SEE HOW CHERYL LUMLEY TRANSFORMS A PIECE OF MDF INTO A BEAUTIFUL CHALKBOARD PLANNER IN JUST 5 EASY STEPS!

“I am probably the most disorganised person I know. I am always doing things last minute, panic shopping and generally running around like a lunatic at all times. I decided that next year I really needed to get my act together and get organised.

We all have such busy lives with work, housework, laundry, ironing, cleaning, school homework, kids sports classes. So much goes on that it’s a wonder we have time to eat at all. As a New Year and new organisation starter, I decided to start with meal planning. Well, we have to start somewhere and hopefully this will encourage me to be more organised with everything else.

I’m sure my friends think I’m crazy but I have all sorts of wood off cuts around the house, I had a good sized piece of MDF left from a wardrobe project so this was going to be my meal planner. I also didn’t want it to be boring so…”

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

  • A wood cut off or an old picture frame
  • Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint
  • Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish Furniture Paint in Gold
  • Rust-Oleum Metallic Leafing Pen in Gold

STEPS

1.

Paint the board

Ensure the MDF is clean and dust free, then paint two coats of Rust-Oleum Chalkboard Paint, I used black but you could use red, blue, pink or even clear if you wanted a different colour to match your room interior.

Good tip: A light sand in between coats will give you an extra smooth finish but it’s not essential.

2.

Paint the frame

Once the paint is completely dry, mark out a 2cm border with tape, then paint two coats of Rust-Oleum Metallic Finish Furniture Paint in Gold. Before the second coat dries completely, carefully remove the tape.

Tip: If you let it dry too much, it can crack when you pull it off. You can also use masking tape but paper tape will give a much cleaner line. I’ve learned this through some bad experiences!

3.

Draw the dividing lines

Measure the space you have and divide it by 7 to get your line division. Measure and mark with a pencil where you need to draw your lines, then go over carefully with a Rust-Oleum Metallic Leafing Pen, I used Gold.

4.

Add the days of the week

Draw the days of the week on each row using a Rust-Oleum Metallic Leafing Pen. I used a stencil I had but you could freehand these if you don’t have one. Then draw a vertical line up the side of the letters to define the area that can be drawn on with chalk.

5.

Plan the week's meals