The team have been busy chopping up old jeans, sweating over the drill and getting mucky with the paint to make some of these.

You will need:

  • Laminate floor scrap/ offcut wood – any size you like
  • String
  • Pair of old jeans – you’ll be cutting them up so make sure they are really ready to throw away!
  • Drill
  • Sandpaper
  • Blackboard paint
  • Small foam paint roller
  • Glue gun
  • Scissors, pinking shears or rotary cutter

How to make a chalkboard:

  • Make sure the piece of board is clean, dry and free from dust.
  • Sand any rough edges. It may to tape a piece of sandpaper to a table or work surface and rub the board against it.
  • Mark 2 points for string holes at the top edge of the board.
  • Drill 2 holes at the points you have marked. Use a piece of wood or an old book under your board so you don’t drill into you work surface.
Benn drilling holes in the wood.
  • Apply a thin layer of blackboard paint with the roller. Make sure you mix the paint thoroughly before use.

    Tip: Propping the board up rather than laying flat can make it easier.
  • Allow the first layer of paint to dry then apply further coats as needed. If applied thinly, blackboard paint dries quite quickly.
  • Cut the legs off the jeans then cut into long strips at least an inch wide. You need to make sure the strips are a bit longer than the edges of your board.

    Tip: Using a rotary cutter may be easier than scissors. If you don’t mind a bit of fraying, you could also rip the fabric.
  • Gather the strips into four bunches of three. Use a string to tie each bunch of three at one end – leave ½ to 1 inch above the ties.
  • Starting at the tied end, plait each bunch and tie off at the end.
  • Thread a piece of string through the hanging hole and tie off.
  • Use the glue gun and stick your plaits down along each edge to make a frame. They can be cut down to size and tied again as needed.
  • Glue on any decorations – we’ve been using flowers we made from scrap fabric last month.
  • Hang it up, grab a piece of chalk and you’re ready to go.

Happy making!