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Home » DIY Projects » DIY Chalkboard Placemat

DIY Projects

DIY Chalkboard Placemat

This post may contain affiliate links.

DIY Chalkboard Placemats

Hi dear friends! Today I have a fun fall tour for you…complete with mantels, wreaths, tablescapes, free printables and porches! It rolls out all week.  Not to mention my DIY chalkboard placemats.

When I was young teachers would send kids outside to bang chalkboard erasers as a form of punishment. I never really got how that was punishment! Everything about a chalkboard was mesmerizing to me. Getting to write your name or an answer on the big smooth blank green canvas seemed like a dream come true. It was an elusive treat to write on a chalkboard with authority like a teacher did. Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

I don’t think I’m alone in my admiration of the classic teaching tool. That feeling tingles in the depths of our school girl memories and surfaces when the smell of fresh crayons hit the air. Chalkboards only showed up at school, so for the non-teachers of the world, our dream of dulling chalk sticks into nubs died when grade school ended. This old time feeling has to be part of the reason chalkboards have made such a strong impact on the decorating world.Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

The only thing better than drawing on a chalkboard is drawing on the table. My little project today marries those two childhood joys! Chalkboard placemats. I mean really, it doesn’t get much better than that! You can dress them up or style them down, versatile and fun for the young and old alike. Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

It’s one of my favorite projects to date, not to mention it’s part of a fall tour filled with fabulous inspiration for your home. Please don’t leave without visiting some of the other blogs listed at the bottom of this post…the party lasts all week!Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

DIY Chalkboard Placemat Supply List

(I have included affiliate links for your convenience, it just means should you purchase an item I would get a small commission, your price stays the same. Thanks for supporting the blog in this manner!)

Hard Board Panel 4X8

Chalkboard Spray Paint

Chalk

Sponge Brushes

Sand Paper or block

Table Saw

Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

  1. Start by cutting down the hardboard into 14″ X 17.5″ placemats. You can get six placemats out of one sheet. Use extreme caution and safety equipment when working with a table saw!
  2. Sand the edges. The backing of the hard board sheds, so try to get the outer edges as clean and smooth as possible.Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!
  3. Layout mats on a covered work space and paint with chalkboard paint. You will need to apply a few light coats for best results!Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!
  4. Season the board by rubbing it down with chalk and wiping clean.
  5. Decorate with chalk to your heart’s content.Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

There are multiple ways to do a chalkboard finish in addition to the method shared here. Some paints you can paint directly on a smooth surface and they will make a chalkboard finish, there is spray paint available and you can try homemade chalky paint, which I frequently use. None of them wipe clean the same as a good old fashioned chalkboard, but all can easily be wiped down with a slightly damp rag if needed.Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

You can use the chalkboard placemats as a name card, draw out different scenes for different season or just let guests be kids again! I hope y’all have fun with this one. My table was inspired by these thrift store turkey salt & pepper shakers I picked up for a song. You might want to see the rest of the house…it has a books and pages theme for fall that spilled onto the dining table with flowers made from vintage sewing patterns!Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

Here is how I made the precious monogramed napkins you see at our table! I’d love you even more if you’d share this project with your friends!Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

Now do your self a favor and check out the rest of these gorgeous fall ideas:

2016 Fall Ideas Tour

Monday – Mantels

Postcards from the Ridge  |  Petticoat Junktion  |  Shabbyfufu

Girl in the Garage  |  Virginia Sweet Pea  | 2 Bees in a PodFall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

 

Tuesday -Tablescapes

At the Picket Fence  |  Our Southern Home  |  Restoration Redoux

The Chelsea Project  |  Hunt and Host  |  Confessions of a Serial DIY-er

Fall Ideas Tour: Mantels, Tablescapes, Wreaths, Printables and Porches. Hunt & Host's DIY chalkboard placemat is a fun project for any time of the year!

Wednesday – Wreaths

Interior Frugalista  |  Hymns and Verses  |  The Everyday Home

Sadie Seasongoods  |  Housepitality DesignsDIY Chalkboard Placemat: This DIY chalkboard placemat is perfect for fall or any other special occasion. It's just one stop on a tour of fabulous fall décor. Check out tablescapes, fall mantels, cozy fall porches, free printables and stunning wreaths on this blog hop!

 

Thursday – Printables

Domestically Speaking  |  House of Hawthornes  |  Mom 4 Real

The Graphics Fairy  |  Artsy Chicks Rule  |  Dukes and DuchessesDIY Chalkboard Placemat: This DIY chalkboard placemat is perfect for fall or any other special occasion. It's just one stop on a tour of fabulous fall décor. Check out tablescapes, fall mantels, cozy fall porches, free printables and stunning wreaths on this blog hop!

