Chalk designs….it’s hard to not see them pretty much everywhere you look these days. And to be honest, I can’t get enough of them. (Want a peek at some of favorite chalkboard design ideas? Here’s my newest Pinterest board: Chalk Dust On My Finger Tips. Can you tell I was once a teacher?)
But if I’m going to put that kind of time into a design, whether it be a framed piece in my living room, or a monogram for my door, I want it to stick around for as long as possible!
So, below you’ll find my how-to for making permanent “chalk” designs….no actual chalk required!
XOXO,
Nikki, In Stitches
1. First Up: How To Make A Permanent “Chalk” Design!
(Just a note here about my stencil: Please don’t be intimidated by the complexity of my stencil, or turned away from this project because I made mine with my CAMEO. Sticky-backed stencils are becoming easier to find. There are a few brands available in your local craft store, and there are even shops online that will create a custom stencil for you.)
Couldn’t be easier, right? And now you don’t have to worry about your beautiful “chalk” design smudging after you’ve spent so much time working on it!
I do not own a silhouette but sure would love one – I would cut vinyl labels and wall decals – fingers are crossed that I win!!
This is a fabulous give away! There are so many projects I could do with this . I would definitely use it for my scrapbook and Home Dec projects.
I can’t wait to use one of these on my cards and new home decor accents 🙂 Thanks for this!!!
What a great price on the Portrait! I’ve been thinking about it for quite a while for stencils. This post may have sent me over the top!! Thanks.
I don’t have a silhouette. I’d love to use one to cut vinyl, and use the print and cut feature! I love all of the options the silhouette offers! Hope I win:-)
Thanks for the awesome giveaway Nikki!
I would make so many of these vinyl projects that I see on Pinterest. I just love homemade art to decorate our home.
I hope I can win this time. This would be so much fun to play with! Some day I’ll have it in my budget to get one! My friend has a cameo and loves it!
I would LOVE to win a Silhouette – have always wanted one – so many possible ways to use it!!!!!!! Thx for the opportunity to win!!
I’ve never used one but can’t wait to in the future
I’ve not tried this product, but I’m trying to move away more from scrapbooking and looking into making fabulous things for my home. This would be an awesome fit!
I would love to win one!! Esp since next month we are having a “camp-out” themed sleep-over at the elementary school. I would love to be able to decorate the halls with some camping themed cut-outs.
I would love to win in order to make stuff for the elementary school kids.
I don’t own a Silhouette but would absolutely love to have one to craft with! Thanks so much for having this giveaway!
now that i’ve used the cricut I’m totally addicted to these machines. I’ve got some old slate roof tiles in my basement – I HAVE to make do the chalk name signs!! thanks!
I would love to wiI a silhouette.your tutorial was outstanding.thanks for such a wonderful giveaway.
Oh, the things that I could do and make! Would love to win this!
I’ve never used a Silhouette, but would love to learn. And my first project would be to make some sign art for dining room.
I’ve never used a Cameo or a Silhouette but sure would like to have one to create with
What a cool idea and technique! Want one of those!!!
I don’t have a Silhouette and would love to make a customized entryway sign!
Cool project. Have been seeing great projects with Silhoutte
Cool project. Have been seeing great projects with Silhoutte
I do not have a silhouette but have tried one and it is AMAZING! It would be so much fun to use for scrapping and papercrafts and that is what I would use it for the most but it would be so fun to make vinyl home decor projects as well! Thanks for the chance to win.
I don’t own a Silhouette, but it looks like it would be so much fun. I would love to be able to make some of those decals for the walls in my children’s rooms.
I would love to own one of these
First thing I would do is probably make a portrait of my boys cameo’s for my house. Then use it for a new business. I would love to win this. It would help so much! Thanks Nikki!
I have used a Silhouette machine at scrapbook crops and love it! I would make this project first because I actually have slate, real slate taken from an old house in New Orleans, that have been waiting for me to do something with.
I do not have a Silhouette and would love to win one! I have the original Sizzix, which has been great fun, so I can imagine how much more fun a Cameo would be!
I have a cricut but have never used it. It’s the Silhouette that I really want!
I have been wanting a Silhouette for years. My first projects will be to make wall art for the blank walls in my living room and office. Rafflecopter please pick me, pick me.
I have a friend whom I would love to gift this to!
Although I’ve never used a Silhouette or Cameo, I repeatedly look them up and watch the videos and dream 😉 LOVE that these work with your computer – the versatility is fabulous and the possibilities are endless with no need for dies or cartridges – win win!! Would love to win one – thanks for the opportunity.
I have not used either one but have used my sister’s cricut and love it!!! Would love one of these for my own 🙂 just not in the budget right yet but it’s on the list!!!!!
Would love to win!! I don’t have one, can’t afford it right now, but have tons of ideas to use one! Thanks for the opportunity!
Nikki, compared to other cutting machines, do you find the Silhouette easy to use?
Lainie,
As with all big purchases, there are people that can give you pro’s and con’s for all cutting systems. I LOVE my CAMEO! I used a different system on Craft Wars, and struggled with it. Of course, we were under crazy time constraints and being followed by a camera crew, so that could have had something to do with it, but in my opinion, there’s no comparison.
I like that there are no cartridges. (You can pick and choose individual designs that you like, without having to buy a bundle and end up not using most of what’s packaged together.)
And I really like how customized you can make all of the designs (pre-made or something you create yourself) in the software.
Now, having said that, there is absolutely a learning curve with the software. It takes time to get familiar with it, and learn all that it is capable of doing.
But once you take the time to really experiment with it, and see where it can take you, it’s a no-brainer for me.
I hope this helps!
