One of the sad parts of moving was leaving my laundry closet with the fake brick wall that I added a few years ago. But that just means that I have a NEW laundry room (yes… it’s much bigger) to work on. It does need a lot of work so it won’t be ready to share any time soon. But I did make a laundry sign for it last week. And the BEST part was that it took me about 15 minutes! AND I’ll be making more of these to sell! (Leave a comment if you’re interested in one.)
If you’re a visual learner, scroll down to my video to see how to use this chalk paste transfer.
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What is Chalk Couture?
Chalk Couture is a new craft company that’s only been around a couple of years. It’s a super simple and quick process that creates very professional results. Even if you think you’re not creative, you can make signs and other home decor with Chalk Couture.
You’ll only need 4 things to create with Chalk Couture:
- a surface – Chalk Couture sells a wide variety of chalkboards, some with frames and some without. I’ve also used my own chalkboards, plain painted boards, and thrift store finds.
- a transfer – These are NOT stencils. These are reuseable, flexible, thin, but very strong and very detailed designs that stick to your surface. I’ve been told that it’s important to carefully clean them and they can be reused 12 times. I haven’t used any of mine that many times yet. I’ll come back and update this when mine finally wear out.
- chalk paste – Chalkology paste comes in a wide variety of colors and new colors come out seasonally. I recommend white + your favorite color if you’re just starting. Or red, white, and green if you’re making Christmas signs.
- a squeegee – Squeegees come in several sizes. The large one with the handle is AMAZING but you don’t really need it to start with.
How to Make a Laundry Sign
Here are the specific supplies that I used for this simple project. It’s a great easy first project to try.
- blank chalkboard – I used an old one I found in my dad’s closet.
- Endless Laughter, Love, & Laundry transfer
- Chalkology Paste, Storm (gray)
- Chalkology Paste, Peacock (blue)
- multi tool – Not necessary but helpful for stirring and getting ink in small areas.
- small squeegee
- large squeegee – Again, not necessary but helpful when making large signs.
- old cake pan (optional)
- alcohol wipes (for clean up)
Step One: Get your supplies together.
Since the chalk paste shouldn’t dry on the transfer, it’s important to have everything ready before you start using the it.
Step Two: Prepare the transfer.
Peel the transfer off the backing. I like to write the name of the transfer on the backing before removing it so I can match them up later.
“Fuzz” the transfer by sticking it onto a fuzzy towel. This prevents the transfer from sticking TOO well to your surface.
Place the transfer on your surface and smooth it out.
Step Three: Add Chalkology Paste
I first used my multi tool to dip a little of the Peacock (blue) chalk paste out and added it to the swirls in the center. Then I smoothed it over the swirls and scraped off the excess. You can return it to the jar and reuse it. These jars will last a LONG time! (If they start to dry out you can add a few drops of water. )
Then I came back with the gray (Storm) and did the same with all the lettering. I used the large squeegee with a handle to spread it out. That’s not necessary but it sure works well for those larger signs.
Gently remove the transfer before the chalk paste dries and clean.
The lines at the top and bottom were a separate part of the transfer (watch the video to see what I mean). So after I pulled up the part of the transfer with the words I repeated the process with the part of the transfer with lines on it. Those were also done in Peacock (blue).
Step Four: Clean the transfer and squeegee
As you can see in the video below, I like to work with an old cake pan nearby so I can immediately move the transfer to the water. I sometimes leave mine there while I go on to another transfer. Then rinse the transfer and wipe with an alcohol wipe. This removes all traces of the chalk paste and helps the adhesive last longer.
Set the transfer down to dry, sticky side up. Once it’s dry, return to the backing and store.
Now for those of you who like to SEE me make this Chalk Couture laundry sign, take a look at this video. (There will be a short commercial at the beginning… helps support this blog. Thanks for understanding!)
Step Five: Finish
This step is optional. But if you want to keep your sign, craft, or home decor item and think it might be touched often or get wet, you can paint or spray a light coat of varnish over it.
If you don’t do this step you can come back later, erase the sign, and make a new sign with a different transfer. This makes it an economical holiday sign option. You can purchase a more expensive chalkboard frame and use it for EVERY holiday through the year.
Here’s another of my favorite signs made with a Chalk Couture transfer. Check out my article and video on how to use these transfers to see how I made it.
More Cute DIY Sign Ideas
If you enjoyed reading about how to use Chalk Couture, you might also like these:
- My Easy Signs, Crafts, & DIY Home Decor with Chalk Couture Facebook Page
- 5 Gorgeous Laundry Room Makeovers
- My Laundry Closet Makeover ($100 Budget)
- Where to Get Supplies for All These Projects
- How to Make a Have Courage and Be Kind Sign
Leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions that didn’t get answered in this article. Thanks for reading!
‘Til the next project,
Terry says
I am just getting srltarted. I love your ideas. I am going to try and do one this week. I we’ll send you a picture. Thank you
ducttapeanddenim says
Thanks! Can’t wait to see what you make.