You know signs are a decorating rage. Whether you want a mantra for your office, a welcome sign for your front entry, a lighthearted joke in your kitchen, or a sign for your party buffet…. the uses are endless. So this week, learn how to build a DIY Skull Chalkboard Sign suitable for your Gothic Home…. and perfect for your Halloween Party!
I found this chalkboard stand at a charity shop. Chalkboard – love it. Anything on a stand – love it. Ridiculously cheap price – love it. Obviously it was a must buy. Signs on stands are another one of those things that I always pick up when I’m thrift hunting. Even if the sign already has a message on it…. those are easy to makeover. Over time I’ve assembled a small collection of signage stands that are ready to be worked into any decorating vignette at a moments notice! I got crazy lucky with this one being a chalkboard, and even appeared to be a brand new one at that. Most of the hard work was already done for me!! In reality all I needed was a piece of chalk, and I’d be done!
Not so fast…. 🙂 You know I’d never let something be that easy and plain! While I was also lucky that this stand was already a black color, and I loved the shape of the chalkboard… it still had a bit of a country charm which is definitely NOT me! It needed some Goth Love!!
As I mentioned back when I made that Skull Print Bookshelf…. I am going to be a vendor at some upcoming shows this Fall. As I have been buried deep in preparations, besides getting plenty of products ready to sell, I also have to prepare my displays. And as a part of those displays I am going to need a few signs. Of course this chalkboard stand immediately came to mind.
I was going to need more than one, which gave me a great opportunity to gather inspiration from the chalkboard stand I already had, and build a new one from the ground up. I do love a good trash to treasure project! These finished chalkboard stands are actually pretty easy to come by. Even if you’re not lucky enough to find one in a thrift shop, they’re very popular in craft stores and home decor stores. So, if you already have one… feel free to skip to the part of this tutorial where we add the skull. But if you like getting your hands dirty, like me…. you won’t believe how easy it is to build, and with easy to find pieces from your thrift store…. a frame and a candlestick!
When I went on the hunt for a frame for my project, I wanted something that would compliment the unusual shape of the existing chalkboard stand. I ended up finding this round wooden frame with a burlap design in it. Seriously – why is everything soooo country bumpkin these days!! Can you believe my Skull Chalkboard started out as this?! A rectangular frame will also work just as well, and are obviously much easier to come by. But don’t forget to check the decor aisles of your thrift stores. For this project, the frame does not need any glass, so a framed art piece or sign works too.
You will want a wooden frame so you can easily drill a hole into it. The hole will be drilled straight into the top & bottom, so make sure the frame is wide enough to accommodate. As for the candlestick, it should be similar in size to the width of the frame, which means a taper candlestick is a good candidate. The only issue is filling the hole meant for the candle, but we have a solution for that!
Now, you may be wondering as you scroll thru many of my pictures if these are indeed a chalkboard, and what happened to the signs I needed for my vendor booth. Yes, these are fully functioning chalkboards. And while I do have excellent handwriting, my skills cannot compete with Cricut Vinyl. So, instead of driving myself crazy with perfect calligraphy, the perfectionist I am whipped up some quick vinyl lettering to complete the sign. This is obviously optional!
As for the vendor booth… Lucky for me…. I have the chance to enjoy Halloween before I have to set up most of my displays, so I figured I’d give these signs the chance to have a bit of Halloween fun before getting back to business. When it’s time to use the signs as display, I’ll either replace the vinyl, or replace the chalkboard surface… both are an easy swap!
So… order some Chinese Takeout, pick out a bottle of wine (you’ll see why in a minute) and let’s get down to it…. and make one of these signs….. What you’ll need:
- Candlestick
- Wooden Frame
- Black Paint
- E6000
- Wooden Dowel
or ….. looking for a shortcut? – Chinese Takeout Chopsticks work perfectly!
- Drill
- Skull
- Synthetic Wine Cork
- Hanger Bolt
- Chalkboard Contact Paper
- Chalk
- Rub N Buff Wax
or ….. looking for a shortcut? – Chinese Takeout Chopsticks work perfectly!
Let’s start by building the stand….
Remove any of the inserts from the frame…. backing, glass, etc
Paint Candlestick and Frame Black. Paint the back side of the frame as well…. just in case the sign is visible from all sides.
As for the skulls…. I used plastic ones I found at Michaels. They are about 3 1/2″ wide, but you’ll have to choose a size that works with your frame. I actually started with smaller skulls, and decided to go big or go home as I put it all together! I liked the plastic skulls because they are lightweight, and hallow so I could glue a post to the inside of them for stabilization. In hindsight, a Styrofoam one may have been even more stable…. you’d just have to carve a hole for the post…. but I just personally didn’t love the facial structure of the small Styrofoam skulls I was finding in stores. Regardless of the skull you choose…. just make sure it’s a material you can insert the wooden dowel into, and also make sure it’s not too top heavy for the stand.
