Family Love Story Chalkboard

This morning I'm sharing one of my favorite projects that I've done.  I love this because it captures the best days of my life--dating my hubby, marriage and the birth of my boys!

Gather up your Materials:

• 16x20 canvas (or size of your choice)
• chalk
• white colored pencil
• printer and paper
• black paint
• computer and your favorite fonts
• burlap
• nailheads

So here's what you do:

1. Paint your canvas black

     2. While your paint is drying, grab a cup of coffee and open up Adobe Illustrator or Microsoft Word (or whatever program you prefer) and set your paper size to the size of the canvas.  I made mine 16x20.  (I used Adobe Illustrator, but it can be done in Word.)

     3.    Pick 4 or 5 fonts that you want to use.  I used:

• Landliebe (free)
• Grutch Shaded (free)
• Lunch Box Slab
• Elsie (free)
• IFC Insane Rodeo (free)

      4.  Design your artwork.
(No our last name is not Bennett, but my mom and grandma freaked me out and told me I didn't need to put all that info out in blog world so I changed some dates and names to protect the innocent. Please don't stalk me, K?

     5.  Print out your design in sections on 8.5 x 11 paper and tape together to create 1 16x20 piece of paper. (Sorry, forgot to take a picture of this part!)

     6.  Cover the back of the paper with white chalk.  Make sure to cover every inch.

     7.  Turn the paper over and place on the canvas so the chalk side  is touching the canvas.

     8.  Take a sharp pencil and trace over each word.  This will transfer the chalk on the canvas.

       9.  Next, take a sharpened white colored pencil and trace over each letter. (Hand. Hurting. Must. Power. Through.)

      10.  Spray with fixative (or hairspray) (Almost done!)

      11.  Lastly, we will cover the sides with burlap and nailheads.  Cut strips of burlap to fit the sides of the canvas.  Attach it with 3-4 nailheads per side.

   If you don't feel like making one, I have digital versions available (custom made to order) in my Etsy shop here!

Back with another meal planner freebie!

Hey ya'll,
So life has been pretty crazy since I last blogged. We moved away from the metroplex into an adorable farmhouse built in the 1800's! It's always been a dream of mine to live in an older home. I love the character and charm of old homes.  I've often thought, "If only these walls could talk!" Imagine the stories they would tell! I have TONS to blog about since I've been on here last, but I'm going to start it off with a freebie because I know everyone loves free stuff, right?  I created a new 2 page meal planner even better than the last (which can be found here). I found that the last one didn't have enough room for groceries so I made it into a 2 page spread.  It can be downloaded for free here for a limited time.  All I ask is that you please follow my blog and stay tuned for lots of fun stuff!

Click here to download the FREE meal planner!