MacGyver Gift Idea Today, Magnetic Chalk Board Cookie Tray!

Beyond Viv's new obsession with chalk (just hoping she figures out how to enunciate the "H" sound soon!), she LOVES magnets.  One day she just plopped down in front of the fridge and started arranging the magnets...taking them off and on again and putting them all into a bucket.  I then started gluing random things to magnets so I would have even more of them!

 So a little while ago I made a chalkboard with a nice wooden frame and a "windowbox" that holds chalk (and whatever else Viv wants to put in there).  It's not too lightweight or portable so I thought I'd make the "travel" version.  I'm pretty pleased with the finished product.

This one was really simple and easy.  I bought a tray at Family Dollar (but I recommend getting one even cheaper because the non-stick coating won't be as nice).  I sanded it and primed it (priming is a MUST, but don't use oil-based primer such as Kilz...I had a can of that handy so tried that first and it wasn't EVER going to dry on my tray).

I then painted it with chalkboard paint on one side, and a bright, colorful paint on the other side.

I also painted an Altoid tin to match and glued magnets to the bottom of it and a ribbon to the top.

Then I slapped some more random items onto magnets, put some chalk into the Altoids tin (which is now a removable "caddy" to put stuff in)....and Voila!  How simple is that??

Definitely a Big hit!

Holiday Decor of the Day - PVC Wreath

Update...after mandatory supply run today (was out of PVC glue and was trying to "wing" it with some random caulky glue which was far from successful.  Had a chance to cut up some more PVC and dig for remnants from previous projects.  Partnered with dreary weather and tornado warnings all day, it's been a good day for crafting around.   As before, Instructions and information coming soon; but one thing I will say is that if you don't have a decent table saw or chop saw (or know someone who does), then this project might be too time consuming; but the finished project is just stunning and I can't wait to improve on it even more!

It was almost fun and therapeutic once I had the right adhesives in place.  I thought about figuring out a way to create some kind fancy algorithm so that I could create a mathematically generated pattern and then I realized that I was, as I tend to do, overthinking it when I could just do it the simple way...glue one pipe...then eyeball it, and then the next.

I used a piece of plywood to serve as my staging area ad I realized that a small metal spatula is super handy for separating the pvc...one of those lucky moments when I thought the entire project was glued to the plywood until I tried the spatula (thinking that PVC glue pretty much just sticks PVC).

So there will be more detail coming soon...today's lesson learned, use the right tool for the right job, especially when it comes to glue, it makes your project so much easier!

This was Round 1 with the "caulk"...not quite the ticket

 

Why not get your Kindle Now?

I know that this doesn't have a whole lot to do with being "crafty"...but it needed to be said!  Even for my toddler, the Kindle has been an amazing addition to my gadget collection...I have several children's audio books on it that I can hit "play" and she gets to listen to John Cleese or someone else much more talented than myself at storytelling...

As a proud Amazon Associate, and Kindle owner...I must say that there is no better time to get one of these wonderful gadgets.  You might think this is just fluff and advertising but there is so much that they don't even tell you about the Kindle and I want to share it with the world!

• If you are concerned about the "ads"...they only show when you aren't using it (like a computer screensaver)
• The basic, no frills version doesn't have a backlight or light up or have a light....BUT here's the magical part, you can use other gadgets with your Kindle account.  I happen to have a toddler, and every now and then she will be in the bed with me.  I can turn off my lights and resume reading my book on my iPod or even my Blackberry!  And it's seamless, it automatically goes to the last page you read on any device.
• You can "borrow" library books on your Kindle
• You can share books with your friends
• And the newest, most awesome and amazing feature now is the "Kindle Owner's Lending Library" where you can get tons of books (even current bestsellers) for FREE!  Mind you, it's for Amazon Prime members only; however, there are all kinds of promotions for Prime, right now I think you get 3 months free when you get a Kindle.
• What is Prime?  Let me tell ya, I live in the mountains...I buy everything except milk on Amazon, and I get free 2-day delivery on just about everything.  I can drive an hour to the store, OR the UPS man shows up at my doorstep with everything I need....but, I digress, back to the Kindle....buy one!  See what all the fuss is about!  It's awesome.

