Interactive murals are those that have chalk (or markers or paint) nearby so that everyone and anyone can participate. My favorite are the big fill in the blank kinds. But that isn’t practical to create indoors, so I created mini ones. It will have the look of chalk, but there is zero chalk involved (so no chalk dust) or special paint!

How do I use these? When family and friends are over, they write on the lines- it’s a great conversation starter and I’ve learned so many unexpected things about them this way! At the end of this post you can see a few filled out by recent guests.

Start with a piece of wood painted matte black. It doesn’t need to be chalkboard paint, just something matte (not shiny or glossy) black. I ran across these already painted and with twine to hang it in the dollar spot at Target so I started with these. These are seasonal, so depending on when you are reading this, you might not be able to find them there so you substitute with any wood panel or piece of wood you have. Just paint it matte black.

Stencil the words you want on there. I did three of these using my Journal Starters stencil from StencilGirl. You can choose something different for each line or repeat the same one over and over. So many options for you with the one single stencil!

Why use a heavy body white paint to stencil this? Because it is very opaque so it makes it easy to see the white stenciling and it also helps keep the lines crisp. Thicker paints are less likely to run under the stencil so if you’re an impatient stenciler like me you can still get crisp lines. In the video, you’ll see how I lined these up without careful measuring too.

To create the lines for people to write on you have choices. You can paint them on with a paint brush or draw them on with a white paint marker. I chose to stencil them so they would have the same look as the stenciled words. It was an adventure of a process that words won’t do justice. Let’s just say, I made it so much harder than it had to be! Check it out in the video.

Even though the lines were giving me fits, I was still having fun. How? Because it has to do with the spirit of play! Want more of that when you’re creating? Then check out my free weeklong workshop, Permission to Play!

Once you’ve got your words and lines on there, you need to let it dry. For days. The paint needs to be fully dry before you start using it. If you use it too soon, the paint may wipe off. I gave this paint about 4 days to dry before we used them.

Even though it looks like chalk there, it was actually a water soluble pencil. That means zero chalk dust. To erase the writing, you just need water and a paper towel. It comes right up! So you can use it over and over.

Here are the supplies used. Some of these links may be affiliate links which means I get a small percentage and it doesn’t cost you anything extra! It doesn’t cost you anything extra and you get a really good feeling knowing that you are helping keep the free tutorials coming!

The black wood base was from Target in their dollar bin area- and you can substitute with any piece of wood painted matte black.

I’m honored to be a guest host for Wanderlust 2022! What’s Wanderlust 2022? It’s a full year of mixed media art journaling. How does it work? You get a new video each week so 50+ videos, there are 28 teachers, downloadable videos, printable handouts, 18 bonuses for right now, but more importantly, a full year of inspiration and a whole lot of fun!

Before I tell you all about what’s so exciting about this year, I need to tell you about the early bird price because it sold out in less than a day last year! It’s $99 +tax where applicable for the first 2,000 students, after that it’s $125 +tax just until Sept. 26th where applicable so if you’re reading this, and thinking about joining, click here to see if the early bird price is still available!

This is going to be the best year yet of Wanderlust! Granted, I am biased, being a guest host with 5 lessons spread throughout the year but also because of the new structure to the year – Star Supplies and Hero Techniques.

The Star Supplies: 

• Gesso and gel medium
• Modeling paste and image transfer
• Artist acrylics
• Craft acrylics
• Watercolors
• Inks
• Papers and fabrics

Hero Techniques
Each lesson will be built around one Hero Technique. Each teacher chose a Hero Technique for their lesson to provide a focus and a structure to the course. This also ensures that the techniques won’t repeat and that your experience is balanced and more varied than ever.

There’s so much to Wanderlust that I haven’t even mentioned here yet so check it all out at the button below!  With 26 guest teachers, you’re getting an amazing assortment of styles and techniques! But most of all, you’re getting a full year of creativity and fun!

Registration is only open until the end of December and then the course begins in January, 2022!

What’s Included in Wanderlust 2022:

• 52+ video lessons released weekly, on Fridays starting from the 7th of January 2022.
•  26 Guest Teachers (each teaching at least one lesson) + 3 hosts – Kasia Avery (12 videos), Carolyn Dube (5 videos), Laly Mille (5 videos)
• incredibly easy to use platform and help whenever you need it from our tech man Jamie.
• printable handouts & supply lists with every lesson
• life-time access 
• weekly encouraging emails
• all materials are downloadable, including the videos
• 18 bonuses already waiting for you in the classroom
• introductory pack already waiting for you in the classroom (including beginners guide to art journaling)