Chalk Couture

Chalk Couture started in Utah in 2016 with a simple idea: anyone can make good-looking chalkboard art if the design is already done for them. Business records list Tara Roark as founder, and the company's own site tells the story of co-founder Sarah Newbold, who "transformed her love of crafting into a company based in creativity, community, and connection." The company is now based in Draper, Utah, and sells in the United States and Canada.

How it works

The system has three parts. A Chalk Transfer® is a reusable, adhesive mesh stencil with the design already cut in. You press it onto a surface, spread Chalkology® Paste across it with a squeegee, then peel it away to reveal the design. No special skills are needed: your first board comes out about as clean as your tenth. Paste wipes off until it is sealed, so a chalkboard can be redone for the next season. Chalkology® Ink is the permanent version for pillow covers, tea towels and other fabric. Heat transfers, a newer line, press full-color artwork onto textiles and wood.

We bring color, creativity, and connection to the world around us, making life a work of art and home a happy masterpiece.

Chalk Couture mission statement — Chalk Couture website, 2026

Products

The catalog is tight and everything works together: transfers, pastes and inks, surfaces, tools and kits. Surfaces include chalkboards, Cooper Style magnetic frames, wood slimcut shapes, signs, pillows and banners. Collections change with the seasons, and licensed lines such as Peanuts, Disney's Winnie the Pooh and Mickey, and Gilmore Girls broaden the appeal. Club Couture is a monthly subscription with free shipping that delivers new designs each month. Through its charitable partner Watts of Love, the company supports solar lighting and education for people who need it most.

Ownership. In April 2021 Chalk Couture completed a recapitalization with Firelight Capital Partners, a New York private equity firm that invests in emerging consumer brands. The deal announcement said the money would support the company's direct-to-consumer and subscription businesses and expansion at home and abroad. You can see the current catalog at chalkcouture.com.

The Designer Starter Kit costs $99, and the contents change with each season. The Holiday 2026 kit, for example, includes 20 Design Dollars of product credit, five Chalk Transfer® designs, a slimcut two-pack, two chubby boards, a 9" x 12" Cooper Style magnetic frame, nine Chalkology® Paste singles in five colors and a mini squeegee. The company puts its retail value at about $167.

On top of the kit, Designers pay a $20 monthly Designer Access Pass. It comes back as 20 Design Dollars of product credit each month, which expire 30 days after they are issued. The pass also covers the 40% discount, the Designer Office back office and a personalized website. Designers who enroll during a discounted promotion skip the first month's credit. Check the current enrollment page before you sign up.

Chalk Couture Designers earn in three ways. The first is the discount: Designers buy most products at 40% off retail, so selling at full price at a workshop or market leaves roughly 40% as profit. The second is online sales: when customers order through a Designer's personal website, Chalk Couture ships the order and the Designer earns a 25% commission. The third is team building: Designers who sponsor others earn a share of their team's sales, and larger teams earn more.

The company's FAQ says there is no minimum purchase requirement to keep Designer perks. The real ongoing cost is the $20 monthly pass, which is offset by the $20 product credit. Many Designers also charge a fee for make-and-take workshops and sell finished pieces at craft fairs and shops. Team percentages and rank requirements are not published on the public site, so check the company's current compensation plan for exact rates.

PROS

• Unique hands-on concept: customers make the product themselves, so a party becomes an activity
• No artistic skill needed, and transfers can be reused about ten times
• Compact catalog where every item works with the others
• Two ways to earn: 40% off for in-person resale, or 25% commission on website orders
• No minimum purchases, and the $20 monthly fee comes back as product credit
• Licensed lines and seasonal collections give customers a reason to come back

CONS

• The $20 monthly pass is a recurring cost, and the credit expires in 30 days
• The higher 40% margin means buying inventory up front
• Workshops need table space, supplies and setup time
• Reorders depend on customers wanting new designs; the paste and boards last a long time
• Team commission details are not published on the public site