DIY
By Lindsay Ponta
Chalkboard Hall Pass
Your child’s teacher will appreciate
this handmade hall pass when
they’re back in their classroom again.

We all know that back-to-school season is going to look different this year.

Maybe your kids will be in the classroom on an adjusted schedule. Or maybe
they’ll be home for distance learning or home schooling.

Either way, I’m a big fan of anything we can do to make things feel as
familiar as possible for our kids and their teachers. This DIY chalkboard hall
pass is a thoughtful yet practical back-to-school gift for whenever in-person
learning begins again. And in the meantime, you can let your little students
use it when they need to step away from Zoom!
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INSTRUCTIONS 1 Lightly smooth both sides and the edges
of your door hanger with sandpaper to
make it easier to paint. Wipe off any dust
with a clean, dry cloth.

2 Cover one side of the door hanger with
a few coats of chalkboard acrylic or spray
paint, and set it aside to dry. Don’t worry if
a printed design on the door hanger shows
through a little bit. It will be less obvious
once there’s writing on it.

3 When the chalkboard paint dries, make
a straight line with a piece of washi or
painter’s tape and write “I’m on my way to
the:” above it using white acrylic paint and
a thin paintbrush. Tip: Practice on scrap
paper to get the size and spacing correct.

4 Tape off 1” stripes on the other side of
the hanger, and paint them in a rainbow
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pattern using a couple coats of
acrylic paint.

5 Using tape as a guide, spell your
teacher’s name by gluing wooden letters
over the rainbow stripes. Tip: Make sure
the paint is very dry before you tape over
it or it can peel off.

6 Wrap tape around the middle of two
differently sized wooden beads. Paint half
of each bead in one of the colors from the
rainbow side of the door hanger.

7 Wrap black yarn or twine around the
handle a few times, then thread the beads.

(Tip: Wrap a bit of tape around the ends of
the twine to thread it through the beads.)
Tie a double knot near the end to keep the
beads from falling off. You can tie a tassel at
the end for some extra fullness and flair. T
8 Washington FAMILY AUGUST 2020
SUPPLIES Everything you need to make
this project should be readily
available at your nearest craft
store or online. I had good
luck recently with curbside
pickup from Michaels.

• Wooden door hanger
• Sandpaper
• Cloth
• Chalkboard acrylic or
spray paint
• Washi or painter’s tape
• Acrylic paint in white
and an assortment of
rainbow colors
• Paint brushes
• 3/4” wood block letters
• Glue
• Yarn or twine
• Wooden beads in two sizes
Lindsay Ponta created the DIY and lifestyle website Shrimp
Salad Circus in 2009 to inspire busy women to live perfectly-
imperfect creative lives. She lives in Silver Spring, MD. Find
easy DIYs and recipes at shrimpsaladcircus.com.