DIY Antique School Wall Chart
I have a real fondness for antique school primers and am always on the lookout for them. I love the simple, sweet illustrations in them, and am very drawn to the alphabet pages and pages that show the diacritical marks that helped young pupils to learn to read.
Antique primers aren’t too hard to come by, but antique school charts are a little more difficult and are expensive. I’d love to own an original, but since the chances are pretty slim of finding an affordable one, I decided to make one, using an image from one of my primers.
This is my very favorite primer page, and I’ve created other projects with it, including several chalkboard signs, so I wanted to turn it into my wall chart.
Click HERE for the full-size JPEG image.
I had the image printed at Staples as an engineering print, which is so inexpensive. I selected the 24×36 size for less than $4, but you can also get 18×24 and 36×48. The image doesn’t completely cover the page, so I trimmed off the white margin on the left and right sides, but left it on the top and bottom.
I just purchased wood lathe and cut it a little longer than the width of my page and stained the wood. Once it was dry, I used E6000 adhesive to glue the wood trim to the front of the page. You could also use some old yardsticks, which I think would look great.
I drilled holes on the sides of the top piece, and used some twine to create a hanger. This is a 15 minute project (aside from having the print made), yet it packs a real visual punch.
Choose from other primer pages HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. All of these would make wonderful DIY wall charts.
More easy DIY projects can be found HERE.
Here’s something else I think you’ll love!
Bees and Honey Wall Chart (affiliate link)
Blessings,
So perfectly vintage, Angie! I could actually use that in my homeschool lessons! :o)
Larissa ~ Prodigal Pieces
Love these so much–thanks for sharing them :)!
This project is awesome, Angie! Thanks for sharing and for the tutorial!
Love this project – I have been following you on Facebook but just subscribed to your blog – looking forward to more inspiring ideas 🙂
Thanks so much for following along on both FB and the blog, and for your sweet comment, Tracey!
It looks so great Angie! You are such a creative person!
I love this idea. You’re right, it packs a real punch, and you can’t beat that price.
This is wonderful. I love it. At first I thought it was shorthand. I took that back in the dark ages in school and still use it sometimes. Have you seen any pages with shorthand that you could make this project with? Somewhere packed I still have a shorthand book. I would love to have you make something with shorthand for me, so please let me know if you have anything. nancythedove@aol.com
I agree with larissa…this would be great for homeschooling, since the public schools don’t teach cursive writing anymore.
Debbi
–yankeeburrow
love the project. had no idea so big
love whole wall in the pic, background paper, display box of cameras….
be blessed
have a great week
barb
That is so cool. I’ve had those staples engineering prints in my mind to try sometime and i really want to do it now! beautiful! thanks so much for linking up!
Love this! Would make the perfect addition to early fall, back-to-school décor! Thanks so much for sharing!
Found you through Pinterest! Thanks for sharing, I’m going to try the whole tutorial tomorrow. 🙂 can’t wait!
these are so sure. i am doing vintage school for teacher appreciation week and would love to make them, I can’t however seem to get the images. is there anyway you could email them to me? I know its asking a lot, but I am trying to do this nice for everyone and I am on a budget:)
Heidi, did you click where it says, “click here”? Don’t click o the image – click on the words, and the link is there to get the image.
Good luck with your project!
I love how you used these old charts. I usually just admire them but don’t seem to find a way to use them. Thanks for sharing them.
I love this! School is coming right up (RIGHT up!!!), and this would be PERFECT for my dinning room!!! Thanks for this lovely project!
Did you print this in black & white or color? Thanks so much for all of your wonderful graphics!
Black and white Amy
Angie, your site is beautiful and right up my alley (homeschooling mom who loves beautiful things from our past!). I wanted to print the page that has the script with the red hat, red wagon, red book, etc, but I can’t find it to download?
There were additional links to other pages in this post Charlotte. Check those.
Thanks,
Angie
Just FYI but since this was posted (thank you!) Staples, Office Max, etc. have really cracked down on printing anything as an “Engineering Print” that isn’t actually one. They accepted and then rejected my order too many times! They will generally require you to print as a poster at an additional cost. Still a great deal but not the super low, super cool Engineering Print Prices.
I just saw these I love them. I am a teacher and I love the history of all school things. I am going to get one printed off. Hard to decide. Thank you!