Starbucks Family Menu Chalk Art Tutorial~And Giveaway!

Today's DIY project tutorial is part two of a three-part series of holiday decor projects inspired by Starbucks.  When I think about the holidays and my family getting together, the first thing that comes to mind is food.  We are all about "our food," so I knew right away my project was going to be about Christmas dinner.

To get inspired for this post and to prepare for our Christmas dinner, I visited my local Starbucks.  Aside from the amazing smells, one of the things that always grabs my attention are the gorgeous menu boards and chalk drawings.

Family, food, and chalk art all added up to inspire my project: the Family Menu Board.  I created a decorative menu board of our Christmas dinner, giving credit to each family member for his or her known specialty.

Here's how I did it...

I started with a basic child's art easel I picked up a while ago at a local thrift shop.  I wiped it down to remove the old chalk dust.  Then, I took it outside and sprayed the wood legs black with satin spray paint.  I also gave the chalkboard surface a fresh new coat of chalkboard paint.

While the paint was drying, I hit the art supply store for the following supplies:
wax-free transfer paper (found with the sewing patterns),

bistro chalk markers (thick and thin),

and regular white chalk.

To start, I printed out a few words in a large basic font on my computer.

Using the tracing paper, word outlines and a pencil, I traced a few key words onto the chalkboard.  This helped me with spacing and the basic shapes of the letters.  

After I had a general design mapped out, I used the bistro chalk markers to embellish the sketchings.  As I went along, I used regular chalk to lightly freehand words and illustrations before using the chalk markers to add the final details.

I kept a damp rag close by to erase mistakes. 

I titled the board "Family Christmas Menu 2012." 

I included specialties from relatives who are still with us and those we remember.  

The menu board is not only decorative but it's a beautiful representation of our family traditions.

I warned you that my family was all about food.  I really could use two of these, as I ran out of room.  

 My brother's bread, my sister-in-law's salad, my daughter's chocolate mousse, my aunt's desserts and my husbands appetizer didn't make it.  Hopefully these dishes still show up on the Christmas dinnertable after they see this post.

A few helpful tips: First, using a level, you can lightly sketch guide lines to help keep the drawings straight.  The lines can be erased when you're done.  Second, I learned quickly not to worry about every letter and drawing being perfect; in the end, the big picture will look great.  Third, if Grandma's jello mould is going on the list, don't forget the "u" in mould.
Jello mould, yum...Jello mold, ew.

What do you like best about spending time with your family during the holidays? 

Visit the Starbucks brand page on BlogHer.com, where you can read other bloggers’ posts and find more chances to win!

Contest is closed.  

Please click here for more information on my affordable online design service. I'm now accepting new clients!

© Copyright 2013 The Yellow Cape Cod