Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Write On!

Portable entertainment is a necessity with a toddler in tow. Art is such a great alternative to portable DVD players so I crafted these chalkboard placemats for doodling on the go. You can buy the chalkboard oilcloth by-the-yard at certain fabric stores or hardware stores. I backed the chalkboard with a colorful oilcloth pattern so that the entire piece was waterproof and durable. For the chalk pouch, I simply folded 1 long piece of oilcloth to form a pocket and added an industrial snap to one side of the pouch and one side of the placemat. This way you won't loose your supplies, but can remove them when you need the entire surface for your masterpiece. Another detail I added was a strip of felt on the backside of the chalk pouch that functions as the eraser. The entire pouch closes with a dot of Velcro to keep the goods inside. The article and instructions can be found in the April '09 issue of Sew Simple magazine.