DIY Hoop Chalkboard

A couple months ago I had a slew (well, three in two weeks) of parties that I decorated for and have a few DIYs still to share. This one I love SO much. I originally made this hoop chalkboard as a wreath to welcome guests to tell guests they were in the right place (above), but now have it hung on my pantry door saying ‘welcome’ and don’t ever want to be without it. And it’s really, really simple.

It has all my favourite things… black, white, wood, and greenery. That’s all I need and I’m a happy girl. Okay… so time for the simple how-to with lots of pictures!

To make your own hoop chalkboard you’ll need:

Embroidery Hoop
Chalkboard Paint
Foam Brush
Drop cloth or other heavy canvas
Scissors
Chalk
Eucalyptus
Embroidery thread or twine for hanging

The first thing to do is to paint your cloth with chalkboard paint. I used a foam brush for this and laid it on thick. Paint a bit more fabric than you think you’ll need just to be safe.

When it’s dry, sandwich it in between your embroider hoop, and stretch it tight before cutting away the excess.

Now, if you want to be able to write on your chalkboard over and over without seeing much in the way of lines? Prime it by rubbing a piece of chalk all over, making sure to get into the weave of the fabric. Then wipe it clean and write your text!

You can leave it at that or add the eucalyptus. Since I’ve had a few friends ask how I added the eucalyptus (if you want to make your friends look good, point at something in their house and ask them how they did that), I thought I’d show you. Just lay the pieces out how you’d like them (I only used two pieces) and tie them together with embroidery thread or twine (hindsight I should have used twine). then leaving the tails from your knot on, tie them in a loop and tuck that through the gap in your embroidery hoop and hook up! I’m sure there’s a much more ‘professional’ looking way to do this… but I’m happy with how easy it was and how it looks.