DIY Giant Chalkboard Kitchen Weekly Planner
I will show you how to create your own DIY giant chalkboard which will keep you and the family organized!
Good morning!!
Have you been following along with my 10 week organizing challenge?
Today’s project is kind of a combo between the week one and week two areas: paper work/ command center and the kitchen, which is this week’s challenge.
Week One was all about taming the paper clutter once and for all and then developing a system for keeping organized {aka the command center}. Linked to that is the idea of keeping your weekly schedule organized; and I use a day planner to help me with that organizational task.
But I have to admit that at times I’m a total failure. A total planning-life failure. I forget things. Important things. Tasks to complete. Birthdays to attend. Forms to send in. Etc. Etc.
So if you have any kind of crazy idea about me that somehow all my DIY, decorating, and organizing means that I somehow have it all together, then please wipe that illusion out of your brain right now.
Because I don’t.
Have it all-together all of the time, I mean.
I screw-up regularly. I make mistakes. I say things I shouldn’t. And I forget things. Like, a lot.
Truthfully, I there are often SO MANY things going on between my husband and I and our two boys with work/ sports/ activities/ family / friends/ birthday parties/ the blog/ projects / life… that I don’t quite manage to keep on top of it all sometimes.
And that really upsets me… I hate when I forget or miss things because life is too busy. So…. today’s DIY project is my solution to that!
It’s a DIY Giant Chalkboard Weekly Planner. And it’s right on the end of our pantry cabinet. Where I will look at it. EVERY. DAY.
So I won’t forget all those important life-things.
Yay!!
To make this we started with a 1/4″ piece of cabinet grade plywood cut into 20″ by 48″. You can pick this up at your local lumber supply store and they may even cut it to size for you.
I set it up in our small HomeRight Spray Shelter…
And used Krylon Chalkboard Paint in a spray paint form. It took a few thin coats to get good coverage but I was really pleased with how easily it went on.
We used some small wood trim pieces, also picked up at our local lumber yard and gave them a weathered finish with MinWax Weathered Oak stain.
Once the wooden trim and chalkboard finish were both thoroughly dry, we attached the trim using wood glue. We taped it and weighted it down with large books and let it dry overnight.
Next, I “seasoned” the chalkboard by rubbing chalk all over it and then wiping it off gently with a dry cloth. If you don’t season a new chalkboard finish, then your first chalk writing will be permanently etched into the finish and it won’t ever erase cleanly.
Done!
We hung it on the end of our pantry cabinet using several large Command Strips (though it is not very heavy) so as not to damage our cabinetry…
Then I drew some squares on it; one for each day of the week and an extra box for things to remember to do that week… plus there was some room at the bottom for a little motivational verse.
I used a chalk marker to draw the boxes and write the days of the week, as well as the “Our Week” heading, the motivational verse, and the EAT in each box. That way, they won’t wipe off easily as I update the calendar each week.
What do you think??
Each Sunday I’m going to write down the happenings for that week. And then I can note down a few big jobs that I need to remember to do in the bottom box.
Because, truthfully, I love a good to-do list. I follow them oh-so-well. And a giant to-do list with a schedule, that I walk by every day? What could be better?!
Want to try to make your own?
You may need some of these materials:
Don’t forget about it!
Here’s hoping that this helps keep me {and all of us} on track!!
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This would be perfect for our home. With two work from home parents our lives can get hectic. We need something like this to help prevent both of us booking important things at the same time.
Love this! Now my hubby has a project to contribute to the kitchen makeover! 🙂 You have beautiful cursive!
Aw, thank you Katy! I think we are always so hard on our own handwriting:) I love our chalkboard planner – the whole family uses it to keep ourselves organized. It’s made such a difference!
The entire VintageStyleLiving.com team loves your blog! This is absolutely awesome, functional and stylish all in one!
Wow! Your chalkboard is awesome! Pinning it for later.
Thank you Tracy!!
I love chalkboards, great way to stay organized! Hmm and I have to give that spray chalkboard paint a try, it sounds much better than using brush.
Hi Cristina! It really did work well- I was half surprised! It would be great for painting anything that didn’t work well with brushing (like jars or something)… but I wanted fast drying because of how cold our garage is these days, and it worked!
Perfect way to stay organized! Love it Krista and that verse at the bottom is the best reminder! 🙂
Thanks Kendra! That’s one of my favourite verses ever:)
I really like the look of this
Thanks Jo-Anne! I love the farmhouse-feel of it and it’s been super handy and useful already! My husband read it and reminded me of an early work meeting that I just might have forgotten about otherwise…