I have been wanting to make one of these fun Chalk Board T-shirts and finally had a chance to get around to making one now that the kids are back in school. The chalk board cloth may or may not have been sitting in the JoAnn’s bag on my craft room floor for almost 4 months now…. I had wanted to make some for the kids for their last day of school with a big chalk board square on the back of the shirt so all of their friends could sign it like a yearbook. Then I thought it would be fun to get a picture of it! But…alas…it never happened. I just never found the time. But I totally plan on doing it this year!
And I am really glad I finally made them. They are a lot of fun and my kids LOVE them. And I like that they are a fun and unique way to let your child’s personality show. The possibilities are endless.
And you are never going to guess just how easy it is to apply. I found my chalk board cloth at JoAnn’s in their specialty fabric section. I believe is was $4.99 a yard…but I bought it a while ago and my memory is not what it used to be!
I simply made a simple pattern of the shape I wanted to make the chalk board cloth into and cut it out. It cut so easily and smoothly. As you can see, I used chalk to make an outline of the pattern and then just simply erased it.
Then I just glued it onto the shirts with this Fabri-Tac. So EASY!!! I was going to sew it, but figured I would give this a try as I was too lazy to pull out the sewing machine which has been in storage since school got out in early June. Some day, maybe I will get the energy to pull that baby out again! And so far, with some use and a couple of washes, it seems to be holding up really well. Bonus!
Before you can write on the cloth with the chalk, you will need to “prime” it by rubbing the side of a piece of chalk all over the surface of the cloth. Then simply wipe it off and it is ready to go. I did this after each washing too.
I also made my son this tie t-shirt! He loves it and thinks it is a great option for wearing to church. Not really what I had in mind, but fun to wear around the house. How fun would this be on a little baby onesie? I think I will make one for the next baby boy gift I need. Or how about a chalk board in the shape of a little guitar? Or flowers? Or Mickey Mouse? Or for pictures on the first day of school with their grade written on the shirt! Gah!
So many fun ways to dress up a simple t-shirt and make it a lot more fun and unique. And…I am planning on using the left over chalk board cloth for another fun and unique project. Stay tuned for that one!
If you were to make one…what would you use it for?
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Pip says
I would make a name badge style that said “Today I am Feeling” in a white or pastel permanent marker.
They could fill in their mood as it changed! ;)
TidyMom says
What a cute idea Amy!! I would love this on a bag!
Suzanne says
The garments you made are great. I bet I could use this to make some fabric baskets and then have reusable labels.
Michelle says
This is so cute and I love all the ideas you gave of how to use it! Does the chalk get smudged off though and smear onto things throughout the day? That’s my main concern with using it for a baby.
Glenda says
Oh, how I could have used this 2 weeks ago when the darling but too busy two year old living in my house decided it would be interesting to see what that wonderful chocolate (Hershey’s Syrup) looked like on the floor, the carpet, the rug, and didn’t it make neat footprints when he walked through it to visit the potty, over the den carpet and rug and bathroom rug…….
Shona says
Oh my, this is so super cute! I had no idea they had fabric like this! Cute projects and even cuter kids ;o) Thanks so much for sharing!
Sandy says
I didn’t know Joanns had this either… will have to search for it next time I’m there!
Gina Bell (East Coast Mommy) says
So cute! I love the idea of putting it on a onesie for a baby gift. Wouldn’t it be cute to fill in the age each month and photograph the baby wearing the same shirt?
Maggie Hansen says
I would make one for a pregnancy shirt with a name tag (Hi, my name is) over the belly. Then the name can change as often as needed. One day Fred, the next day George.
Cassie says
Or how many weeks you have left! Don’t you get tired of people asking? LOL I hated that part.
Kristen Duke Photography says
THAT is really cool!!! I am so out of crafty mode right now…
Kimberly @The Brown Eyes Have It says
That is so cool! My kids would love that. I’ve never hear of chalkboard fabric. Side note – your daughters hair is beautiful!
Sharon {Grumpy, Sleepy, and Bashful} says
Seriously? I have n.e.v.e.r. even heard of chalkboard fabric. You amaze me, and introduce me to all things cool and unique that I didn’t even know existed. Thank you!! I might make a cute bag for my son’s Kindergarten teacher using this. What a fab idea. So glad I found your blog, and visit here often. Although all these ideas take away from what little free time I have . . . :)
Thanks!!!
Randi says
So cute … I made Valentine shirts like that last year with chalk fabric hearts. My daughter loved it!
Amanda says
Cute, that tie shirt is to die for! Featured :) http://funfamilycrafts.com/chalkboard-tees/
Chris says
Great idea! I want to make these in our kid’s club! How do these shirts survive in the wash? (I read that the chalkboard fabric shouldn’t be creased)
Chrisie says
I am so excited to hear that there is a chalk board material out there!! My idea for the chalk board material is to glue it to the side of a plain canvas tote bag. I saw a super cute tutorial someone else did to make the bag super cute by glueing on different cute fabrics but it was never mentioned if they glued their cute ruffle material all the way around the tote or just the one side. So, after seeing this post, I think it would be a really cool idea to do it on the side of the tote. I’m always on the go with my little girl and my friends 2 little kids. I think it would be fun for them to each have their own customized totes for those long vehicle rides with different goodies inside the bag and then they could even use their bag as a writing tablet. I hope that makes sense lol. I’m so excited!! Thank you so much for the post!!
Letia Anderson says
I’d make them for my grandsons, in super hero shapes.
Diana says
These are lovely. I especially love your tie idea.
I made some for my daughters birthday as party favours a while back – I actually just painted directly onto the t-shirts. I did a call out shape. It was easy to make 15 or so of them fairly quickly.
http://paintsewgluechew.com/2014/05/chalkboard-message-t-shirts-diy/
Amy says
What a fun idea! Thanks so much for sharing it with me!!