I don’t know about you, but I survive my busy life by implementing LISTS — I’ve got lists for everything! (I believe I inherited this trait from my mother ;-)) Maybe it’s because, in a way, I’m emptying my mental list onto paper, chalkboard, computer, etc. Then I can breathe a little easier, since relying solely on my memory these days is NOT the way to go…. Plus, the kids function a lot better with lists also – they know what they are supposed to be doing without me repeating myself over and over.

For the summer, I wanted to make a list of things to do daily – things that we don’t always have time for every day of the school year. I came up with this simple idea that has helped us reach our daily goal: a homemade chalkboard with a washi tape border, and clothespins that we move from one side to the other when we’ve completed something from the list. This has worked so well, and we’ll be using this through the school year with a new list of chores! It’s nice to be able to visualize your accomplishments, and it provides a lot of motivation!

DIY CHALKBOARD CHORE CHART

First, I got a small piece of wood from my stash and painted it with chalkboard paint.

I had a really thin, lightweight piece of wood (a veneer) that I just had to cut down on one side. I used wood glue to attach two small strips of wood to the back (as spacers) so I can hang it on a cabinet and not have the clothespins touching the wall. This isn’t necessary if you’re not going to put it flat up against something.

Then, I painted it with two coats of chalkboard paint that I bought at my local hardware store. After it was dry, I put washi tape on the edges for a cute border. I love washi tape – it’s not very sticky, so I can change the border any time if I want to update it!

Next, I decorated clothespins with washi tape.

I use clothespins clipped on the left side of the chore chart at the start of our day, and the goal is to get them all to the right side by bedtime. So, I grabbed some clothespins off my clothesline, and to be honest, they’re not so pretty. But it’s nothing a little washi-tape-cover-up can’t fix! 🙂 One strip on top, folded down and over the edges was all I did since that will really be the only part you’ll see when it’s clipped on the chalkboard chore chart.

Lastly, write your chores on the board with a chalk marker.

I used this chalk marker because it has an extra-fine tip and my letters don’t run together. It can be washed off with window cleaner, which is really nice!

**UPDATE: I did change my washi tape to something that matches our new home better – so nice to just swap it out!**

Now your list is ready to tackle!

When you’ve completed one of your “to-do’s,” simply move the clothespin from one side to the other. My kids and I do so well with visual accomplishments like this….and there’s a lot of initiative to get all the clothespins to the other side!

 Put your list in a “high-traffic area.” 🙂

I’ve got my list mounted onto the side of my refrigerator with double-stick mounting tape. This is right next to the stairs up to everyone’s bedrooms, and you can’t miss it when you’re headed into the kitchen. So it helps us keep focused on the things we need to do!

I hope you can use this to make chores in your home a little easier and more organized – a smoothly-run home makes all the difference in having a good day!

Rachel Barkowski