There’s nothing I love more than giving edible gifts, and last week when my oldest daughter and I came across the DIY chocolate chalkboards found on the Dollhouse Bakeshoppe Blog we knew they would make an adorable thank you’s for her preschool teachers, in preparation for her graduation last Saturday.

Reality most certainly set in during the ceremony. I still remember 2 years ago around this time when we enrolled her into preschool, and I remember the tears I wept when we dropped her off for the first time. The way that she told us she would be fine, and ran off to play before we even walked out the door. Now to see how she’s blossomed and transformed into such a beautiful little being, makes me tear up over and over again.

We surely do have the teachers to thank. They have become a big part of our lives, playing a role in her growth and development over the last few years, with guidance and instruction helping shape her into the girl she is today. Both caring and compassionate, a lover of arts and crafts, a thinker, and great role model to her fellow classmates, and so much more. They most certainly deserve to be honored for all that they do. So in addition to the chocolate strawberries we made for the graduation, we also made these dark chocolate chalkboards for 5 of her teachers, using instruction from the Dollhouse Bakeshoppe Blog’s tutorial.

These little dark chocolate bars really do look like mini chalkboards. Wouldn’t you agree?! The addition of the jimmy sprinkles used as decorative chalk is such a brilliant idea. I die…seriously! And they make such perfect heartfelt gifts, that teachers will truly appreciate. I know my daughter’s teachers did!

Although I used Lindsay’s instruction as a guide, I chose to melt my chocolate into molds for a decorate frame and finish. I did not use the caramels to frame the chocolate however if you do not have mold on hand and would like to use the caramel frame, visit her blog for instruction by following the highlighted link above.

DIY Chocolate Chalkboards

Ingredients/Supplies

Chocolate mold (optional or you can just use the back side of the bar itself to create your message this is probably a faster option) You can find the mold I used in the Posh Etsy Shop.

Four 4 oz bars of quality dark chocolate

1/2 cup powdered sugar

white jimmy sprinkles

toothpick

brand new paint brush washed and dried

parchment paper

ziplock bag

cellophane bags

bakers twine

Instructions

Heat the chocolate in a double boiler or in 30 second intervals in the microwave until fully melted.

Pour melted chocolate into ziplock back and snip the corner.

Pipe melted chocolate into molds and once finished gently tap the mold against a hard surface to evenly distribute.

Place in the fridge until cooled, about 1 hour.

Remove from fridge and flip mold upside down onto a sheet of parchment paper to remove the chocolates.

With a toothpick, begin engraving your message into the molded chocolate. Remove excess chocolate shavings with brush.

Fill the engraved chocolate with powdered sugar using the paint brush or similar to pack it down, so it’s evenly distributed throughout the entire message.

Brush off the remaining powdered sugar which will also give the chocolate the “chalkboard” look.

Towards the bottom of each bar engrave two spaces large enough to hold the “chalk” or white jimmy sprinkles. Gently push them into place.

Repeat these steps for each chocolate bar.

Once all bars are engraved and completed, place them each in their own cellophane bag for packaging, and finish with bakers twine and handmade labels.

I would caution against placing the finished chocolate back in the fridge as the moisture can affect the look and texture of the powdered sugar. Leave them at room temperature, in a cool dry place.

Chalkboards are so trendy these days, you could really use them for all sorts of different gifts and favors. Bridal showers, weddings, birthday parties and more!

And here’s my little beauty, on graduation day! So much joy and many tears as well. When we asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she said a Dr, so she can help people. She also said she will miss all of her friends from school. This girl melts my heart and words cannot express how proud we are of her. This is only the beginning!

Thanks for reading and I hope you give this fun DIY a try! It’s a fun edible craft to try with the little ones and a great way to show appreciation to teachers, as they do so much for our children.