This little piggy went to market.

On the weekend I went to a the local markets and picked up a wooden pig in the freebie pile at one of the stands. I've just got a thing for wooden animals and I could see it as a cute little chalkboard.

I gave it a light sand before painting it with two coats of black chalkboard paint. It was a little uninteresting so I added a polka dot border using the end of a chopstick. While all the dots aren't perfect and exactly the same size, I like the look of different sized dots. I then used chalk to write the words 'Celebrate and be glad' before placing it in my kitchen. I had a try at some fancy writing but there's definately room for improvement- I'm thinking of getting some chalk pens and seeing if they're easier to use. Have you had an experiences with chalk pens?

I choose this quote because I really want to have biblical quotes in my house but not done in a tacky way.  Pigs always remind me of the parable of the prodigal son and how the son ate worse than the pigs but when he came back his father celebrated and was glad. My little piggy has a special space in the kitchen now to remind me daily to celebrate and be glad.

Lisa x

P.s I'm linking up with Alderberry Hill,The Gunny Sack
,The Dedicated House, Adventures of a DIY Mom ,A Diamond in the Stuff ,Elizabeth & Co

chalkboard platter.

Since I've started decluttering, I've been looking at objects I have and considering whether I can make them beautiful and exciting or whether they're better off finding a new home.

I had this white platter that was covered in brown flowers. It was a present when we moved to the country and while some may like it, it really wasn't my taste.

However with a few quick coats of paint it was transformed. 

I used a white paint first to cover the flowers and then two coats of chalkboard paint seems to have done the job.

   Isn't chalkboard paint amazing for upcycling things?

Lisa x

A homemade chalkboard.

Earlier this year I had a garage sale with some friends to raise $ for the salvation army appeal and the Australian Tanzanian services foundation. It was also a chance to raid each others throw away possessions. My friend had an old frame which I thought would make the perfect chalkboard for our dining room.

How to:

I removed the glass and painted the frame white (2 coats).

Then I painted the board with primer, before giving it two coats of chalkboard paint ($20 from the local hardware store).

To finish it off I used pieces from a scrabble board (found on a garage sale $2) to create the word 'dinner'.

I used bluetac to attach the letters as then I can change the words if I need.

Chalkboards also make great presents like this one I with a friend for another friend's 30th (the frame was salvaged from the backyard and the plywood backing was from the inside of the seat of an old phone table.
We simply painted the plywood with paint and attached scrabble letters using a glue gun. Then attached it all together and added some wire to the back.

Have you got any good chalkboard ideas? 

Lisa x