Well, when you have kids that are school-aged the beginning and end of the school year mark a definite shift in lifestyle, don’t you agree? In our house we are one exam away from the end and according to Personally Teen “it’s only Music” (Dear Piano Teacher…please don’t be horrified when you read that) so in our minds it’s all done for this year.
So these are the gifts that went to the teachers as thank-you gifts at the end of this year. But the elements that are in it are great for multiple occasions including housewarmings and backyard BBQ’s which you may be attending this summer. So this will be a quick guide to upgrading the cutting board with chalkboard paint and ribbon plus sources at the end for everything else as well.
I started out with these little cutting boards from IKEA. I actually adore them. They’re the perfect size for setting out appetizers at a smaller party, big enough to cut fruit or prepare garnishes, but small enough to keep leaning on the counter for display or convenience. With the hole in the handle they can also be hung up and out of the way if you prefer. They’re easy to embellish and personalize in so many ways to make them perfect as part of a gift. I personalized some at Christmas with a stencilled monogram and I’ve also stamped words or dates onto them with a metal stamping kit.
Anyways, for these you also need a bit of sandpaper and painter’s tape, a foam brush and some chalkboard paint. What? You still haven’t bought a can of chalkboard paint? Stop reading right now and go out and buy one…and some foam brushes. I’ll wait for you…….
Easy peasy right? Sand down the area that you’re going to paint to make sure it adheres well. Two coats of paint will do it, you can apply the second coat after about half an hour, then peel off the tape while the paint is still wet.
You could then actually write a short message, or draw an image or monogram onto the handle with chalk. In this case I didn’t (truth…I chickened out) but if you do make sure you season the chalkboard painted area first. If you don’t know what I mean by that then look it up quickly on google or pinterest. I also added a bit of co-ordinating woven ribbon through the hole in the handle. It’s one of my favourites, I also used it to tie up my spa-inspired soap tins and used a grey and cream version on my personalized shabby-chic flowerpots. For these cutting boards I’ve also used leather or jute twine…what would you use?
Some great gift items with these cutting boards would be some kitchen linens, paper goods for entertaining, or a cookbook. This time I included a small jar of a homemade steak seasoning that we use along with a printable gift tag and the recipe for the mix. (Sources at the end.) I actually managed to print out the tag and recipe double-sided so that the recipe is on the back of the tag. I was pretty proud of myself…I’m a little bit challenged when it comes to the printer. All wrapped up in a kraft gift bag and some paper shred to protect the glass jar. What? You haven’t bought a supply of paper shred yet for gift-wrapping? (Read here.) Do it later…I’m not waiting…
I painted the lid of the jar with the chalkboard paint too and wrote the label on it with white sharpie so it wouldn’t come off. Again you could season the surface and use chalk like I did for my homemade granola jar. Or cheat completely and use black cardstock and a white sharpie like I did for my coffee station. Your choice.
And this is how it all came together. It’s awesome, right? And you can make it too. Make lots. Keep one for yourself and then one for everyone who invites you anywhere this summer. And then make some more for Christmas. Here is the list of sources for everything you need (except the chalkboard paint and foam brush which you already bought).
Steak seasoning printable tag and recipe via Saving with Shellie
Recipe printable (If I can figure out how to get the recipes on the back of the tags so can you!)
linking to the diy dreamer, thoughts from alice, the happy housie, joy in our home, echoes of laughter, tatertots and jello, a stroll thru life, satori design for living, merry about town, persia lou