“I need to call Dad to tell him something!” are words I hear many times each day. At ages 3 and 4.5, both of my sons are daddy’s boys, and are eager to share with him every interesting tidbit of their days. We do call Dad at work from time to time so they can share a funny story or something they’ve just learned, but often times I have to disappoint the boys with a, “Daddy’s really busy, maybe we can call him later.”
And when Dad is doing a show {he’s also a professional actor} it’s hard to explain to the boys that Dad can’t answer the phone when he’s at rehearsal. Especially when rehearsals and shows sometimes keep him away until after bedtime.
But the boys and I have come up with a brilliant solution just in time for Father’s Day!
We created a special spot where the boys can leave notes to Dad throughout the day so that they never forget all the important things they want to tell him. For now, the boys will dictate and I’ll do the writing, but Beckett is eager to learn to write and spell so that he can write his own notes.
Then when dad gets home, the boys can sit with him and read the notes together. I love knowing that Dad no longer has to miss out on all of the silly and dramatic adventures that make up our days just because he’s at work. And now I won’t find myself trying to retell a funny story at the end of the day only to find myself saying, “Oh man, I really wish I could remember what Beckett called the algae in the fountain. It was SO funny.”
This idea came together because I had a few left over denim pockets from the accessory holder I created for Beckett’s closet last year. I thought it would be adorable if the boys could stick their notes to Dad in a pocket for safe keeping throughout the day.
SUPPLY LIST
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Gunmetal Gray Metallic Acrylic Paint & Clear Chalkboard Paint {or colored chalkboard paint}
Paint Brush
Minwax Stain Marker {Early American}
Denim Pocket {cut from a craft store garland; or cut a pocket from a pair of jeans}
Scrapbook Paper {from the Home + Made Pebbles paper pack}
TUTORIAL
I started by taping off the edges of the wood plaque so that I could paint the inset.
I originally planned to paint the plaque with black chalkboard paint leftover from the chalkboard wall in our kitchen… that is until I discovered I didn’t have any leftover after all. But I did have clear chalkboard paint in my craft closet, so I instead painted the plaque with Gunmetal Gray Metallic Acrylic Paint.
Once the metallic gray paint was dry, I added a coat of clear chalkboard paint. This paint goes on a bit cloudy, but dries totally clear and turns anything into a chalkboard surface.
I’ve used the Martha Stewart brand of clear chalkboard paint on a couple of projects in the past {like these clipboards and this globe}, but it’s no longer available in this brand. I’ve been reading good things though about the DecoArt brand of clear chalkboard paint.
The chalkboard paint instructions recommend it should dry for 24 hours, so I sat the project aside until the next day. Before writing on any painted chalkboard surface, you need to prime the paint by using the side of piece of chalk to fully cover the painted surface. I covered the plaque in chalk, then rubbed the chalk in with a dry cloth before using a damp paper towel to remove the chalk.
Next, I removed the blue painters tape, and retaped so that I could stain the edges of the plaque.
Since the frame of the plaque is such a small surface area, I decided it would be quicker and easier to use a stain marker rather than a can of liquid stain. I grabbed out the Early American stain marker that I use to touch up scratches in our wood floors, and quickly colored the frame.
Now I was ready to attach the denim pocket to create a place for the boys to stash their notes to dad.
Last year, I purchased a couple of denim pocket garlands at Michaels, which I cut apart and used to create an organizer for accessories {like sunglasses, watches, and ties} in Beckett’s closet. I had a few pockets left over, and used one for this project, but a pocket cut from an older pair of jeans would work just as well.
To attach the denim pocket to the plaque, I used Fabri-Tac permanent adhesive. I ran a bead of glue around the back edge of the pocket, and then added some additional lines of glue across the pocket backing.
The denim pocket was just a bit to wide to fit inside the frame of the plaque, so the top corners of the pocket overlap the frame, but it works just fine.
With the pocket in place, I wrote a note on the chalkboard. “Dad, I wanted to tell you…”
I thought about using index cards for the boys notes, but didn’t have any in the house and didn’t want to make a trip out to the office supply store. Instead, I searched my scrapbook paper supply and found some cute cardstock weight ruled paper that would work perfectly.
I cut the scrapbook paper in to strips that would fit nicely inside the pocket.
While I was digging through my craft stash to gather the supplies for this project, I also came across my fun date stamp and thought it would make a perfect addition to this project so that we can date the boys notes. Since the boys can’t yet write their own notes, stamping the date allows them to be more actively involved.
I gathered all of our note writing supplies together in a small bowl, and now whenever the boys have something they want to tell Dad, we can write him a quick note and put it in the pocket.
The boys are so excited to give this gift to Dad for Father’s Day! I love that it will allow them to be connected with him even when he has to work long hours! And I love that Dad will know his boys have been thinking about him while he’s away!
A FEW MORE DIY FATHER’S DAY GIFT IDEAS
Get outside and have some family fun this summer with a set of giant yard dice. You can make your own DIY set for a fraction of the cost of buying them in stores or online, and I’ve got the simple tutorial for you!
If dad is a dog-lover, then he’ll love these DIY debonair dog coasters. You can personalize them with photos of your family dogs and add the bow ties for a humorous touch to his office or your living room.
Is your husband Super Dad?! What about giving him the gift of photos by staging a special Father’s Day photo shoot. I’ve got lots of tips to help you capture the best photos.
