Chalk Boards on the Cheap

Most people have a love or hate relationship with chalk; there's hardly any middle ground there! I for one love chalk boards and if you are reading this you probably do too! I can honestly say that this is one of the most fun crafts from beginning to end I have done so far. (It's nice and cost-friendly too! ;D )
 

It looks mighty fine if I say so myself ;)

 

 

Here's what you'll be needing:

• A metal tray of any sort
• Fine grit sand paper
• Spray paint primer
• One trash bag
• Tape
• Chalk board paint
• Acrylic paint
• Sponge paint brushes
• A towel
• Chalk
• Mod Podge (if desired) 

 

Step One: Selecting a Tray

It's important to get a tray you like. It should be the right size and it should have a design you like. It's not necessary, however, to drop a lot of dough on your tray. (In fact, it's a bit absurd!) I suggest going to your local thrift store, Goodwill, or recycle store. You can find some awesome steals, and you won't be breaking the bank. I got BOTH of these beauties at my local thrift store for a whopping combined total of $1.56!

 

Step Two: Sand it down

 

Go over your tray lightly with some fine grit sand paper. This gives the slick metal a bit of a textured surface for the primer to hold on to. When I was done sanding, my trays looked a little like this.

 

Step Three: Prime it!

 

This step was a bit taxing in the hot summer sun! Take your trash bag outside and tape it to the ground securely so that it wont flop over on your drying trays in the wind. Set your trays on the bag and spray both sides with primer. Only spray one side at a time and be sure to spray a nice even coat on both sides. Let the tray dry well before bringing it inside.

 

 

Step Four: Paint it up!

 

(This is what the trays looked like after priming!) Paint the decorated edging any color you desire with your sponge brush and let it dry well. I recommend using at least two coats. Now paint a coat of chalk board paint on the flat part of the tray. Wait 30 minutes, then paint it with another coat in the opposite direction. (You can also paint over the colored part with Mod Podge to give it a more polished look. I hadn't in these pictures, but I will be going back and doing so!)

 

Step 5: Make it chalk-ready

Wait 24 hours between steps four and 5. Now talk a piece of chalk and dust the chalk board painted part of the board with chalk. Now carefully wash it with soap and water and dry.

 

Congratulations! You've just made an incredibly useful chalk board out of a cheap tray and it's totally awesome (name that musical!) You can now display it with a picture frame holder, plate holder, or even attach ribbon to the back and make it a hanging board.  Be sure to share this with your friends, pin it, and comment!





Homemade Chocolate Dipped Cinnamon Tortilla Chips with Peach and Mango Salsa

I'm not a big fan of spicy, but a love hot and sweet treat! The first time I tried peach and mango salsa, this recipe started forming in my head. I absolutely LOVED it (as did my family), and I hope you will too!

Ingredients:

• Peach and Mango Salsa (I got mine at Kroger)
• Soft flour tortillas
• Semi sweet chocolate chips
• Olive oil
• Ground cinnamon

Supplies:

• Cookie sheet
• Pizza cutter
• Mug
• Baster
• Microwave safe bowl
• Whisk
• Aluminum foil
• Paper plates
• Plate and Bowl for serving

 The Recipe:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Get as many tortillas as you want and divide them in to stacks of two or three. On the cookie sheet, cut the stacks of tortillas into eight slices. Spread slices out on the cookie sheet.
3. In a mug, mix olive oil with cinnamon.
4. With the baster, coat both sides of each tortilla slices lightly with the olive oil mixture.
5. Bake tortilla slices for 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Pour chocolate chips in a bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until melted.
7. Place tortilla chips on a paper plate to cool and spread out your foil.
8. Dip the tips of the chips in the chocolate and place on aluminum foil to dry (you may also place the chips in the fridge to make the process go faster.)
9. Place chips on a serving plate and pour salsa in a bowl.
10. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Care Packages

A Fast Guide to Spreading the Love Without Filling the Suitcase

         My sweet boyfriend will soon be hopping on a plane and heading to Belize for a week-long mission trip with his church. It's become a bit of a tradition in our relationship for me to give him a care package when he is headed off on a long trip. It wouldn't be very practical to send him a box of cookies and a pack of playing cards on this trip, however, so I had to get a little more creative. This is what I came up with: a practical, functional, and heartfelt care package!

Items in this package:

• A Nalgene brand water bottle (Nalgene bottles are extremely durable, seal well, and are quite portable.)
• A caribeaner (good for hooking the bottle to a backpack or belt loop)
• A splash guard (you're going in for a sip of water on a hot day and... BAM! It gets all over your face! But not with a splash guard. These are a MUST!)
• Lifesavers
• Sour Patch Kids
• Stickers
• Bug Bands
• Itch Relief Stick
• Bug Spray
• Band Aids
• A breakfast bar
• Gum
• Small letters in an envelope

Other ideas:

• Small tubes of sunscreen
• Lip balm
• Hairbands
• Small bouncy balls or other small toys
• A picture
• Wet wipes or portable hand sanitizer

1: Select Your Items Carefully
     
       Whenever you are making anything some one is going to take on a plane be sure to not only pick small things that will be space efficient, but also to pick things that the TSA will approve of. Be sure to read up on regulations before you make your purchases. I packed everything in this package inside the Nalgene and saved him tons of space! I cut the sticker sheets into smaller sticker strips so they would all fit inside a small envelope. I also made my letters smaller than usual so they would all fit inside the same envelope. Speaking of letters...

2: Make It Meaningful

    Even the most essential items can have more impact when you select them with the person in mind. Take the bandages in this particular package for example: Despicable Me minion bandages.
Alex loves the Despicable Me series and especially the quirky minions. I also got him Monsters University (another series we both love) and Spiderman stickers not only for his enjoyment, but also to give to kids while in Belize.

3: Functional Can Still Be Personal

    People I know who have been on this trip before say that Belize is full of mosquitoes and Alex is very bite-prone! (Seriously, it's been a bad summer for bug bites.) With this in mind, I got a pocket-sized container of bug spray for him and Bug Bands. Bug Bands supposedly repel bugs for up to 120 hours so I got him a regular one and a glow in the dark one for night time. We will see if they actually work but... with the inevitable in mind... I also got him a pocket-sized Benadryl anti-itch stick. IMPORTANT! If you are putting these things in a water bottle, I suggest putting them in not one, but two plastic baggies just to be on the safe side! (The baggies may also come in handy later, you never know!)

4: FOOD!

    I tried to pick small, portable things that wouldn't melt. You can pick anything that fits with receiver's fancy. I think food is pretty much a must in any care package. After all, nothing says, "I'm thinking about you while you're gone" quite like candy! Just try to pick things that will travel well. If it won't melt, spoil, or crumble to pieces, it's probably a good choice. Not sure if it's good enough? Try putting it in your back pocket and walking around for a day with it there... just kidding!

5: If at First You Don't Succeed...

    You may have to try several times to get a good, space-efficient fit. Don't get frustrated, it's worth a few tries! Once the project is finished, you'll be proud of the lovely care package you've assembled! Here's what I ended up with...

Viola! I think it's

a masterpiece!

 

Who would've thought it was so easy?! Do you have any great for care package items? Be sure to comment!