 

Friday – Porches

Refresh Restyle  |  Cottage at the Crossroads  |  At Home with the Barkers

Town and Country Living  |  My Creative Days

 
 

Blessings, Kim from Hunt & HostConnect more here:

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Comments

  1. christykjames says

    September 20, 2016 at 5:57 AM

    What a fantastic idea to make chalk boards to use as placemats! They are the perfect backdrop for your Fall Table. And I too was enamored with getting to write on the teacher’s blackboard! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:07 AM

      Didn’t you just want to get up there and write…in cursive! They don’t even teach that anymore!

      Reply
  2. Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge says

    September 20, 2016 at 7:41 AM

    This is such a cute idea, Kim. I remember how much fun it was to write on the chalkboard and also getting a new box of crayons. That new crayon smell made me as happy as the new car smell does as a grown up! Everything looks beautiful. Thank you for the great tutorial and for joining us on the tour. Have a great week! ~ Angie

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:08 AM

      Thanks Angie, school supply shopping was a fav. The promise of a fresh start, I think fall feels that way too

      Reply
  3. Paula says

    September 20, 2016 at 8:38 AM

    I am a teacher and I still like writing on the chalkboard although we don’t use them much anymore! I love your chalkboard placemats and they are going to be perfect to use for entertaining year-round. And if you have young guests, drawing on the placemat will keep them busy while the adults talk. Beautiful table!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:09 AM

      It’s sad that chalkboards are almost a thing of the past in a class room! I get the new technology is easier, but I am old fashioned 🙂

      Reply
  4. Kathy Owen says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:21 AM

    What a cute idea. I love those salt and pepper shakers too!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:09 AM

      Aren’t they fun, got them on sale 🙂

      Reply
    • TuPolecam says

      February 10, 2020 at 7:30 AM

      Those salt and pepper shakers are going to be mine 🙂 Thank You Kim !

      Reply
      • Kim at Salvaged Living says

        February 15, 2020 at 11:07 AM

        🙂

        Reply
  5. Doreen says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:46 AM

    This is such a great idea! I may do this for Thanksgiving! The contrast of your DIY monogrammed napkins with the chalkboard placemat is perfection!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:10 AM

      Thanks Doreen, I am loving the napkins, they were so easy to make!

      Reply
  6. thechelseaproject says

    September 20, 2016 at 10:52 AM

    Totally love the black and white theme. The checks are such a refreshing change from the traditional fall colors and themes. And I love, love, love the placemats. Such a fun and easy project….I will surely have to copy this idea. Thanks so much for sharing. Susie from Chelsea Project

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:11 AM

      Thanks Susie, I am really liking black and white right now, it’s always a favorite of mine, but esp right now!

      Reply
  7. My Creative Days says

    September 20, 2016 at 11:03 AM

    These are so fun! The kids would love them at the kids table this Thanksgiving! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:11 AM

      Yes! It would definitely help them last longer at the table for a big meal!!!

      Reply
  8. Vanessa Hunt says

    September 20, 2016 at 1:34 PM

    Kim this is such a fantastic project and I’m with you that we never get too old to enjoy writing on a chalkboard…unless it’s to do math problems which is where I draw the line. LOL! Everything looks beautiful and I’m so thrilled to be part of this tour with you my friend! 🙂

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:12 AM

      Schools have gotten rid of two things…chalkboards and math! The way they do math now is crazy town. I’m with you on that one! Thanks friend

      Reply
  9. Nancy @ Artsy Chicks Rule says

    September 20, 2016 at 2:06 PM

    Loving the chalkboard placemats!! How fun. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:12 AM

      Thank you Nancy!

      Reply
  10. Marie from The Interior Frugalista says

    September 20, 2016 at 5:15 PM

    I LOVE this fun idea as well as the adorable way you tied chalked around each monogrammed napkin! Dinner around your table this Fall looks like a whole lot of fun.

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:13 AM

      A fresh stick of chalk is almost better than a new crayon 🙂 thanks!

      Reply
  11. Patti says

    September 21, 2016 at 7:45 AM

    I think the chalkboard placemats are adorable. However, the link in your email today was for making barn wood but instead took me to this page. Can you send me the link on making barnwood? I love barnwood too but it is very pricey to buy authentic barnwood. I want an entire wall in my living room clad in barnwood.

