Summer Porch Makeover & Chalkboard Art

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Hey Everyone!!

I hope you all great weekend! Ours was great, but BUSY!! Summertime is fun, but it will flat out wear a person out!! I’ve been struggling to keep up with the blog now that Parker is out of school & we have so many summer activities going on. You all will have to forgive me, but I may be a little touch & go throughout the rest of the summer!! I’m trying really hard to stick to a regular posting schedule, but its proving to be more difficult than I thought! I hope you guys understand!

I wanted to share a little makeover that I did on our front porch a few weeks ago. I had planted flowers, & our bushes were greening up & filling out….the front of our home was looking pretty all except for the porch….it was looking a little sad if I’m being completely honest.

The porch railing had fallen victim to the rain & snow over the past couple of years. The paint was starting to chip off, and it was really becoming an eyesore.

So, I decided it was time to put a fresh coat of paint on it! I borrowed my dad’s sander & sanded down all of the porch railings to remove the chipped paint & “rough up” the surfaces to help the new paint adhere.

I went to our local home improvement store & picked up a can of white exterior paint in a semi-gloss finish. I actually went with a primer/paint all in one to avoid having to prime it first. I gave the railings two coats of paint & things were looking so much better!

After I was finished painting, it was time to add a little character to the porch. Since this the first thing people see when they come to our home, I always want it to be welcoming. You know what they say about first impressions! 🙂 So our front porch went from this……

To this……

porch decorating ideas for spring/summer

Much better, right?! 

My favorite thing about the porch would have to be this little easel chalkboard. I will show you how I created it in just a bit! I will tell you, that I had a little help from Poppy Seed Projects.

And just so you know, I am very aware that June 21st was the first official day of Summer! To my defense, I finished this little chalkboard a few days before that, so technically, it was still spring at that time! 😉 If I have time, I may get around to changing it….I’m not any hurry though! I’m pretty smitten with how it looks now!
I also added a new cherry blossom wreath to the front door that I picked up at JoAnn Fabrics. It’s a nice little touch of spring and really coordinates well with all the pink flowers that I plant in the front of our home.

I added three pots of varying sizes to the porch & filled them with vincas. I also added a spike to the largest pot to add some more height.

porch decorating ideas for spring/summer
porch decorating ideas for spring/summer

So, that’s a look at porch! It’s not a very big space, but I try to make the most of it! If you want to see how I decorate it in the Fall or at Christmas time, you can check those posts out HERE and HERE.

Here is a little tutorial on how I made the chalk art:

First, I found this FREE printable via Poppy Seed Projects and this adorable Chalkboard Easel via Kirklands. 

how to create chalkboard art
The printable was an 8×10, but I wanted it to be the same size as my chalkboard, so I went to our local Staples, and had them blow it up to 20″x12″. The chalkboard easel was about 21″x13″, so I knew that would give me some wiggle room.
Once I got home, I used some scotch tape to tape the print to the chalkboard. Sorry about the quality of some of these photos….I was working on this project at night!
how to create chalkboard art
I used the same transfer technique that I used for THIS PROJECT. I grabbed white tracing paper & placed it underneath the print & simply traced the image. The tracing paper is the same size as a regular sheet of paper (8.5″x11″), so I just moved it down the chalkboard as I went. You can use the same piece of transfer paper over & over again.
Once the image is all transfer over, it will look something like this….
how to create chalkboard art
Then I just fill it all in using regular chalk. I always sharpen the chalk with a pencil sharpener to give me a fine point & make this step a little bit easier!
When you are finished, sit back & enjoy your work…..
how to create chalkboard art
Have you tried your hand at chalk art yet?!
Made any changes to your porch for spring/summer?! 
If so, leave the link in the comments section below! I’d love to check it out!
As always, thanks so much for stopping by!! Have a great day!!
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Linking up here….
Tutorials & Tips Tuesday at Home Stories A to Z
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Creek Cottage
Hookin’ Up with HOH at House of Hepworths
Before & After Party at Thrifty Decor Chick

Inspiration Gallery at Design, Dining, & Diapers
Summer Linky Party at Thistlewood Farms

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Comments

  1. such a happy space- love the pinks and love the chalkboard!

  2. Your porch looks so inviting! Great job on the makeover!

  3. That looks so great tonya! I love love love the chalkboard- I’m gonna have to copy you and get one too!

  4. I have been wanting one of those chalkboard easels, but haven’t seen one anywhere… I never thought to look online at Kirkland’s! Thanks! I love how you transferred that cute phrase onto it, too! I love your porch, now I need to work on mine!

  5. Looks great Tonya! I love the little quote on the pic with your kid! I need to get going on the front of our house…good thing my little boy can’t talk yetor he’d be sayining the same… Hahaha!
    Corey from http://www.tinysidekick.com

  6. This looks so great! I’m totally crushing on that chalkboard! Great job!

  7. What an awesome makeover! The chalkboard easel is a great idea. Thanks for sharing!

    I just added some curb appeal and gave my porch a makeover. Here is the link: http://www.thriftydecormom.blogspot.com/2013/06/project-curb-appeal.html

    Lori @ Thrifty Decor Mom

  8. What a nice change…I bet you enjoy it every time you walk in or out of the door. Love the chalk board….well, it’s all great. : )

  9. Simply adorable! Love the easel and thanks for the tutorial

  10. Your front porch looks so pretty and welcoming! You definitely have a lot of curb appeal.
    Mary Alice

  11. Great makeover… that chalkboard is adorable and the porch looks great – nothing like a little elbow grease to make everything look new again!! Wonderful job:) Found you through the 1 room 3 ways link up and look forward to exploring your blog some more.

  12. Love!! The chalkboard and wreath add so much charm!

  13. Awesome job on that, it looks fantastic!

  14. Great idea to blow up that chalkboard art! I love your welcoming porch – your son won’t be embarrassed any longer!!
    Kelly

  15. It’s amazing the difference a few potted plants can make. i have a whole bunch on my back porch. Great job!

  16. Amazing! I’d like to create my wedding board tonight. Where did you purchase the white transfer paper?

    • Hi Angie!
      The transfer paper I used was purchased at JoAnn Fabrics, but I think you can find it at Hobby Lobby as well!

      • Am I missing something? Do you need to put chalk or charcoal on the backside of the transfer paper?

  17. You have no idea how happy this post just made me! I have been on the prowl for wedding chalkboard sign ideas and your link at Give Me the Goods Monday sparked my interest. Soooooo excited I clicked the link because your tutorial is something I can follow and use. Thank you!
    ~Katie @ Upcycled Treasures

Trackbacks

  1. […] & flowers are a little hard to come by, I transplanted these vincas from one of my pots on the front porch. I’m sure I’ll be replacing them soon with some beautiful fall mums, but for now, I […]

  2. […] Nest of Posies.  (If you want a tutorial on how I transfer the printable onto the chalkboard click HERE.) I had things looking pretty festive, and it was almost “Blog […]

  3. […] chalkboards are all the rage right now and this DIY Chalk Art Summer Easel Project by Love of Family and Home is EXCELLENT!  Check out this tutorial to create this yourself and […]

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