Love in any Language: Chinese Chalkboard Sign

Happy Valentine’s Day, friends! Today is all about love, no matter what language you speak. I thought it would be fun to do a little variation on the normal wooden sign project by incorporating the Chinese symbol for love! You can certainly create your own version using whatever symbol or language means something to you. Here’s a basic how-to to get you started…

You’ll need:

Chalkola Chalk Markers {White}
Chalkola Metallic Markers {Red}
Scrap Wood
FolkArt Acrylic Paint: Black Licorice
Paintbrush

Creating Your Sign

Step 1: Cut and sand your scrap of wood. This particular one is about 5″ x 5,” but yours can be any size and shape you like.

Step 2: Give the wood a base coat of black paint. One coat was enough for total coverage on mine.

Step 3: Sketch or trace the symbol with a white chalk pen. I did mine freehand, but you can also print out and trace it if you prefer. I tried to keep it centered and on the upper 2/3 of the wood.


Step 4: Write the word “love” below the symbol. To get this faux calligraphy style, check out my super-simple tutorial for basic hand lettering.

If you like the sign as is, you can certainly stop here and call it finished. I went on to do one more step, though, to add a pop of color and dimension to the design.

Step 5: Trace the outer edges of the symbol with a red Metallic Marker. 

Interesting fact: Did you know that in China, the color red is symbolic of happiness, joy, and good fortune?

At this point, your sign is complete! If you’re pretty confident that it’s going to be displayed in a place where it won’t be rubbed or touched {ie: all your kids are grown up} you can stop here. If, however, little hands might get ahold of it, you may want to apply a spray sealer because the chalk pen is not permanent and will rub off if it gets wet. A quick spray will do the trick and preserve your art just the way you want it.

I’m so pleased with how my little sign turned out, and it’s a fun way to add something that’s a little bit of a different style to our decor.

The Chalkola markers were super-easy to use and not messy at all. The tips are the perfect size for this type of project, and I love the color variety. If you’re interested in trying them out, now’s a great time, because you can save 15% on your purchase, either on Amazon or the Chalkola website with this code: 15OFFSTR

Chinese Character "Love" Sign

This project is quick to create and really inexpensive, especially if you happen to have wood scraps. So, what do you think? Is this a gift your Valentine would love?

Chinese Character Love Sign

 

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