DIY Tutorial: Chalkboard Platter

I wish I could claim that this is my original idea, but it's not. Some wonderful blogger out there came up with this super simple and delightfully cute project, and she was kind enough to share it with the rest of the DIY-world on Pinterest.

The tutorial calls for a plastic silver platter or tray as this would obviously be the most thrifty option (who wants to paint their best metal platters??). Fortunately/unfortunately (depending on how you look at it) for me, I had this once-gorgeous aluminum platter sitting sadly in a closet. You see, many months ago, after a lovely night of entertaining our sweet friends, I mistakenly placed this platter in my dishwasher (I know, right?) and it ran through the entire cycle before I realized it. Let's just say it was late and I was delusional.

Imagine my despair when I unloaded the dishwasher the next morning only to find this beautiful platter hopelessly water and soap stained. I tried rinsing it, soaking it, scrubbing it, rubbing it, and polishing it...all to no avail. So, for the past few months it has sat unused and unappreciated in my closet (until now!). Thankfully, I just didn't have the heart to throw it away.

Essentials

Plastic tray (or dishwasher-destroyed aluminum platter)

Chalkboard paint (I used a paint from Martha Stewart's collection in this lovely sea foam green, $5.99 at Michael's)

2-3 yd ribbon (I had mine cut at Jo-Ann Fabric and Crafts for $.99 per yard)

Chalk, of course! (I found a pack of 8 assorted colors at Walmart for $.99)

 Make it Happen

It's almost embarrassing to call this a "tutorial" because it's so darn easy. 

Follow the instructions on your paint bottle and paint the platter along it's flat center. Usually, this means adding 2-3 coats, letting each coat dry for a solid hour. 

Then, gently rub a piece of chalk along the entire "board" and erase to condition the paint. 

Finally, tie a ribbon around the handles and find a pretty place for your chalkboard on the wall. Yep, that's really all there is to it.

OH! And draw something wonderful!

Trust me when I say that literally anybody can do this! It's super simple and highly flexible...make it your own! So far, I'm having a lot of fun writing "good morning" messages to my husband on the board before leaving for work, and it's been quite handy for displaying each week's meal plan, too!

Grace and Peace,