Easy as 1 - 2 - 3

1:
a few clipboards from the thrift store

2:
a quart of chalkboard paint

It helped to have a block of wood to keep the clip open.  Since you really need 2-3 coats of paint to get a smooth and even surface, I just moved the block around as I painted each coat so that all areas of the clipboard got covered.

2 & 1/2:

spare Scrabble tile trays painted in contrasting colors

3:
Clipboard Chalkboards!

I attached the tile trays with Liquid Nails; the trays are perfect to hold a card, a photo, a paint chip...

or a piece of chalk!

Since I had the paint out and the brushes ready, I looked around to see what else I could transform...

Paint stir-sticks were given a coat of chalkboard paint on one end and a bright latex color on the other...these could be plant markers in the garden or place cards at an informal party.

Formica chip samples could be gift tags or key fobs - a snippet from an old almanac and a colorful postage stamp add interest to the back side - and a metal shower hook makes it easy to attach anywhere.

There's plenty of other chalkboard ideas over at WhisperWood Cottage - in fact, there's quite a party going on to celebrate the one year anniversary of The DIY Club projects...

And there's a slew of great chalkboard projects at Funky Junk Interiors Saturday Night Special - check those out too!