XOXO
I don’t have one but would love to. My projects are piling up and this would be so great.
I haven’t used either cutting system yet, but I would LOVE to! I would use it to make cards and decorations. And I’m sure lots of other things I can’t even think of right now 🙂 I really like your “chalk” monogram! Thanks for the tutorial and great giveaway!
I would love to win this.
What a wonderful giveaway! I would love to have a Silhouette. I’m thinking of all of the fun things I could do with it!
I bought a cameo and I love it! I am trying to win this for my mom. She would be so excited!!! I do vinyl crafts and she does scrap booking.
You do such cool stuff with your machine. I’d love to get in on the fun.
I’m not happy with limitations of my cricut. I would love to win!
Would <3 to win one of these with all the inspiration you give for this machine …. I can't wait to hopefully win this baby:)
I don’t own this machine but over the course of your tutorial posts I have seen the potential it has for many great projects. In fact, I have many I’d like to make written down on a small notebook for when I do own one someday. Great giveaway! Good luck to everyone!
I would love to make cards with it. Thanks for the great giveaway!
I am going to purchase a silhoueete, which one should i get, portrait or cameo?
Thank you
Georgette! I’m so excited for you!
The “big” difference between the two machines is the size of the media you can put into it.
The cutting mat for the CAMEO is 12″ wide.
The cutting mat for the Portrait is only 8″ wide.
If you’re more of a cardmaker/scrapbooker kind of girl, the Portrait might be enough for you.
If you’re thinking you might like to do larger projects, say for home decor, you might want to go CAMEO.
One other thing to consider is if you are doing multiple cuts of the same thing, say for invitations or cupcake toppers ;-), you’ll be able to get more on a page with the CAMEO. Make sense?
Please do not hesitate to ask me any other questions you may have, and welcome to the world of Silhouette!
You’re going to LOVE it!
Would love this for my daughter who is a teacher. She drools over mine, and although I am happy to share, having her own would be such a blessing!
Would love to win one of these! So many great things on my to do list!
I would love to win a Cameo! I’ve heard nothing but good things about these from my friends who own them and I want to join the party!
Thanks for a great tutorial! Love it!
Hello, I have never used the Silhouette before but I have been lusting after one for a long time. The first thing I would make is a family sentiment subway sign for my Mom for Mother’s day. Thanks for a great giveaway!
I haven’t tried it yet but I’m intrigued. I would love to win one and open up that creativity that I know lives inside me. I am inspired by your creativity and imagination.
How Absolutely Exciting to have a chance to win a Silhouette Portrait! If I was the winner I would use it to help with my start up lamp shade business. The Portrait would cut my material for my fabric collages, flowers and even the cute little hang tags I am designing. Wow, I can see how much help it would provide in all the small detail work I am presently doing. Plus it would be so much FUN! and my creativity would soar!!!
I’d love one I have the silhouette and the original, I love that I can change sizes of anything I cut.
i have been drooling over this Silhouette for a while. Thanks for the chance to win it!
I would just love to win this. I love your projects Nikki and I think I’d start out with the stenciled family initial. Love it!
Thanks for this giveaway:)
I would love to have a Silhouette. I have my first grandchild on the way, and I love to sew and craft anything. I also am a Kindergarten teacher’s assistant and oh my the things that could be done to craft, and organize, for the classroom. Labels for shelves and book baskets, letters, numbers, sight word cards and paper dice for learning centers, and holiday goodies galore!
I love seeing all the beautiful things you can make and the first thing I would make would be stencils. I would love to be able to make designs like those I have seen here?
I usually don’t win contests but I sure hope I win this one!
I’ve never used a Silhouette before but would love to try out the glass etching with it and making wall art with vinyl. How fun!
I’m hoping to win one. I would love to make something for my scrapbooking.
I have not used either a Portrait or Cameo personally, but I have seen the beautiful things my daughter has created and would love to have one for myself! The first thing I would make would be my grandchildren’s names for the covers of their scrapbooks!
I need to learn how to make vinyl stencils! Thanks for the fabulous giveaway!
I would love to win a Silhouette Portrait. I see so many great things crafters are creating with their machines. I would like to cut images and words for cards and scrapbook pages. Thanks for the chance to win.
I would make a vacation jar.
I would absolutely love one! I have a lot of projects that I do by hand and this would make my life so much easier through my business and being an educator!!!! Thanks so much for the opportunity to win!!!!!
Never used one, but I’ve been drooling over them for quite a while. Can’t want to try to use one. Fingers crossed!
I have never owned one. I would love to, however! I would start with labels for my pantry and some stencils.
I don’t own one, yet 🙂 Id cut vinyl letters and numbers for our mailbox! Thanks!!!
Addicted to silhouette
I don’t own a Silhouette Portrait or Cameo, but I would love to!!! I don’t know where I would start on my project list. I know I would love to make some vinyl decal projects.
I’ve never used one before, but I would love to win one! I would love to use it to cut fabric!
I would love to , own a Silhouette Portrait or Cameo the first thing I would make is a card.
This is the coolest craft essential. The possibilities are endless.
i have used the cameo and LOVE it, but i love the portability of the portrait! Id like to make some vinyl signs for my laundry room!
Would love to win one!!! Would love to craft with grandkids.
Nikki, I’m late to this party but WHERE did these slate blanks come from? Love the monogram art!
Hi, Erik! So happy you like this project!
I just found these at Michael’s. They had a variety of different sizes, some with holes pre-drilled, and some that were more like tiles.
Let me know how the project goes!!
Love this!! Great job! My grandmother’s maiden name was McGonigal!! That’s what drew me to your site! She lived in Ireland.