Project

Chalk-Painted Monogram Plaque

Welcome the season with a signature greeting. Simple craft and garden supplies, and a coat or two of matte-finish white chalk paint, turn this stoop into a stunner.

Photography: Ngoc Minh Ngo

Source: Martha Stewart Living, December 2018

Introduction

We brushed a wooden round from a crafts store with white chalk paint and let it dry, then glued on a leafy accent and covered the whole thing with another coat. Woodworking details like this laurel often appear on furniture, but it's ultra-elegant on our stylish wreath alternative, which can stay up until well after the new year without shedding a single needle or berry. For the finishing touch, we stenciled on a family monogram in gold paint. To give a pair of lightweight composite planters a stately makeover, we sprayed them with chalk paint as well.

For more ideas, scroll through our entire collection of DIY projects and crafts.

materials

Paintbrush

White chalk paint (Pictured: Annie Sloan chalk paint, in Pure White, $35 for 1 qt., shop.thepurplepaintedlady.com.)

Wood round (Pictured: Art Boards maple round art panel, 20" diameter, 3⁄4" thick, $49, dickblick.com.)

Construction adhesive (Pictured: Gorilla construction adhesive, $5 for 2.5 oz., homedepot.com.)

Wooden accent (Pictured: Decorators Supply Colonial Wreath relief, 18 3⁄4" by 19" by 5/16", $116, decoratorssupply.com.)

Monogram stencil (Pictured: ArtMinds DIY Home Elegance alphabet stencils, $20 for 26 sheets, michaels.com.)

Liquid gilding (Pictured: Martha Stewart Crafts liquid gilding, in Gold, $8 for 0.75 oz., michaels.com.)

steps

Use paintbrush to apply chalk paint to round; let dry.
Adhere accent to round; let dry. Brush assembled medallion with another coat of chalk paint; let dry.
Using stencil and gilding, add monogram to plaque; let dry.