DIY Chalkboard Kitchen Command Center
using Silhouette Chalkboard Vinyl

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I recently received some happy mail in the form of a Silhouette Mystery Box. It contained such a nice assortment of goodies that it was hard to choose which one I wanted to try first! Ultimately I decided to make this kitchen command center using the Chalkboard Starter Kit and today I’ll show you how to make one too!

From now through September 30, click here to grab your own Silhouette Mystery Box.
(Use the code SEPTEMBER to claim your discount!)

The Chalkboard Starter Kit includes:

 

Creating the Chalkboard Kitchen Command Center

For this project, you will need:

• Silhouette Chalkboard Vinyl
• Silhouette Adhesive Vinyl in Matte White
• Silhouette Cameo, Curio, or Portrait
• Silhouette Studio
• Design(s)
• Measuring Tape or Large Ruler
• Weeding Tool
• Transfer Tape
• Painter’s Tape
• Squeegee
• Chalk

Step 1: Measure the area where you want to apply the vinyl

Over the years I’ve taped various recipes and notes inside this cabinet door, only to have the finish marred when I removed the tape 🙁 . I’m looking forward to covering it up!

Step 2: Set up your page in Silhouette Studio

Open a new page in Silhouette Studio. In the Page Setup panel, enter the dimensions from Step 1.

Since my design area is almost 24 inches long, I chose to use my 12 inch x 24 inch cutting mat. If you will be using a standard (or Portrait) size mat, be sure to select accordingly.

Step 3: Create the design

I used a combination of designs from the Silhouette Design Store and typed out text for “shopping list” and “notes” using the Bring Heart font. The horizontal and vertical lines were drawn using the Draw a Rectangle tool. There are also some free designs included with purchase of a Chalkboard Starter Set. Be sure to weld any text you’ve added!

 

If you will be cutting the design all in one pass, either from a 24 inch length of vinyl or by cutting on the roll, you can weld together the three rectangles that form the horizontal and vertical dividing lines. If you will be cutting from a smaller piece of vinyl, leave the rectangles as three separate parts.

Optional: At this point, I like to print my design out on paper to check the placement and sizing. Since this design is larger than 8.5 inches x 11 inches, I had to print it in multiple steps and tape the pieces together to see the full effect, but I feel it’s time well spent in order to avoid wasting vinyl.

Step 4: Cut the chalkboard background

The background is a simple rectangle that could be cut with scissors or an X-acto knife but whenever possible, I prefer to let my Silhouette do the work for me. I know my Cameo will give straight and accurate cuts.

To cut the background, I simply drew a rectangle with the same dimensions as my design page, trimmed my vinyl to a length of 24 inches, placed it on my mat, and sent it to cut.

Using the Cardstock, Textured – Heavy setting, I was able to cut cleanly through the backing.

Step 5: Apply the chalkboard vinyl

Before you apply the vinyl, clean the surface of the cabinet door with a damp cloth or alcohol wipe to remove any dust or debris. Peel about an inch of the vinyl away from the backing at the top. Lightly stick this portion to the top of the cabinet and make sure it is aligned properly. Once you are certain the vinyl is aligned, burnish it using downward strokes while slowly removing the liner.

Step 6: Cut the vinyl decals

For my decals, I used Silhouette Adhesive Vinyl in matte white. The roll I had on hand was only 9″ wide, so I had to adjust my design on the screen in order to make sure I had enough room to cut out the entire width of the design. The top portion fit perfectly onto a 9 inch x 12 inch piece of vinyl, but the bottom portion needed to be adjusted somewhat. I was able to cut both horizontal dividing lines, “Menu”, “shopping list”, and “notes” as a set by rotating them 90 degrees. The vertical dividing line was cut on the same sheet to save material and then applied separately.

Note: In the Kitchen Conversions design, cutting and weeding the “2” can be a bit tricky, especially the small numerals in the fractions. You may need to adjust your cut settings to accommodate this. My advice is to be patient, cut extras, and weed carefully!

Step 7: Weed

Carefully remove the excess vinyl from the design using the Silhouette hook, tweezers, or some other type of weeding tool.

Step 8: Apply the decals

You can see in the photo below that I cut a piece of transfer tape much larger than my design. By having excess transfer tape on the top and sides, I was able to make sure the decal was properly aligned before I removed it from the paper backing. I also used the grids on the transfer tape to give me a straight horizontal reference point and to mark the vertical center of the design.

Once your decal is in place, tape a length of painters tape across the middle and apply using the hinge method.

If you are applying your decal in two separate steps as I did, give yourself a high-five once the top part is applied. The hardest part is over!

Step 9: Put your chalkboard to use!

The chalkboard surface of the Silhouette Chalkboard Vinyl works great with either the chalk that comes in the starter kit or regular chalk. It erases quite well too – better than a traditional chalkboard!

I love how this project turned out and it really brightened up my kitchen! Have you used the Silhouette Chalkboard Vinyl or the Silhouette Chalkboard Cardstock? I’d love to hear more about your experience with either of them. If you haven’t tried it, what are you waiting for? Leave me a comment below or visit me over on Facebook and share your thoughts!

Until next time,

 

 

 

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