USA Chalkboard Corkboard

I hope everyone had a great long weekend!

Today I cleaned off the table on the porch and set up supplies and my laptop (playing Arrested Development on netflix) and got down to some DIY.

The project I'm sharing today is a United States shaped corkboard painted with chalkboard paint.

What you'll need:

• 12x12 inch piece of corkboard (roll works as well)
• Cut out of the US (or an outline of a state or a country, or anything really)
• Cutting mat and craft knife
• Chalkboard paint
• Acrylic paint (this is optional)
• Paintbrush
• Masking tape/painters tape
• Chalk

You don't have to tape the outline onto the piece of cork, but I think it helps so you don't have to keep aligning it. Or, afterthought, just use a pen and trace the outline on the cork and then cut.

 

So using your cutout as a guide, cut the shape out of the corkboard. I don't know any other way to cut better than with the craft knife. I tried using scissors but that did not turn out well. Either way, it takes work and patience. All the tiny little pieces that they mash together can be tricky. 

As you can see, Maine, Massachuesets, Vermont, New Hampshire, and part of New York seceded from the Union but I fixed that.

And this little broken piece could be North Carolina if the eastern half wasn't missing.

With mine, I chose to make the majority of the cork chalkboard and then paint the rest a regular paint color. If you want you can do as I did, paint the whole think chalkboard, or paint part chalkboard and leave the rest plain.

If you aren't painting the whole thing, take the masking/painters tape and put it anywhere you want the cutoff to be. I chose to make the East Coast pink. One, because I'm an East Coast girl. Two, because all the tiny areas aren't very conducive to writing on. Need those western wide open spaces to write on.

After everything is painted and dry, you need to condition the chalkboard paint. At least that's what the bottle said so that's what I did.

Basically, you rub chalk over all the dry chalkboard paint and then wipe it off with a wet paper towel or cloth.

And then, you write and pin and enjoy :)

I hope everyone had a good memorial day.

And a very big thank you to all of our troops and their families; past, present, and future. I am forever appreciative for all that you do to protect this country and our freedoms.

God Bless America

-Katie