Upholstered Frame Message Board

Transform your kitchen into a stylish and organized space, perfect for entertaining, with a beautiful fabric-covered framed chalkboard. This DIY project not only adds a vibrant splash of color and unique texture but also serves as an elegant way to display your menu when hosting guests, especially during festive seasons like Thanksgiving.

Inspired by a creative challenge featuring a surprise box of Waverly Inspirations products, I embarked on creating a custom fabric-covered framed chalkboard. My goal was to craft a functional yet decorative piece for my kitchen, maximizing the use of the delightful fabrics and paints provided. The result is a charming menu board that seamlessly blends practicality with personalized style, proving that DIY home decor can be both simple and stunning.

If you’re a fan of the classic chalkboard aesthetic, perhaps even contemplating chalkboard walls in your kitchen, and love to entertain with a personal touch, then this project is tailor-made for you. It takes a standard chalkboard and elevates it dramatically, allowing you to select fabrics that perfectly complement your existing kitchen or dining room decor. Imagine a personalized menu display that not only informs your guests but also enhances the overall ambiance of your gathering. This DIY menu board is a fantastic way to infuse your personality into your home while maintaining a high level of elegance and functionality.

Unveiling the Creative Toolkit: What I Used for This Project

This month’s creative box from Waverly Inspirations was brimming with delightful decorating goodies, perfect for this project. I utilized the high-quality Waverly Inspirations chalk paint to permanently stencil key headings like Menu, Main Course, Sides, and Dessert onto the chalkboard surface. This ensures these categories remain a consistent feature, ready for any occasion. Furthermore, two beautiful Waverly fabrics were chosen to adorn and transform a basic picture frame into a stunning, custom-designed border for the chalkboard. These materials not only provided the necessary components but also inspired the entire aesthetic of the menu board, offering both durability and a chic, coordinated look.

To start, I sourced a sturdy frame and a magnetic chalkboard from the home decor aisle at Walmart. The key was to find a chalkboard that fit perfectly within the frame’s opening, creating a seamless and professional look. The combination of these readily available items with the custom Waverly Inspirations materials allowed for an accessible yet highly personalized DIY project. This approach demonstrates that you don’t need highly specialized tools or materials to achieve impressive, custom home decor results.

Crafting Your Custom Kitchen Menu Board: A Step-by-Step Guide

Creating this custom fabric-covered framed chalkboard menu is a surprisingly straightforward process, designed to be enjoyable for DIY enthusiasts of all levels. To ensure maximum clarity and ease of execution, I’ve meticulously broken down the project into five distinct sections. We’ll begin by transforming the basic photo frame with elegant fabric, then move on to securely attaching the chalkboard within its new decorative border. Following this, we’ll add a touch of sophistication with stylish nailhead trim and explore how to craft your own coordinating ribbon from fabric. Finally, you’ll learn the art of transferring and permanently applying designs and fonts to your chalkboard, making it truly unique. Each step is detailed to guide you effortlessly towards your stunning new kitchen centerpiece.

Essential Supplies for Your Fabric Covered Framed Chalkboard:

Gathering your materials is the first exciting step in any DIY project. For this fabric-covered framed chalkboard, all the necessary supplies are conveniently available at Walmart, making your shopping trip simple and efficient. Feel free to choose fabric patterns and ribbon colors that perfectly match your home’s aesthetic, adding a truly personalized touch to your menu board.

• BHG 20 x 24 – 8 spot collage frame (or any sturdy frame of similar size)
• U Brands Wood Frame Chalkboard – comes with two chalk pencils (ensure it fits your chosen frame)
• 1-1/2 yards Waverly Inspirations Fabric – Dark Floral Cocoa (select a pattern that complements your decor)
• 2 yards yellow ribbon to trim sides of frame (or create your own from coordinating fabric)
• 1/4 yard Waverly Inspirations Decorative Ribbon to hang chalk pencil
• Upholstery tacks – 2 boxes (choose a finish that suits your style, e.g., Antique Brass)
• Mod Podge in a Matte finish (for gluing and sealing fabric)
• Liquid Nails (for secure chalkboard attachment)
• Scrap pieces of corrugated cardboard (for leveling the chalkboard)
• Scissors (sharp pair for fabric)
• Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint (for permanent lettering)
• Paint brush (fine-tipped for detail, wider for Mod Podge)
• Measuring tape
• Hammer
• Pencil or marking pen

Transforming Your Frame: The Art of Fabric Covering

Covering a large photo frame with fabric is akin to wrapping a special gift, requiring a bit of care but yielding impressive results. Begin by carefully removing any glass and backing from your chosen frame. This makes the wrapping process much easier and cleaner. For adhesion, I used Mod Podge, a versatile crafting essential, to both firmly glue the fabric to the frame and provide an optional protective seal. While sealing the fabric isn’t strictly necessary for all applications, I chose to do so to ensure that, in the future, any dust or grime can be easily wiped away with a damp cloth without harming the fabric or its pattern. This step adds a layer of durability and makes your beautiful fabric frame a breeze to maintain.

