Holiday season is upon us so it’s time to start thinking about gift ideas. I like to give unique & thoughtful gifts to those I care about but it seems to get harder every year. The holidays are a time to enjoy, not stress out about gift giving. That’s no fun! Gifts don’t need to be lavish or expensive. They need to come from the heart and mean something to the person receiving it. A personalized gift can mean more than anything to those you love. This is why we love creating custom chalkboards. We want to wrapit nluv just for that someone special in your life, including yourself.
Who doesn’t need a place to write notes, clip a grocery list, leave someone a message, hang your keys all while displaying a unique piece of useful art created just for you? We’ve been busy at the nluv Studio creating custom chalkboards for the holidays. Now’s the time to order one!
The ‘How-To’ on ordering custom chalkboards
If you’ve never seen a custom chalkboard, you may be thinking “How is this a personalized gift? It’s just a black chalkboard.” That is true of the writing surface, even though you can create chalkboard surfaces in many colors now, but what it’s really all about is the frame and special art placed on the board itself. We build substantial frames, using 1 x 4 boards, allowing us the needed space to create beautiful designs with lots of detail & texture!
#1: Size & Style
Size matters with custom chalkboards. The most important part is to make them useful. In order for that to happen, the chalkboard can’t be so small that it’s cute but pointless. Our standard wall hanging chalkboards finish at 27″ x 27″ with a writing surface of 20 in2. You can actually write, hold chalk, clip lists and photos and have some art on the chalkboard to add more pizazz. Is that size too big or small for you? Would you prefer the chalkboard to stand like an easel on the floor instead of hung on the wall? Getting the dimensions and style set is the first priority of business.
#2: Where will the chalkboard live
I ask this first, even before colors. If you know where the chalkboard will be hung or placed in a house or business, that could dictate the entire design. You want the board to be an accent in a room & complimentary to the existing design. Custom chalkboards are more than just a writing surface. They are a piece of personalized wall art that is actually useful while looking awesome. Describe the recipient’s space (even if the chalkboard is for you). What is the style? The ambiance? Is it modern, farmhouse, eclectic, all white, colonial… help us understand the environment the chalkboard will live in so that it can compliment the room.
Perhaps the whole house is beige so all they would want is something bold to stand out! Perfect, tell us that & we will create it. Like any piece of art, it either blends with the theme or stands out of the crowd. Custom chalkboards are the same way.
#3: Colors
It’s all about the colors. What are their favorite colors? Are there any colors they hate? Do you want bright, bold colors or more subtle pastels? Colors can also be used more abstract to invoke a theme without explicitly calling it out. Take a sports fan for example. You’re getting a gift for a huge Chicago Bears fan. You want a custom chalkboard but not a Bears themed board as it needs to fit in with the farmhouse kitchen decor. The Bears colors are very distinct with dark blue and orange so these colors can be incorporated into the design without putting sports logos all over it. Of course not all colors go well together so after learning all their likes and dislikes, a killer color palette will be developed for the design.
#4: Likes
Hobbies, passions, collectibles… these are all great inputs to the custom design. Remember, this is a personal custom chalkboard so it must ‘scream’ this person’s world when it’s done and that it couldn’t have been made for anyone else. Do they love sports, hobbies, activities or certain people? What about passions for charities or a special cause? Do they collect something that is their absolute favorite thing like animals or love to travel? We all have things we love to do, collect or talk about. These all make great themes for custom chalkboards.
#5: Names & Sayings
Some people love pictures or distressed wood with stencils while others love uplifting sayings & their family members or kids. If family is the most important thing for your recipient’s home, let’s include all their names into the design. How about their family name or a special saying that has always been an integral part of their life? Perhaps they are just positive people that love uplifting words. If words carry more impact than images or designs, then that’s what will adorn the chalkboard!
#6: Accessories
We want your chalkboard to be as useful as possible. Depending on where it will be used, magnetic clips, hooks or other accessories may be a great addition to the board. Magnets can be embedded into the back of the chalkboard for magnetic clips to then sit on the chalkboard surface when needed or removed when more space is wanted. What about hooks for keys, hairbands, hats or jewelry? There are lots of options to consider.
Now is the time!
Now is the perfect time to place your order for a custom chalkboard. Do you have someone special that you are trying to figure out a unique gift for? Consider a custom chalkboard or chalkboard easel! Order a wall chalkboard for an adult to hang or a chalkboard easel for the budding little artist in the house.