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 8:06 AM

      I am SO SORRY! Here is the link… https://www.huntandhost.net/diy-aged-barnwood/

      Reply
  12. Jennifer Zuri says

    September 21, 2016 at 7:16 PM

    Chalkboard place mats. What a great idea!!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 21, 2016 at 7:30 PM

      Thank you – they have been fun!

      Reply
  13. Sadie Seasongoods says

    September 22, 2016 at 5:40 AM

    Girl, these are AWESOME!! I love the black and white details in your tablescape- it all just looks so wonderful together! Happy Fall Tour to us all. 🙂

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 22, 2016 at 9:46 AM

      Thank you so much! It has been a great tour!!!

      Reply
  14. thegraphicsfairy says

    September 22, 2016 at 11:45 AM

    Hi Kim, your place mats are so cute and clever! I love that you could use these for all different seasons, but they do look great for Fall!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 25, 2016 at 6:34 PM

      I think they will be a new staple around here, thanks so much!

      Reply
  15. Maryann says

    September 22, 2016 at 12:14 PM

    What a great idea… Kiddos would have so much fun with those chalkboard placemats!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 25, 2016 at 6:33 PM

      They are having a blst with them

      Reply
  16. Barbara Garrett says

    September 22, 2016 at 2:31 PM

    What an absolutely charming black and white table, and I adore the chalk added to the napkins. GREAT table.

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 25, 2016 at 6:33 PM

      Thanks so much, B&W has my heart this year!

      Reply
  17. 2beesinapod says

    September 23, 2016 at 3:06 PM

    Stop the cuteness and creativity!!! This is a fantastic idea. We too love chalkboards in practically any form and this is just perfection! thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      September 25, 2016 at 6:29 PM

      Thanks friends – so glad you like it!

      Reply
  18. Sandra Garth says

    October 12, 2016 at 2:02 PM

    I am finding so many great ideas for placemats and I can’t wait to try these!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      October 13, 2016 at 4:39 PM

      Aren’t placemats a fun and easy way to change up the table…happy making!

      Reply
  19. creativejewishmom/sara says

    October 30, 2016 at 5:29 AM

    Really fantastic, almost missed that piece of chalk as I was loving those napkins! Love how modern and clean the placemat is and yet it totally works with your home! Thanks so much for sharing on craft schooling Sunday!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      October 30, 2016 at 8:12 AM

      We have LOVED the placemats!!!

      Reply
  20. Crystal says

    November 3, 2016 at 9:53 PM

    This is such a fun idea! Everyone at the table could show off their mad drawing skills 😉 Thanks for sharing with us at Family Joy Blog link up and hope to see you again!

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      November 4, 2016 at 9:14 PM

      No kidding, we use them all the time and they don’t really grow old! perfect for every holiday!

      Reply
  21. Kate says

    November 5, 2016 at 7:56 AM

    I love, love , love your table! Those chalkboard placemats are amazing!
    Kate | TheOrganizedDream.com

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      November 7, 2016 at 7:48 PM

      Thank you! They are a hit at our house!

      Reply
  22. Cristina at Ava's Alphabet says

    November 5, 2016 at 10:39 PM

    What a clever idea! I just love your table setting. Pinned and sharing. Thanks so much for linking up at Family Joy Blog Link-Up Party last week. I hope you will join us again starting Sunday at 12 EST.

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      November 7, 2016 at 7:48 PM

      Thanks for having me! I appreciate the love so much

      Reply
  23. DearCreatives (@DearCreatives) says

    November 10, 2016 at 10:31 PM

    Love all the fall ideas Kim! Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight party. Pinned & Shared

    Reply
  24. Barbara J Carlsen says

    November 12, 2017 at 1:27 AM

    I have a question, on the DIY page where I found your placemats it says “Simply cut cardboard into a mat-sized rectangle, then apply a few coats of chalkboard paint” but your instruction says “4×8 hardboard panel”. Is it possible to use heavy cardboard for non permanent boards?

    Reply
    • Kim at Hunt and Host says

      November 13, 2017 at 9:06 AM

      you could use a heavy cardboard, anything with a smooth surface really. The only hesitation I have with cardboard is it tends to warp when you paint it, if you have time to bend it back than that would be a great cost saving alternative! good thinking!!!

      Reply

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Hi! I'm Kim. I believe getting your hands dirty can be a way to get your heart clean. This blog is a decorating and DIY guide to seeing God in the details of your day, hobby and home. Read more...

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