1. **Prepare Your Frame:** Start by removing any hanging hooks or hardware from the back of the frame to ensure a smooth, unobstructed surface for fabric application.
2. **Measure and Cut Fabric:** Lay your frame centered on your chosen fabric. Carefully cut the fabric, leaving a generous margin wide enough to wrap completely around the frame’s edges and overlap slightly on the back for a neat finish.
3. **Apply Mod Podge to Frame Front:** Using a paintbrush, apply a thin, even coat of Mod Podge to the front surface of the frame. Smooth your fabric over this adhesive, pressing firmly to remove any air bubbles and ensure full contact.
4. **Miter Corners:** At each corner of the frame, make a diagonal cut into the fabric, extending precisely up to the frame’s edge. This will allow for clean, crisp folds when wrapping the fabric.
5. **Wrap to the Back:** Flip the frame over. Begin wrapping the excess fabric from the front around to the back of the frame, pulling it taut to avoid wrinkles.
6. **Secure Back Edges:** To achieve a polished look on the back, apply a 2-inch wide band of Mod Podge along the back edges of the frame. Press the wrapped fabric onto this adhesive, smoothing it with your fingers to create a flat, secure bond.
7. **Fold Corner Fabric:** Neatly bring the diagonally cut corner fabric around each corner of the frame, carefully folding and smoothing it to create sharp, tailored edges.
8. **Repeat for All Corners:** Continue this process for all four corners, ensuring consistent tension and neatness.
9. **Trim Excess Fabric:** Once the fabric is securely glued to the back on all sides, use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter to carefully trim away any remaining excess fabric, leaving a clean edge.
10. **Address the Inner Opening:** Flip the frame back to the front. Carefully cut away the fabric that is covering the inner opening where the glass or chalkboard will sit. Use a spatula or a dull knife to gently push the raw edges of the cut fabric under the inner lip of the frame, hiding them for a professional finish.
11. **Final Inspection:** The frame should now be completely covered and look beautifully finished. Don’t worry if Mod Podge appears milky; it dries clear. If you notice any excess adhesive, gently wipe it away with a damp, lint-free cloth before it fully dries.

Optional Finishing Touch: For an even more refined look, consider using Mod Podge to glue a coordinating ribbon along the back perimeter of the frame. This not only adds an extra layer of visual appeal but also effectively conceals any raw fabric edges, giving your project a truly professional and seamless finish.

Crafting Your Own Custom Fabric Ribbon

As part of my Waverly challenge, I aimed to utilize as many materials from the provided box of fabrics and paints as possible. This led to the creative decision to make my own ribbon from one of the fabrics, ensuring perfect coordination with the frame. However, for those who prefer, pre-made ribbon can be easily substituted. Crafting your own fabric ribbon is a simple process that adds a truly custom touch to your project. Here’s how to create your unique fabric trim:

1. **Cut Fabric Strips:** Using a pair of sharp scissors or a rotary cutter for precision, cut a strip of fabric that is 2 yards long and 1-inch wide. If your fabric piece is smaller, you may need to cut a few 1-inch wide strips and neatly piece them together with a small seam to achieve the required 2-yard length. Ensure your cuts are as straight as possible for a professional look.
2. **First Fold and Press:** Lay the cut fabric strip face down on an ironing board. Carefully fold one long edge of the fabric strip towards the center, pressing it firmly with a hot iron to create a crisp crease. This fold will hide the raw edge of the fabric.
3. **Second Fold and Press:** Repeat the previous step on the opposite long side of the strip, folding it inwards towards the center. Press again, ensuring both raw edges are now neatly tucked into the center of the strip.
4. **Final Press:** Give the entire folded strip a final, thorough press. This last step will flatten and set the folds, transforming your fabric strip into a perfectly formed, custom-made ribbon. Your handmade ribbon is now ready to add a coordinated decorative flourish to your frame.

