Lettering A Chalkboard Command Center
Got a new something for the kitchen today.
My daughter has had some behavioral issues off and on since the seizures started. Sometimes, she bites, screams, throws things, etc. I believe it’s her way of telling everyone that she is in pain or discomfort…or just feeling some kind of stress.
In addition to a lot of prayer and patience, we try to give her tools to communicate with us to offset these behaviors. So, my husband bought this board at his favorite store (the local, hardware store) to have something we could point to to redirect her.
Turns out, it’s much too large just for behavioral cues. So, we are going to use it as a small, family command center as well.
A family command center is the equivalent of a central planner for the entire family to see. It’s typically sprawled across a wall and can be made from chalkboards, cork boards, whiteboards, fabric mesh boards-or a combination of supports. There’s no right or wrong way to make one as it is dependent on what the family needs. Plus, it gives you an excuse to be creative!
I haven’t been keeping up with my planner during summer break. Other than my daughter’s doctor appointments, home visits from the agencies that approve her care, an online class here and there, and the occasional special occasion, all that’s formally on the agenda is chilling. Meh…I haven’t felt the need to have a planner going. So, below is my design along with a visual cue piece for the kid where she can see it.
I also included a few spots I normally have in my planner to keep me aware of what we need to do or buy. I figured it would be great to have that visual reminder up there since, technically, we still have tasks to do and stuff to buy right now.
This project took me about an hour and a half to do. Not bad for the value I’ll get from it this week!👍🏾 The steps are also pretty simple for setting up one of these. I listed them below if you’d like to try this at home.
How to Set Up a Chalkboard Command Center
I started by deciding what I wanted on the command center. My needs at this time are simple. If yours are more complex, you may need a larger board or more surfaces. You may also require surfaces that are magnetic to adhere other items. You can freehand like I did here, or plan out your steps more formally, transferring your drawing when it’s perfect.
I taped off the sections according to the items I knew I wanted.
Then, I used a Stabilo, white Aquarellable pencil to sketch in my letters and little illustrations. I wanted to be able to see these from across the room without my glasses. So, I made my letters fairly large.
Once I had things mapped out, I traced and filled in the letters with white chalk. I used materials I knew would wipe away easily until I know whether this will be how I keep this layout. Once I am 100% certain, I can use materials that are more difficult to remove or permanent. Test an inconspicuous area on your board if you’re unsure about permanence on a chalkboard surface and any chalk markers you might use.
Add any dividers using a ruler or T-square. Mine are simple. But you can make them as elaborate as you like depending on the space you have on your board (or sizes of your letters).
I will likely add a container or two along the side to hold writing supplies. But this was enough progress for today.
Once I was finished, I had to mess it up with my actual handwriting! I may play with the kind of lettering styles I would like to see on it this week. Sheesh, now that it’s up there, I want to find things to do just to have an excuse to draw on it. 😊
But, there you have it…A quick, creative, weekend project that will keep you and the fam organized all week!
If you know a mom that could use a creative break and an organizing tool, share this post with her!
