As the holidays draw near and the snow is falling my 3 year old daughter keeps saying "It's Christmas now mommy!" She can't conceptualize that just because there is snow on the ground and carols playing in the store- it doesn't mean that it is Christmas. It breaks my heart to see her crestfallen face every day when I have to explain that it is still "coming." 

There are many things to count down to throughout the year, and I've seen so many countdown objects out there. I don't want something that has snowmen on it, or is really tailored to one event; I want to be able to change it out and have it be universally used for all of our count-down events... everything from holidays to sleepovers. Drawing inspiration from several boards on pinterest (check them out below) I finally came up with the perfect idea for our family. A Chalkboard countdown board.

Check it out! I love it because it is versatile, decor friendly, and super simple to make and use (a must in my house). Want to make your own? I've created an easy DIY guide below.

What you Need: 

Wood Board- I used a pine board I found at lowes that I thought looked perfect- it is 2ft long, just over 7" tall and less than 1" thick. You can use whatever size works best for you.

Chalkboard Paint- I used the paint-on kind, but they also have spray.

Decal- found HERE on Beautiful Wall Decals. I used size 8" wide and 6.5" tall in white. Pick whatever fits your board best.

To create it: 

1. Sand the board if needed (mine didn't) and paint a few coats until it looks even.

2. Once it is completely dry apply the decal following the instructions BWD provides. I applied my decal more on the left of the  board than the right since I wanted more room to write what we were counting down to than the letters. I found that the decal really wasn't a fan of sticking to the chalkboard paint, so you may need to use a little elbow grease. Once I applied it I used a hair dryer to warm it up and smooth it in firmly to make sure it was well-stuck.

3. Write your days and event!

Having this around has been so much fun! My daughter loves to help me write the new numbers every day, and she can now conceptualize when Christmas is. Not only this, but I'm using the board as an educational device teaching her how to write numbers and counting backwards! I can't believe I didn't make this sooner... it would have been so wonderful while her daddy was deployed!