Elevating the Frame: Adding Elegant Nailhead Trim

Upholstery nails, often referred to as tacks, are a wonderful way to add a touch of classic sophistication and decorative detail to your framed projects. They come in a variety of finishes, allowing you to match your existing hardware or create a striking contrast. For this project, I opted for Antique Brass tacks to secure the fabric ribbon around the sides of the frame. The metallic gleam and uniform spacing of the nailhead trim not only highlight the frame’s contours but also add a luxurious, custom-upholstered look, transforming a simple DIY into a high-end decorative piece. This detail is especially effective in blending the fabric with the overall design, creating a polished and professional finish.

1. **Marking for Precision:** For consistent spacing, use a ruler and a marking pen to place a small dot every 2 inches along the entire length of your fabric ribbon. This will serve as your guide for tack placement.
2. **Strategic Starting Point:** Begin attaching the ribbon to a less visible corner of your chalkboard frame. This strategic placement ensures that the point where the beginning and end of the ribbon meet is less conspicuous, contributing to a seamless appearance. Leave approximately one inch of the ribbon unattached and extending away from the frame at your starting point. Carefully hammer an upholstery tack into the frame at each marked dot along the ribbon, pulling the ribbon taut as you go.
3. **Preparing the End:** As you approach the end of the frame and need to join the ribbon, cut the end of the ribbon, leaving at least 1/2 inch of excess. This extra length will allow you to neatly wrap it around the corner and conceal the raw edge.
4. **Folding for Neatness:** Fold the raw edge of the ribbon end inward, creating a clean, finished edge.
5. **Final Tack:** Secure this folded end with a final upholstery tack, ensuring it is flush with the previous tacks and creates a smooth, continuous line around the frame. This completes the elegant nailhead trim, adding a refined touch to your fabric-covered frame.

Securely Integrating the Chalkboard into Its Fabric Frame

Achieving a perfectly secure and flush fit for your chalkboard within its newly decorated frame is crucial for both aesthetics and durability. This image, taken from a slightly angled perspective, clearly illustrates how the chalkboard is designed to sit snugly within the inner inset of the photo frame’s opening. This precise fit ensures that once installed, the chalkboard is stable and looks like an integral part of the frame, rather than an afterthought. The goal is a seamless transition from the fabric-covered frame to the chalkboard surface, creating a professional and polished appearance for your custom menu board.

Once your frame is beautifully covered with fabric and any additional trim is in place, the next vital step is to securely attach the chalkboard. This is where a little bit of resourceful thinking, honed from my past experience in retail display training, truly comes in handy. When faced with the challenge of creating an impactful store display quickly and with limited resources, improvisation was key. This project called for a similar approach to ensure the chalkboard remained perfectly level and secure within its fabric-clad frame.

To achieve this essential stability and level the chalkboard effectively with the frame’s edge, I needed to create some internal “lifts.” My secret weapon? Corrugated cardboard scraps. I cut these into small, uniform squares and assembled them into six individual piles, with each pile consisting of three squares. This layering of cardboard squares creates the necessary height to bring the chalkboard up to the correct level, ensuring it sits flush and stable within the frame’s opening. I used hot glue to firmly attach these cardboard squares to each other within their piles, and then secured the completed piles onto the back of what would traditionally be the glass area of the frame, strategically placing them for even support.

After the cardboard lifts were secured, I applied a generous bead of Liquid Nails around the outer edge of the frame’s inner opening, where the chalkboard would rest. Liquid Nails provides an incredibly strong and durable bond, essential for holding the chalkboard firmly in place. Carefully position the chalkboard into the frame, pressing down gently to ensure good contact with the adhesive and the cardboard lifts. Allow it to dry completely, preferably overnight, for a secure and long-lasting attachment. This method ensures your custom menu board is not only beautiful but also robust and ready for years of use.

While I don’t have a direct photo of this specific step, the outcome is that your chalkboard will fit perfectly and lie flush within the fabric-covered frame, just as depicted in the finished product images. Should any excess glue inadvertently get onto your beautiful fabric during installation, simply use a damp, lint-free cloth to gently wipe it away before it dries, maintaining the pristine look of your project.

To complete the functionality of your menu board, don’t forget the chalk pencils! The chalkboard I purchased thoughtfully came with two chalk pencils. I decided to attach one directly to the frame for easy access and a charming aesthetic. This was achieved by securing a piece of decorative ribbon to the pencil, then creating a small, elegant loop bow at the other end. This entire assembly was then attached to the side of the frame using a single upholstery nail, ensuring it was firmly in place. For an added touch of style, I notched the ends of the ribbon, giving it a polished and finished look. This small detail ensures your chalk is always at hand, ready for your daily menu updates.

