It has surely been a strange school year this year! And we’re still not quite sure yet whether all kids will end up heading back to school before September (sorry mums!!). Did you know that teachers get the weirdest gifts at the end of the school year? Check out this list from last year which included a bag of potatoes and a stolen car radio!! Anyway, if you are looking for a teacher’s gift for this year (that says “Thank you” a lot better than a bag of spuds will ever do), this plant pot gift was too darn cute not to share! With some chalkboard paint and a little bit of patience it’s pretty quick and easy to put together. And the kids can get involved with this one too! Just add a little plant and you’ve got yourself a great gift that can be enjoyed for a long time to come.
Here’s what you need to make your very own teacher’s gift:
What do I need?
- A plant pot (obviously) – I bought a terracotta pot from the local garden centre
- Primer (not strictly necessary but I find it helps the paint to stick)
- chalkboard paint
- The Range do this great one at not a lot of money – yellow acrylic paint
- Paint pens in black and white – These ones at The Range are SO GREAT!!
- A pretty little plant
- A flexible measuring tape
And here’s how to create your masterpiece
I started with priming the plant pot. It’s not strictly necessary but it does help to make the paint last longer. Looking back I probably should have used 2 coats as the brush strokes come through when I did the yellow, but I’m just going with the fact that it makes it look “handmade and authentic”. You know me, I’m not looking for anything too perfect .. life’s too short people!
It’s kinda self explanatory, but here’s the pot all painted with chalkboard paint and yellow border, ready for the ruler design. Both the black and the yellow had 2 coats. See what I mean about the brush strokes? I quite like the two toned effect.
Wrap a measuring tape around the top border of the pot and secure with low tack tape. With a pencil mark out the appropriate markings. I only did the whole and half marks, and “guesstimated” the smallest lines in between. Use a Sharpie pen or “Paint in a Pen” marker to draw the lines and numbers onto the yellow border for the ruler design.
Adding the wording
Print out the message you want to paint on the pot. I used the free website Canva to type this message (font “Gochi Hand”) and cut to size, to ensure it fits on the pot.
Flip the paper over and with some chalk, cover the area with the text. You’re going to trace the letters and the chalk with transfer onto the pot so make sure all the lettering is covered.
With low tack tape, attach the paper to the pot with the chalked side down.
With a pen or sharp pencil, trace the lettering which in turn will transfer the chalk onto the pot. Carefully remove the paper when you’ve traced all the letters. The letters will have transferred onto the pot. As it’s only chalk, be careful not to wipe them off.
With a white emulsion paint pen, outline the letters and fill them in with white paint.
If you want it to be completely sealed then you can add a light coat of clear varnish and .. Ta-dah! Your teacher’s gift masterpiece is all ready to add a little plant. If you want, you can personalise the pot by adding the teacher’s name to the other side. Or add the wording ‘from’ with your child’s name to the back of the pot. What do you think? Surely, that’s GOTTA be better than a box of spuds??
Don’t forget, caring is sharing so if you think any of your friends will love this idea, please be sure to let them know. Thanks so much 🙂
P.S. – need more inspiration for chalkboard paint ideas? Check out my blog post here on how to make your own super-simple chalkboard sign.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links, which means I earn a small commission if you decide to use my links to purchase something (at absolutely no extra cost to you!). This will allow me to continue to share great ideas and projects with you, so I am very grateful for your support!
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