I am so excited about today’s post! You see, Sarah {from Little Red Brick House} and I have something major in common: a love for chalkboard paint. Combine that with a love of staying organized and menu planning and we might as well be sisters. She is sharing her awesome chalkboard menu here today.

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I’m so, so excited to be guest posting here today on Just Us Four! Thank you so much, Shannah, for having me! My name is Sarah and I blog over at Little Red Brick House about all things creative, with an emphasis on DIY and home decor.

I have a small obsession with chalk boards. I mean, there’s one on my Wall Organizer in the front entry, one as a Calendar/Memo Board in my dining room/schoolroom (we homeschool) and now one in my kitchen! I would probably paint everything in chalkboard paint if my husband would let me. 😉

I like to plan my meals for the week ahead and I got tired of searching for my meal planning notebook every time I needed to know what was for dinner. Not to mention, an old spiral notebook isn’t very inspiring! I decided to make a chalkboard menu for the wall so I could just glance over at it when needed. It was such a simple project but it’s been super functional for me and I’m loving it so much!

Supplies:

• 1×2 pine board @ 6 ft. long
• Hardboard wall panel (they sell them at Lowe’s) or a smooth, flat board (I used an old drawer bottom that I had on hand)
• Stain of your choice (I used a mixture of Dark Walnut and Classic Grey from Minwax)
• Chalkboard Paint
• Staple gun and staples

First, I cut my 1×2 boards to the length and width of my hardboard.

Then I painted 2 coats of chalkboard paint on my hardboard. While the chalkboard paint was drying, I stained my 1×2 boards. I opted not to apply a protective coating like polycrylic or wax because that part won’t be getting a ton of use.

After the chalkboard paint and stain had dried completely I assembled my hardboard to the frame by placing the 1×2 boards, right side down, in the shape of a frame and then placing the hardboard, right side down, over them until everything lined up perfectly. Then I stapled them together with my staple gun.

Next, I seasoned my chalkboard by running a piece of chalk, turned sideways, over the entire surface. This helps to keep the first writings from being permanently scratched into the surface.

Finally, I wiped the chalk residue off with a wet rag and got to work writing out my menu plan for the week. I thought about writing “Menu” with a permanent paint pen but decided not to since I am always moving my decor around and this project could very well have another purpose in its future. What can I say? I can be a bit indecisive. 😉

Thanks again, Shannah, for having me over! I’d love for you all to stop by Little Red Brick House to peek at my other DIY projects. You can also find me on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram and Pinterest!