Thursday, September 1, 2011

Arts and Crafts - An upcycled white board

I've been in a crafty mood, so after seeing an article on 35 DIY projects from iVillage, I had to try one out. I settled on PapernStitch's Double-Duty Dry Erase Board. I've been wanting a dry-erase board for my apartment, but I have been hesitating purchasing one. When I saw this, a light bulb went off.

I had friends who bought mirrored closet doors in high school, just to use them as gigantic message boards. I already had a frame, and having a fabriholic mother, I had plenty of fabric scraps from which to choose. I went to work!

While I followed PapernStitch's tutorial for the most part, instead of using tape, I stitched in a large zig-zag across the back with thread. This is usually how you secure fabric over a board, so I just improvised it. Then I stitched down the corners with a whip stitch to stop them from poking up.

Viola! Awesome, pretty much free, and completely upcycled white board. It's also pretty cute when I hang it on the wall.

I've used one as a way to break up my shopping list. What I need from each store goes under the heading, thus making it quite easy for me to find out what I can grab while I'm in the area. I can write reminders on it so I do not walk out of the house without something important (like my lunch; scarf; or head, should I forget to attach it in the morning). It's also keeping me abreast of important events and recording some long-term to-dos, like finally photographing my apartment for family. The best part is, it adds some color and decor to my otherwise-bland kitchen. Huzzah!

Got an upcycling DIY? Let me know in the comments.
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3 comments:

  1. Admiral of AcetylcholineSeptember 6, 2011 at 9:38 AM

    That's a cute fabric choice! One of my old apartments ended up with a (conventional) white board in the kitchen. My roommates and their myriad guests being who they were, I found many...entertaining messages on it during the year. Even with its shortcomings, though, it was a nice visual addition to the walls. I'm sure you'll put this one to much better use.

    One thing I'm wondering, though, is how easy yours is to read. The darker fabric makes for bolder wall art, but are you finding that the pattern interferes with the writing at all? If so, have you tried different colors of marker? Maybe a light green? I've always thought light green and purple went well together, anyway.

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  2. The Epicurean September 6, 2011 at 6:54 PM

    Hi Admiral! Mine is pretty easy to read with a thick marker, especially in black. I should try green; I have one in my desk drawer at work and haven't brought it home yet.

    The pattern interferes a smidge, but it's worth it to have some color in the all-white kitchen.

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