5th Week of Christmas – Chalkboard Wine Glasses, WITH Printable!

Naptime Gnome Idea #11

Chalk it all up to a GREAT GIFT!

How many times have you found yourself struggling to string words together at a loved one’s party or gathering? NEVER AGAIN! Put this gift in their hot little mitts and you are *ALMOST* guaranteed to have something to talk about.

Chalkboard paint + just about anything = FUN! So why not wine glasses?  These have become my go-to-gift for all sorts of occasions because they’ve been so well received. Not only are they fun for Christmas or Hanukkah, but they make great wedding, graduation, retirement, birthday, and just-because-I-think-you’re-awesome presents!

Be sure to include care instructions, as well as some suggestions for use.  Otherwise you’re recipients may believe themselves to be the proud new owners of some matte black wine glasses! I included a copy of our cards. You’re welcome to borrow them, or write up some of your own. If you use ours, be sure to peruse them first and toss any you don’t care for or think may be inappropriate for your intended recipient, some are a bit taste specific. There are 48, even tossing a few, you should still have plenty to give! 🙂

Click to access printable file!

I’ve been experimenting with this technique since I saw some wine glasses with little rectangle name placards at Cost Plus World Market a few years back.  This is the technique that seems to work the best for me, but of course I’m no expert, so please share if you’ve come up with any hints or tricks!

What You Need: 

• *Glass* wine glasses
• Painters tape
• Some scrap paper from the recycling bin
• Chalkboard paint (spray works best)
• Alcohol (critical to the cleaning step, so maybe hold off on testing the glasses until later. <;’)
• Puff paint in a dark color, this is optional, but seems to help prevent paint chipping from the upper edge (metallic gray, pewter, metallic black are all nice because they don’t look like puff paint, more like stained glass leading)
• Fine grit sandpaper or steel wool (optional, but seems to to help adhere the paint a bit better)
• Chalk
• Ribbon, twine or string, for decoration (optional)
• Printable business card stock (or your own custom suggestion cards)

The Quick and Dirty Run-Down

1. Clean the glass with rubbing alcohol before starting, to get any fingerprints off the upper lip of the glass, about the top 2 inches.
2. Using painters tape or masking tape, run the tape along the upper edge of the glass, using the edge as a guide. Most glasses are tapered, so you will have one edge of the tape taut and the other will have to be pressed in to yield a “gathered” look.
3. Once the upper edge is taped you will only want to hold on to the taped portion or hold by placing your hand in the glass and spreading your fingers. From here on out you don’t want ANY finger prints on the exterior of the glass.
4. Using fine steel wool or fine grit sand paper, rough up the exterior of the glass, be sure to get the stem as best as you can, taking care to not break the glass. This step does not seem to be required for good adhesion, but it does seem to keep the paint put longer.  Be careful not to scratch the tape.
5. Once you feel like you have scoured the entire outside of the glass, wipe down with rubbing alcohol. If you’re desperate, vodka works fine too… we don’t drink vodka, so I’m always looking ways to rid ourselves of the stock that inevitably ends up here after we have gatherings.
6. Inspect your glass to make sure you are lint-, dust- and oil-free.
7. Place the glasses stem down on a draped surface, stuff with paper so the interiors do not collect over spray, you can tape the tops closed if you prefer.
8. LET’S PAINT! Read the directions of your chosen paint. Some paints are recommended for use on glass, these are your best bet, but I’ve used the brushable kind which does not explicitly state its appropriateness for use on glass, and it worked fairly well (though the brush strokes are not my favorite look for this application).
9. Using long even strokes mist the glass with sprayable chalkboard paint. OR using a sponge brush, apply a thin layer of canned (brushable) chalkboard paint.  The thinner the better (for both types)!
10. Let the paint dry for the recommended time on the can between coats, if you need to touch them at all, only touch the taped portion or the interior.
11. Flip the classes over and apply another thin coat. I avoid spraying the base of the foot (underside), you can tape it if you like, but it’s pretty easy to just avoid it and a bit of overspray shouldn’t hurt.
12. Let dry.
13. Repeat steps 9-12 until you can not see through the glass. I like to take the paper out and hold them up to the light.  If you can’t see much light through the paint, you’re done!  If you have some “holidays” stuff the paper back in and go to town!
14. Once completely dry, remove the tape.
15. If you like (this is optional), you can edge the top with a simple, or even an elaborate, design with your puff paint (tee-shirt paint). This stuff works great on glass. Just make sure you’re using a non-toxic variety.  It WILL come off if you peel it, but otherwise it stays put pretty well in my experience.
16. If the directions recommend priming with chalk, wait at least 24 hours (or the amount of time the directions recommend), and rub the side of soft chalk over the paint until it is all covered. This imbeds chalk dust in all the tiny pits so there are fewer ghost images left behind after use. You can wipe or rinse after this step and prepare them for gifting!
17. Make up some care instructions and suggestions for use to include with your glasses. OR, just print ours on business card stock!
18. Dull the tip of the chalk so it won’t etch into any thin spots in the paint.

NOTE: If drips form, wipe with a paper towel to smooth, wait for the paint to dry, and carefully repaint the area one coat at a time.  Be sure to paint at least one or two coats over the entire glass after fixing the drip so you have continuous coats showing, or you will see variation in sheen and depth.

Care Instructions:

To extend the life of the paint, hand wash only.  When washing try to only scrub the interior and the rim, where lips have touched.  Lightly wash the chalkboard surface with a soft sponge or cloth (a washcloth works great).  Do not allow glass to soak or sit in sink. Avoid harsh cleaners, excessive heat, abrasive surfaces like scouring pads and brushes, and air dry.

Other Ideas:

• Have a beer drinker on your gift list? No problem! Pick up a set of pilsner glasses and have fun!
• Mask off just a small space for names. Want something a little more unique than the rectangle in the center of the glass? Why not mask off from the stem up and just paint the foot? -Built in wine charms!
• Not into wine, but LOVE coffee, tea or cocoa? Why not try mugs (check out this great link!)?
• Paint shapes or mask off shapes, may we suggests mustaches?

• Paint the box! No need for wrapping or a card!

ENJOY!

-The Naptime Gnome <;’)

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