Wine Themed Party: Blind Wine Tasting

For the wine themed party we naturally had to have lots of wine with a wine tasting.  With any wine tasting you have several questions to ask yourself the most important being: is the wine the main event or is it just there to aid in fun and conversation?  For this party it was decided that we wanted it to be an added bonus rather than the focus.  When having a wine tasting you need to make sure you have enough bottles for everyone to have a taste of each wine.  Also in arranging the wine you start with the lightest wine and gradually get darker.  Extras that you must have on hand are something to clear your pallet in between wines, we chose pretzels.  Also you need water to swish in your glass to rinse out the old wine and a bucket to dump the extras in.  To put a fun twist on it we decided to have a blind wine tasting.  This means that all the wines are covered and we have to guess what type each one is by taste! The materials needed are:

• Wine (enough for each guest to have a taste)
• Wine list
• 1 yard of fabric and sewing supplies
• Twine, string, or ribbon
• 6 thin circles from Michaels
• Black marker
• Chalkboard paint
• Chalk  

So here is how we did it.  I first purchased some linen fabric to cover the bottles with.  I just estimated how many I would need for 6.     

Next I estimated the size of the little sack I was going to put around the wine but measuring it around one of my bottles.  You want to make sure you account for a seam as well as leaving extras at the top to turn the sack under.       

Then just stitch each side of the wine coozie with the bottom folded.  Leave the top open and unhemmed.  Make one for each bottle.  One yard was enough for 6 for mine. 

You are done with your sacks….for now.  Next we turn our focus to how we are going to number each wine.  I considered iron on numbers, but they were to big.  As luck would have it Michaels sells these thin wood circles for like $0.29 each.  They are in the section with all the wooden shapes.  Purchase the same number of circles as you have bottles of wine.      

Drill a small hole in the top of each circle.        

Color the backs of the circles black.  I used a painty marker I had on hand and it worked fabulous!  I started out with a sharpie but the wood absorbed so much of the marker it took a lot of coats so I switched.           

Coat the fronts of the circles with 5-6 light coats of chalkboard pain.  I. Love. Chalkboard. Paint.  Enough said.  Then write the numbers of your wine on each circle. 

Then choose your wines.  We threw a Boone’s Farm in there for a good time.  Cough syrup taste?  Check and check.  If you don’t know what Boone’s Farm is you probably weren’t poor in high school.     

Then make a nice wine list so as you go along everyone can guess.  You can either make a score card or verbally shout out your guesses as we did.  Of course the wine order should be different than the list order.         

Turn your wine cozies right side out and fold the tops down inward.  Secure with a piece of twine, rope, or ribbon.  And of course enjoy all the delicious wine!  Cheers!          

DIY Magnetic Chalk Board…Without Magnet Paint

I am in love with chalkboard paint.  After I completed my first chalkboard paint project, I was always looking for new ways to incorporate it into my future projects.  After a little Google image search I was completely blown away by the use of chalkboard paint on walls.  Especially in kitchens like these!

I had my eye on this wall in my kitchen as the perfect spot to create a chalkboard wall.

Then the hubby vetoed it because he was too nervous to paint the whole wall in chalkboard paint.  You have to respect some skepticism so I regrouped and created a whole new plan.  This wall would be used as an organization/message center that included a magnetic chalk board, cork board, and mail sorter.  I thought this would be the perfect solution to a very serious problem that plagued our kitchen: the huge stack of unsorted mail and pictures.  I taped off the dimensions of all three components to make sure they would fit, and played around with the placement until I got it just right! 

My first attempt at my magnetic chalkboard was an epic fail.  I spotted an old mirror that the previous owners left and thought that would make for the perfect size and frame for a chalkboard mirror.  I went out and bought magnet paint (which was super expensive – around $20.00) and started painting thin layers.  Then that is where the situation went down hill.  Magnetic paint is oil based, meaning that it doesn’t wash out with regular soap and water. You can remove it with paint thinner or gas….guess what we had on hand the first night?  After that I used gloves and bought a large can of paint thinner (also expensive).  I used foam brushes that I decided it was easier to thrown away after each use than to clean.  Long story short after 8 – 10 layers of magnet paint it was goopy and wasn’t drying well despite waiting well after the recommended drying time to add layers.  And the kick in the butt was that the magnets didn’t adhere very well.  After some Google searching I found out that you need super strong earth magnets to use with this paint to make a strong magnetic connection.  Needless to say the whole project ended up in the garbage. 

That is when things got creative.  After a massive search of what I could find that was both magnetic and cheap I came upon something called Rolled Flashing.  It’s used for roofing, but it is also magnetic and 14 inches wide so it was a perfect solution.  After a trip to Home Depot and a trip around the garage I gathered up all the materials to make the project:

• Rolled Flashing – 14 inches x 10 feet
• Small Nails
• Chalkboard Paint  
• Tin Snips
• Sand Paper
• Trim pieces
• Board 14 inch x 48 inches
• Hammer
• Finishing Nailer
• Skil Saw or Table Saw
• Chop Saw
• White Paint
• Paint Brushes
• Picture hook

First you need to cut your board down to size if you aren’t able to by a board with the right dimensions, which we weren’t.  We went with the cheapest board we could get because it will just be used as a backing and nobody will really be seeing it. 

For the longer distance we made a chalk line to make sure everything was straight all the way through. 

 Then the hubby freehanded the cut with a Skil saw.  You could also use a table saw for this cut, or sometimes if you butter up the hardware store employees they may  be able to cut it for you. 

 Next, lay the flashing on top of the board and cut the flashing to length with tin snips.  After you have made your cut nail the flashing onto your board.  I recommend starting on one end and working your way down to avoid getting bubbles in the metal. 

After, sand down the flashing and wipe it clean.  This makes the chalkboard paint easier to adhere to the metal.  

Then, it’s painting time!  I did 6-7 light coats of the chalkboard paint allowing ample dry time in between coats.  I sprayed it outside and then brought it into the garage to let it dry.  There were several times something made its way through my paint job, but I allowed the paint to dry and lightly sanded the bumps and grooves before giving it another coat. 

Next, give the edges of your board and your trim pieces 2-3 coats of white paint.  I bought my trim already painted white, but it still needed several coats to get to the nice bright white I wanted it to be. 

 Then, custom cut your trim pieces to the length of your board using a Chop Saw.  Cut the edges of the trim at a 45 degree angle and cut all pieces before nailing your trim into your board.  This is extra insurance so that if you make a mistake you can tweak your cuts before you nail everything in. 

 Nail in your boards with a finishing nailer to make sure that you don’t get those big hammer dents in your finished project.  Next, attach a picture hook to the back of your chalkboard, making sure it is centered and in the middle.  Touch up the cut edges where the trim fits together, the nail holes, and any other area that needs it with a white coat of paint.  Let it dry and you have your finished project.  Check back in Friday for the big reveal!

Here was the budget breakdown:

Rolled Flashing  $10.00

Small Nails – had

Sand Paper –had

Chalkboard Paint –had from previous project

Trim $13.00

Board - $6.00

White Paint – had from leftover paint from previous owners

Total: $29.00