Holiday Idea of the Day, Crayon Wreaths

So I talked about making "toddler crayons" in a previous post.  I came up with a fun variation for the holidays.  In making crayons in a doughnut pan, the crayons are a little bit less stable so I came up with the idea to put two together.  Then, I had some pipe cleaners laying around (of course) so I made little bows for them.  You could use ribbon as well, that is just what was within arms reach at the time.

You can attach an ornament wire to these and they would make a great ornament gift (which can double as a crayon to doodle on wrapping paper when there is a lull on Christmas morning).

Easy Chalkboard for Kids!

Materials Needed:

• plywood, pressboard or other flat smooth wood
• square wood to make frame
• chalkboard paint
• paint for frame
• wood glue
• wood screws
• circular saw/table saw/jigsaw (any or all)
• drill
• astroturf (only for my "special" version)
• hot glue gun

Total cost - on mine, less than $10.  In general, under $20

A few weeks ago I was at Tuesday Morning and I really thought I scored big when I found a little chalkboard/easel for $19.  Well, it's a great little find; however, as I tend to do, I thought I could make one that was bigger and better!

Turns out I was right...in my usual dig through the culled wood at Home Depot (if you don't know about this, you gotta check it out!) I found some tempered hardboard that had been torn/ripped.  Lucky me, it was FREE!  Now you can also buy it for a mere $14 at Home Depot...but it was nice to find it for free...

Here's the "unblemished" version available at Home Depot

Now the torn one I lucked out finding (since you have to cut it anyway, it didn't matter that it was damaged)

 

Now I am lucky enough to have friends with good tools, so I had someone cut it down to a square.  You can use a circular saw, table saw, jigsaw...or if you're really scrambling, a hand saw to cut it to whatever size you want.

 

After your board is cut, it's time for the paint.  You can buy a can of chalkboard paint for under $5 at your local hardware store.  Make sure that you apply several coats and that it dries well.

Also, the fine print on the can reminds you to "prime" the finished paint by covering it with chalk (rubbing with the side) and then erasing it.  I'm guessing that this prevents any of the first marks ending up being permanent (kind of like a screen saver for your chalkboard).

I also found (for 25 cents each) some square 1x1's in the culled lumber section which I used to make the frame.  I measured (and didn't do that great of a job this time) and then cut at 45 degree angles to make the frame.  For my next one, I will make the frame the same size as the board (maybe a little bigger) so that I can make this project simpler.  In my case, I made my frame fit around the board.  I have a chop saw (which makes my life wonderful), but you can use whatever you've got to make these angles.

Measured to make "frame" fit around the board...again, would do it differently next one.

Chop saw at 45 degree angle

Next, I used Elmer's wood glue to glue the edges together, I usually use screws but thought I would try something different this time.  I glued the edges and clamped them overnight.  Then it was time to paint.

After allowing the paint to dry, I put the pieces together.  As I stated earlier, I was a bit dismayed to find that making the frame to fit AROUND the board may have been a mistake, but I made it work out in the end.  Also, one of my 1x1's was a little skewed which left a gap anyway.

Now, if I had planned out my project/cutting differently I would be all done, using finishing nails to attach the board to the frame; however, I had to go a different route (which worked out just fine in the end but added a lot more time).  I decided to make kind of a "window box" for my chalkboard.  I first attached some braces to hold the bottom edges of the board (made with scrap wood and a miter saw/box)

Then I attached a 1x4 to the back side of the frame.  I made sure that the board actually was just a little bit wider than the frame.  Then I cut out two sides to my "window box" and another 1x4 that was the same size as the one on the back.  I grabbed some silver spray paint from the paint box and painted up the pieces.  I cut the sides at a 15 degree angle.

After this, I used a drill and wood screws to build the "window box".  Instead of adding a bottom, I thought I would give it a creative flair and line the box with astro turf (also something I happened to have lying around...lol)

To add the astroturf I just used a hot glue gun.

I then made an eraser out of little carpet sample squares and a ribbon loop.

Finished eraser, not too bad!

So my finished product ended up looking like this:

I've actually decided that I really like the "window" box on it...it is a good place to keep chalk (and anything else my toddler feels needs to go in there...)

And so ends the first version of make a chalkboard!