Paint Skull Black
Drill a hole (the size of the wooden dowel) in the top center of the frame
Insert the dowel. Hold the skull up to it, and eyeball how long of a post you will need to insert completely into both the frame and the skull. For one of my stands, I had the skull sitting up a bit higher, and the other one, I chose to have the skull sit right on the frame.
Cut the dowel to size, but err on the side of longer….. you can always trim it back later
Drill a hole in the base of the skull
Insert one end of the dowel into the frame, and the other into the skull. The dowel should touch the top of the skull if hollow.
Finalize the length of the dowel, and Remove
Trim as needed
Paint the cut dowel black
Once Dry, add E6000 glue to one end of the dowel, insert into the skull, and press until it touches the inside wall of the skull.
Then add E6000 glue around the dowel at the opening of the skull.
I placed the skull a small bowel to keep the skull and dowel straight while the glue dried.
Allow this to dry for several hours. Technically E6000 takes about 24 hours to dry completely, but after about 4-6 hours you should be able to move onto the next step.
Once Dry, add E6000 glue to the other end of the dowel, and insert into the hole at the top of the frame.
Then add E6000 glue around the dowel where it meets the edge of the frame. If you plan on having the skull sit on the frame, like I did on one of the stands, add a dab of glue to the top of the frame and press the base of the skull to the frame.
Prop the frame and skull up in such a way that the skull will dry straight. The skull should be vertical, and facing forward.
Allow the full 24 hours to dry.
Once the skull is completely secure to the frame…. it’s time to work on the base….
As I mentioned earlier, a taper candlestick is the likely candidate to fit with a frame. Unfortunately, those candlesticks have a rather obvious hole for the candle.
Lucky for me…. I always have a bottle of wine on hand. Turns out, those synthetic corks fit close to perfectly, and are easy to screw the hanger bolt into. So open a bottle, pour yourself a glass, seal your bottle with one of your DIY Skull Wine Stoppers, and borrow that cork!
After some pre-assembly eyeballing, I chose to leave the cork length as is. I thought it added some dimension. You can also use a sharp knife to cut down the length of the cork if you prefer it to be flush with the top of the candlestick.
Paint the cork black. Note – the cork seems to suck up the paint, so you may need to do some touch ups once the assembly is complete.
Drill a hole into the center bottom of the frame and the top center of the cork for the hanger bolt.
Screw Bolt into frame.
Screw cork onto the other end of the hanger bolt until the cork touches the frame
Fill a generous amount of E6000 at the base of the hole in the candlestick, and a bit more around the walls.
Insert the entire frame into the candlestick by sliding the cork into the hole.
Add glue as needed to ensure the cork and candlestick hole are a tight fit.
Again, prop the entire piece in such a way that it dries straight. Allow to dry for the full 24 hours.
While you wait, prep the chalkboard.
Use the frame glass, backing or insert as a pattern, and trace the shape onto the chalkboard contact paper.
Side note – There are a few alternatives to the chalkboard paper: if you are using a rectangular frame, you can purchase chalkboard panels, and have them cut to size. You can also cut a piece of wood and paint it with chalkboard paint. If the insert to your frame is smooth and in good condition, you could also paint that. For me, I had a round frame, so I wasn’t about to attempt to cut a circular piece of wood to fit, and the backing was not smooth enough for paint.
I cut two pieces of chalkboard paper for the front and back….. to help give the sign a cleaner look from all sides.
Pop the insert back into your frame. Mine fit like a glove, but if your does not, use some finishing nails to secure it to the frame.
Time to season the chalkboard. I know… sounds funny.
Using the side of a piece of chalk, run it across the entire board in one direction.
Repeat in the opposite direction.
Erase.
Lastly, to add a bit of dimension to the sign, I used Rub n’ Buff metallic wax….. European Gold on one, and Pewter on the other. I highly recommend the Sample Pack
I used Cricut Vinyl in gold and silver (matching the metallic wax) to create the lettering for some of the signs. It’s obviously a slightly more permanent option for the sign, but the vinyl isn’t too difficult to peel off if you ever wanted to change the message!
For more detailed instructions on cutting out vinyl lettering, check out the tutorials for the Annabel Lee Serving Tray or the Raven Mirror.
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Another gorgeous project, Alex. I hope your exhibition plans and makes are coming together. Sx
Thank you Sue!! Coming together, but not as fast as I’d like…. Halloween is distracting me!! 🙂