Decorate a chalkboard

Hand lettering on any surface – with edding

One of the latest trends is to take hand-made greetings cards, add some wording embellished with illustrations, frame them and then mount them on the wall or use them as a window display. When written in attractive lettering, these captions or slogans often look like the work of an artist, but this couldn’t be further from the truth; you really don’t need to be another Picasso as anyone can do it! Hand lettering, or the art of drawing elaborate letters by hand, is a creative pastime that everyone can enjoy. All you need is a suitable piece of text, some creative flair (or a good template) and a little bit of assistance from edding.

Hand lettering is all about drawing letters in an artistic way, although the design itself can be whatever you want. It’s entirely up to you to choose a style of lettering and to decide how elaborate you want the chalkboard to look. edding chalk markers are an essential tool for lettering by hand, because the liquid chalk in these handy pens not only makes it easy to apply the lettering, it also makes it easy to remove. To guarantee easy removal of ink when working with chalk markers, always ensure the surface you apply them to is non-porous. If a spelling mistake should creep in, or you want to change your design, simply wipe the sealed surface with a damp cloth to make corrections in the blink of an eye!

Categories: Home decor
Living room
Hand lettering
Products: Chalk markers
Materials: Chalkboard
Wood
Difficulty: A bit more challenging
Downloads: Images (ZIP)

Step-by-step

Step 1

Think of a nice saying or search the Internet for a quote. In our example, we chose the saying “Home is where the heart is”. Buy a sheet of MDF in a size that looks right for you. It’s best to find a suitable place to work outdoors to spray the board with edding Permanent Spray. Cover your work area well with plenty of paper (or other protective covering) to avoid unwanted marks. For best results, we recommend spraying the board with a universal primer as a base layer – and edding Permanent Spray Universal Primer is excellent for almost any material, including MDF. Take the edding Permanent Spray Spray in black, shake the can well and spray evenly until the board is covered, moving your arm steadily back and forth as you spray. This ensures a more even jet of paint so you will achieve a perfect result without hassle. Allow the board to dry thoroughly.

Step 2

Naturally, you'll want to achieve the best possible result, so we recommend using strips of masking tape as guide lines before starting the lettering. These lines can be used to plan your letter spacing, which makes the writing a bit easier. Stick the lines on any way you like and simply remove them afterwards. Or you could even incorporate them into your overall piece as a form of decoration.

Now it's time for the actual hand lettering. Practise your chosen style of writing on paper first. When you've got a word just how you want it, transfer it onto the blackboard. Write the letters individually, leaving a set distance between them to give a balanced overall design.

Step 3

Why not try adding shading to your letters or embellish them with vines or garlands? Starting with just the letters, gradually add more and more strokes and flourishes until – step by step – you've perfected the overall picture to your satisfaction. If you make a mistake, there’s no need to worry: if the surface is non-porous, your artwork can simply be wiped off with a damp cloth at any time. And don’t forget, practice makes perfect!

Step 4

What should you do if all your letters are positioned correctly, but you’re still not quite happy with the result? Just keep adding little drawings or embellishments to give the design more expression. When the board is finished, find a nice place to hang up or display your work of art.