Among the Three Angels adoptive “mamas in waiting” we decided to do a handmade ornament exchange. We drew names and I decided to make a chalkboard log slice ornament.
I love the trend of using log slices for different projects, so I got a log from our wood pile and cut a slice off using our miter saw. If you don’t have access to logs or a miter saw they’re pretty affordable to purchase here. *contains affiliate link*
Then I drilled a hole through the wood slice.
Next I used Chalkboard Paint to paint a black surface onto the slices.
Then I used a variety of paint pens and red acrylic paint to paint on the surface.
Thankfully my friend Kathryn was there who does some AMAZING chalkboard designs. Without her help mine would have looked like a kindergarten drawing!
I ended up making one to send for my exchange, and two to hang on our tree!
Then I just strung some red ribbon through the ornaments to hang them.
If you need a simple handmade Christmas gift these DIY wood slice chalkboard ornaments are the perfect solution! They’d also make a great backdrop for a baby’s handprint or footprint.
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Crissy says
December 27, 2014 at 5:45 pmBeautiful…Did you use anything to cure or season the wood?
BrightGreenDoor says
December 28, 2014 at 9:31 pmThank you so much! I didn’t seal them, hopefully they hold up! I’ll post a reply next year when we get the ornaments back out.
angela says
September 23, 2015 at 5:40 pmwow! i just followed this link from pinterest because i’m looking to make some ornaments from a tree we cut down and was so surprised to see the words “three angels” at the beginning of the post! i used to live at “three angels” before the earthquake. it makes me happy that i stumbled across the blog of an adoptive mom i don’t even know! 🙂
BrightGreenDoor says
September 23, 2015 at 5:50 pmWhat a very small world! Thank you so much for letting me know! I’m sure you would know some of the nannies who are back there now. Hopefully we can stay in touch!
angela says
September 24, 2015 at 9:47 amoh certainly! i believe mme galan is there. natascha. christine. clotilde. and of course, there’s sandy! 🙂
melissa newell says
November 16, 2015 at 5:50 amthanks for the post…My hubby cut 14 for me this weekend and waiting for the paint to dry…going to write and then seal them…thanks again!
BrightGreenDoor says
November 18, 2015 at 10:40 amAbsolutely! I’m so glad you were able to make some for yourself! Such a cheap and modern handmade gift!
Jerri says
December 7, 2015 at 7:44 amSince you used paint pens to decorate, why is t necessary to use chalkboard paint as base coat? Would the slices turn out as well if I used black acrylic paint as the base coat? Thank you!
BrightGreenDoor says
December 8, 2015 at 2:44 pmYou totally could use black acrylic paint. I just happened to have the chalkboard paint on hand. I also planned on painting the backside to be able to use chalk on. I quickly realized though that I would have had to sand the slices down pretty smooth in order to use them as legitimate chalkboards.
Amber Aperador says
September 8, 2016 at 4:48 pmWhat Size are the Slices that you used?
BrightGreenDoor says
September 8, 2016 at 6:47 pmWe sliced them ourselves, but my guess is that they were about 4″ slices. Thanks!
Deanne says
September 28, 2016 at 10:12 pmThey look great! Did you need to finish the wood in anyway? im curious to know if they held up since u made them a few years ago!
BrightGreenDoor says
September 29, 2016 at 9:02 amThanks so much. I didn’t finish the wood, and they’ve held up and look great. A coat of polycrilic never hurts though.
Melissa says
December 10, 2016 at 10:15 pmThese are great! Do you remember how thick you cut your slices?
BrightGreenDoor says
December 11, 2016 at 3:13 pmAbout 1/2″. Thanks so much!
Cathy C says
January 15, 2018 at 7:23 amWondering about the wood preparations. My understanding is that you have to treat the wood so it doesn’t crack, with Pentacryl or such. What about bugs? DId you do anything to be sure there were no bugs in the wood?
BrightGreenDoor says
January 15, 2018 at 9:24 amI literally just sliced the branch and started painting on it. Maybe I should have prepped differently but three years later it hasn’t cracked and doesn’t stink or anything. I know that WalnutGrove sells pre-made slices that are prepped. Hoping mine lasts for years and years.
Stephanie walsh says
November 25, 2018 at 6:50 pmHey! Those are simply beautiful! What type wood did you use? I’ve been wanting to make some for a while and bows a good time to start!
Thanks, Stephanie
BrightGreenDoor says
November 26, 2018 at 7:53 amHonestly I’m not positive! It was just from the wood in our yard! I know you can buy wood slices too, if I were to make more I might just do that instead.