These are handy to have when you’re taking the kids out for dinner. They help to keep them busy while waiting for their food. They’re pretty easy to make.
Supplies needed - drapery black out also known as roc-lon sold at most fabric stores, chalkboard paint (I buy mine in a can from the paint dept at Home Depot), a roll of 1″ painters tape, a straight edge ruler, a paint brush, fine sandpaper and a piece of ribbon

Step 1:

with a straight edge ruler measure, mark and cut an 18″ x 12″ size placemat, tape the edges with painters tape

Step 2:

paint along tape line to avoid pushing paint under the tape. do 2 coats of chalkboard paint then sand lightly and touch up with one last thin layer of paint. when it’s dry flip it over and paint the back side solid chalkboard

Step 3:

remove the tape and paint the border whatever colour you want. I used patio paint for more durability but any waterproof acrylic paint will work

to personalize I use my cricut. if you don’t have a cricut you can use alphabet stencils or freehand

paint around the edge of the chalkboard paint and the letters with short and long paint strokes leaving random spaces in between the lines that you will be filling in with paint dots.

dot the painted edges using anything that will make a round dot. I dip the end of my paintbrushes in the paint or a pen tip for smaller dots. touch up the paint splatters with chalkboard paint

Step 4:

sew a 20″ piece of ribbon folded in half to the end of the placemat on the front side either by hand or with your sewing machine. to cover the thread on the back of the placemat, paint over it with the chalkboard paint. let the paint dry and cure for a day or 2 to prevent the dots from sticking when you roll it up. tie a piece of chalk into the bow and you’re done :)