My good friend, Maggie, has always been a lil crafty, and she had handmade signs all around her wedding reception last year. For Erin’s wedding this past weekend, she honed her skills and made even more signs that were placed around the ceremony and reception. Now I’ll let the expert talk…
“Well I guess I would start out by saying that I really enjoy lettering and fonts. My biggest thing is just having a picture to go off of so I can make the layout how I want and to see how their lettering fits in it (thanks Pinterest). It’s fun to pull different designs that I like and mesh them together to make something new.
I’ve taken one calligraphy class but I think that chalk paint is easier to work with because you can go back and edit details. I also think there are so many different ways to do calligraphy, so being able to see a picture, to me, is so important – seeing the way the letters look together and any flourishes they might have done that added a pop to the picture.
Erin’s boards were specifically important to me because, well, it’s Erin’s wedding! I wanted them to be perfect for her! I love that she wanted to add color to them, let me do my own thing and allowed them to be very fun, which was definitely the theme of her wedding, FUN (with some pops of pink and gold, everywhere ?).”
Maggie’s Wedding Chalkboard Signs
What you’ll need:
- Chalkboard
- Chalkboard paint pen (any color you want)
- Paper towel & water for any slip ups
Mrs. Samuelson picked up some chalkboard stands (with 2 sides to paint on) from Hobby Lobby for Maggie, and Erin suggested a few quotes or ideas that she wanted included.
The rest was Maggie, some Pinterest inspiration, and quite a few chalkboard paint pens!
Maggie’s Tips for Making your own Chalkboards:
- Have a picture of what you’re making handy, or sketch it out.
- Begin with the end in mind so you can make sure you have enough space.
- Start in the middle, and work your way out.
- When all else fails, use a wet paper towel and start over.
In today’s world, you’ve got to advertise your wedding or event’s hashtag so you can go back and view all the pictures from your friends. Maggie also made a smaller chalkboard with the wedding hashtag, #Gibbheryourlove, to go on the bar!
Maggie finished the boards on Saturday morning when we were getting ready, so I had to snap a picture. I’d be a little nervous doing these with an audience, but she knocked them out and sent them downtown to the venue!
Thanks for sharing, Mags! You available next May….? We should get together 😉