Chalkboard napkin rings

DIY Chalkboard napkin rings are fun and easy to make. Chalkboard adorns everything from wine glasses to fabric pillows these days. So many varieties of chalkboard paint are available on the market that it is impossible to escape this super fun trend. Take a quick look at Pinterest and you will discover all kinds of recipes for creating your own chalkboard paint in any color imaginable plus a multitude of fun projects to use this paint on.  If you don’t want to paint chalkboard you van buy premade.

I ran into these fun 2″ x 3″ mini chalkboard pieces in the unfinished wood craft supply section of my local JoAnn’s Fabrics and Crafts. They are made by Darice. I immediately knew I wanted to do something with them but wasn’t sure exactly what right away. I remembered I had purchased some wood beveled napkin rings in bulk so of course! Napkin Rings.

With the addition of some polymer clay and paint in bright colors, I knew they would be unique as a table accessory/place marker.

Supplies for Chalkboard napkin rings:

• wood rings
• chalkboards
• paint and brush
• polymer clay
• stamp
• ink
• mold

I chose DecoArt’s Americana Acrylics in bright, fun colors.

Instructions for Chalkboard napkin rings:

I painted the wood pieces in alternating colors.

To add a little embellishment to them, I used a plastic mould made for polymer clay and Sculpey III by Polyform in Silver. When using plastic moulds, it helps to dust the surface with corn starch. This allows the clay to peel away from the mold more easily.

A little conditioned clay was pressed into the mould, shaped and peeled away.

I also opted to decorate the center of the wood ring with clay strips. I rolled out the clay into thin strips using an acrylic roller. I used a clay knife to cut thin strips to fit into the center of the beveled wood napkin ring.

Solvent ink and a script font stamp add some texture to the strips.

I wrapped the strips around the center of the wood ring and baked them along with the fancy moulded shapes according to the directions on the package.

When the clay was cured and cooled. I dry brushed the fancy shape, glued it to the center top of the chalkboard frame and added a little flat backed gem stone.

I used a super stong glue to attach the chalkboard frames to the wood rings. These napkin rings can be used over and over again. I love napkin ring projects. Almost any material can be used to make them including recycled materials. They can instantly bring an entirely new personality to table decor. Thanks for letting me share my idea with you!