Chalkboard Clothesline Christmas Card Display

Like many of you, I love receiving Christmas cards. But a few weeks into the holiday season I start to get more and more annoyed as they repeatedly slide down or go flying off of the refrigerator door every time that I open or close it. True, the problem is me and my desire to display them on the fridge, not the cards themselves. So I found a fabulous solution that was easy and inexpensive, a Chalkboard Clothesline Christmas Card Display. :)

This is a bit reminiscent of my craft room clothesline photo display from this summer.

I got this large frame back in the summer at the thrift store, and when I walked up to it I immediately thought to myself, Chalkboard! It's huge (42" by 33") and perfect for such a task. Once I got it home, I realized that it is an old Kirkland's sign. Pretty cool, huh? No wonder the frame was a bit ornate, and it was only $2.50!!! No way I could pass it up. It has been sitting in the garage ever since waiting for me to decide on a final destination for it, and I finally did.

I took the cardboard out of the frame and painted it with a coat of chalkboard paint. Then I hot glued some cotton twine in 2 rows on the back of the cardboard and popped it back into the frame.

I made this little pendant banner for that in-between time, when Christmas season has already started, but there aren't quite enough cards to fill up the frame. I wanted to keep it from looking too sparse in the beginning.

I also stamped some little Christmas symbols on the backs of a few of the flags as a shorter alternative to the Merry Christmas message.

Of course I hung each little flag (and card) with my favorite teeny tiny wooden clothespins, which you can get at any craft store.

And that's it! I love how the frame and the black background look against my walls, and that it makes a perfect and neutral matting for a variety of seasonal pictures and well wishes!

You may want to switch this out for a larger piece of art or something that is normally on your wall, as it has to be on the big side to adequately hold a bunch of cards. I personally decided that this frame needs a permanent presence in my kitchen, and it will have to evolve seasonally as it is the only thing that's big enough to work on this long blank wall beside my table. I may just remove the clotheslines and use the chalkboard.

Have a wonderful Christmas!!!