on a chalkboard?  I thought so.

supplies: basswood (this is 1/4" thick). drill. primer. chalkboard paint. painter's tape. acyrlic paint (optional). jump ring. chain.

one_ clean out your studio and discover that you have an entire forest of basswood left over.  Feel slightly guilty and decide you need to make something pretty out of it.

two_cut out a small rectagle (or any shape really.) This one was 2" x 2.5".  If you don't have a massive pile of basswood in your room you could also use thin plywood, or anything smooth, it might just be a bit heavier.  Drill a hole in the top for your jump ring.

three_ prime.  let dry.

four_ paint with chalkboard paint.  let dry.  paint a second coat.  I used rustoleum.  It said to wait four hours between coats, which I did for my big chalkboard, but this was so tiny that I only waited 20 minutes and it was fine.

five_ you can either leave as is, or add a pretty boarder by cutting out the inverse pattern out of painters tape and using it as a template.

six _ paint border with acrylic paint.

seven _ let dry and peel off tape.  Wait three days for the chalkboard paint to dry before drawing weird pictures/fun words on your new necklace! 

eight_ in the meantime put a jump ring through the hole at the top of  your pendant and thread a chain through so it'll be ready to wear!

Have fun drawing whatever you want! like set squares (ie, triangles with holes in them)! Or words (I wanted to write "ephemeral," but it didn't fit, so I panicked and wrote "love."  I know, I know, so lame)! To erase just wash off with a damp cloth and let dry.

xo.