Mastering Chalkboard Art: Transferring Designs and Words

The permanent headings on your fabric-covered framed chalkboard – Menu, Main Course, Sides, and Dessert – are painted using durable Waverly Inspirations chalk paint. This ensures they remain a consistent and elegant feature of your menu board, never needing to be rewritten. For the daily, interchangeable menu items, and even for the charming oak leaf and acorn design at the top, I rely on a chalk pencil – truly the best invention for fine, detailed chalk art. It allows for precise, clean writing in your own hand, offering flexibility and artistic freedom while keeping the main categories beautifully consistent.

To help you recreate the elegant look of this menu board, I’m providing free printable resources. Click here to download the: Menu Category .pdf, which contains the carefully designed headings. Please note that while the layout is free, the specific font, Malisia Script Regular, was purchased for its unique aesthetic.

For the charming autumnal detail, you can download the oak leaf design here: Oak Leaves and Acorn Design. These printables will ensure a consistent and professional look for your permanent chalkboard art.

1. **Prepare Your Print-Outs for Transfer:** Begin by folding each print-out (for “Menu,” “Main Course,” “Sides,” and “Dessert”) in half vertically to create a precise center crease. This crease will be essential for aligning your words on the chalkboard. Next, carefully cut out each individual word from the print-out. Flip each cut-out word to its back side and generously rub a piece of chalk over the entire surface of the lettering. This chalk coating on the back is the key to transferring your design to the chalkboard.

2. **Align and Secure:** Create faint chalk marks along the vertical center of your chalkboard. This will help you align your words perfectly. Position each prepared word print-out onto the chalkboard, carefully using the folded crease on the paper and your chalkboard marks to ensure precise centering. Once aligned, use painter’s tape to securely fasten the print-out to the chalkboard, preventing any movement during the transfer process.

3. **Trace the Design:** With the print-out securely taped, use a sharp pencil to firmly trace over the outline of each letter in all the words. The pressure from your pencil will transfer the chalk from the back of the paper onto the chalkboard surface, creating a clear guide for your permanent paintwork.

4. **Define and Paint:** Once you remove the paper, you’ll be left with a chalk tracing of your words on the chalkboard. The visibility of this tracing may vary depending on how much chalk you initially rubbed on the back and the pressure you applied. To enhance and define each letter, go over the transferred chalk lines with a chalk pencil. Now, using a fine-tipped artist brush, carefully paint over these defined chalk lines with your chosen Waverly Inspirations Chalk Paint. For the larger word “Menu,” I used a brush with a slightly larger tip, while a finer tip was perfect for the more delicate lettering of “Main Course,” “Sides,” and “Dessert.” This allows for precision and crispness in your permanent lettering.

To ensure a clean and professional finish, use a paper plate or a piece of cardboard to act as a guard, helping you keep the paint off the chalkboard surface as you meticulously paint each word. I selected a beautiful palette of Waverly Inspirations chalk paint colors to complement the fabric and add visual interest: White, Plaster, Pumpkin, Celery, and Maize. Remember to shake your paint well before each use to ensure even color. For optimal coverage and vibrancy, especially for larger letters, I found that two coats of paint were ideal. Allow the paint to dry thoroughly, preferably overnight, to ensure it is completely set and durable. With these steps, you now possess a beautifully crafted, fabric-covered framed chalkboard, perfectly coordinated with your home’s decor.

Before you begin writing with chalk on your freshly painted chalkboard, it’s highly recommended to “season” it. This simple process prevents unsightly ghosting and ensures that your chalk marks can be easily erased in the future. To season, simply rub the side of a piece of chalk entirely over the chalkboard surface, covering it completely. Let it sit for about an hour, then use a lint-free cloth to wipe away the chalk residue. Your chalkboard is now perfectly conditioned and ready for use!

For more inspiring chalkboard ideas and seasonal decorations, be sure to check out these additional resources: discover a charming Thanksgiving Decorating Idea Using a Chalkboard, and don’t miss out on this delightful Free Turkey Printable to add a festive touch to your holiday displays.

Once your chalk paint is fully dry and your chalkboard is seasoned, you’re ready to put your new menu board to use! Grab your chalk or chalk pencils and beautifully handwrite the specific dishes you’ll be serving under each permanent menu category. This personalized touch makes entertaining even more special and organized.

The true beauty of this DIY menu board lies in its dual functionality. When your meal or event concludes and it’s time to clean up, you can simply erase the changeable chalk entries. However, the elegant and permanent headings – Menu, Main Course, Sides, and Dessert – will remain pristine, perfectly ready to welcome guests and display your culinary offerings for every future occasion. This fabric-covered framed chalkboard is more than just a decorative piece; it’s a timeless, versatile, and stylish addition to your entertaining arsenal.