If you love a good Dollar Tree makeover, this festive project turns plain wall art into an eye-catching Christmas countdown chalkboard. It’s budget-friendly, easy to customize, and perfect for your mantel, entryway, or tabletop display. Here’s exactly how I transformed mine:
The wall art came with raised glitter letters, so the first step was sanding everything smooth. A sanding block or fine-grit paper works perfectly.
Once the surface felt flat and even, it was ready for paint.
For this makeover, I used three colors: Chalkboard black for the top, Crimson red for the base Black acrylic for the decorative letters Setting the colors out first helps the project move smoothly.
Apply a generous coat of chalkboard paint to the top half. This creates a writable surface perfect for updating the countdown every day. Let it dry fully, then add a second coat for a deep, clean finish. The base of the sign gets a bold Christmas pop with crimson paint. This creates the perfect background for the decorative letters and holiday pieces you’ll add later.
I used large craft letters from Amazon to spell CHRISTMAS.
Paint them black and let them dry. These become the statement detail at the bottom of the sign.
Using a flexible rope-style mold.
Attach it around the edge of the top section.
Once it dries, paint the mold black so it blends in and frames the chalkboard beautifully.
To help the piece stand upright I grab a scrap piece of wood.
Paint it crimson red.
Hot glue a small triangular wood piece to the back for support. This instantly turns the wall art into a tabletop décor piece.
From a numbers pack, choose 2 and 5, then paint them in the same crimson red.
Glue them to the chalkboard area, this becomes the anchor number for your countdown.
Then hot glued all the lettering to the board.
I added tiny Christmas village pieces along the base for extra charm.
With just a dab of hot glue, they bring dimension and a cozy holiday feel.
To finish the look, I added. A red festive bow. a small bell, green garland pieces. These small accents tie the whole project together and make it feel completely customized.
Write today’s date with chalk, place it on a table, mantel, or shelf…
and enjoy your handmade Christmas countdown all season long!
