DIY Whiteboard, chalk board and faux cork board

Ok this one is a two for one special! This is for all the folks who are working from home or home schooling for the first time due to the C word. Because of this new normal many of us are working, education and or learning from home for the first time. This means setting a designated spot for work or learning and gathering tools to work or learning more efficiently. When I was working in an office I had tons of post it notes all over to help me remember different things about my job and I’m sure I’m not the only one. So I already knew I wanted a cork board for working at home. I also really wanted a white board. But given that I couldn’t leave the house I had to work with what I had. So I created this DIY Blackboard/memo board and this DIY white board on a budget with mostly dollar store products

how to make a chalkboard /faux cork board

• Foam board (dollar store)
• Frame (optional)
• Chalk paint ( dollar store)
• Chalk (dollar store)
• Pen or pencil
• Poster board (dollar store)
• Scissors or utility knife (dollar store)

step ☝🏽

You want to make sure that your frame is the same size or smaller than the poster board and the foam board.

Step 2

Cut the foam board and the poster board to fit inside of your frame. Get the perfect sizing by using the back of the frame or the glass from the frame as a template.

You can do this particular project without a frame you just want to make sure that your poster board and foam board are cut to the same size

Step 3

Now you want to paint the poster board with the chalk paint. Typically the poster board will have a glossy side and a flat side. You want to make sure that you are applying the paint to the glossy side.

Step 4

Now you have two choices. If you are using a frame you want to remove the glass and back of the frame and put the frame back together in the following order. Your poster board, then foam board, then the back of the frame. You will not need the glass for this.

If you are not using a frame, you should attach your poster board to your foam board either with glue, double sided tape, or in my case I just used tacks until I got a frame. You can attach your foam board to the wall using command strips.

Step 5

Rub chalk across the board and then erase it to condition the board. This is apart of the directions on most chalk paints.

When you are done you will have something that looks like this. You can use normal push pins to add memos or photos to the board.

You can also choose to use this method as a cork board only. If you opt out of using the chalk paint you won’t be able to write on this board but it will give you the opportunity to draw or paint something special and you can simply use the white board for writing notes.

In the photo below I followed the same steps but instead of painting the poster board with chalk paint I hand painted a leaf using acrylic paint.

To make the DIY whiteboard

You will need

• Poster board
• A frame the same size or smaller than your poster board
• Scissors

Step ☝🏽

You want to cut the poster board to the same size as your frame. You can do this by simply tracing the back of your frame on the poster board

Step 2

Put your frame back together in the following order. 1. Glass, 2 poster board ,3 back of the frame.

When you finish you will have something that looks like this. You will be able to write on this board with any dry erase marker. To add something fun you can use wall paper or contact paper instead of poster board. You could also paint a pattern on the poster board or use fabrics. I have a black and white theme so I just used white poster board in a black frame.

This is one of the easiest projects but I have been using this for at least 4 months now and it has been the most useful addition to my office space.

Tips to save money

This is already a great budget project but to make it even more budget friendly you can....

• Use a thrifted Frame for these projects or a frame that you already own
• For the whiteboard you can skip the poster board and simply paint the back of the frame in a light color if you already have paint on hand
• If you have an old frame and don’t like the color of it then simply paint it the color you want.
• It is possible to make your own chalk paint. But I got mine from the dollar store.

If you already have frames you can make both projects for less than $5

I hope this project helps you to be more efficient with either working or learning at home. If you liked this and want to see more quick easy DIY projects for your home, office, or learning spaces please subscribe to my blog. You can subscribe by scrolling down on a smart phone or if you are on your computer it will be on the side bar. When you subscribe you will get all of my new posts delivered right to you email. In my next post I will share 3 more DIY projects for your home school or office space. Leave me a comment and let me know what you think. And if you give this a try please follow me on Instagram and tag me in your pictures @peaceofrefuge. Thank you for reading! 🕊