rustic dry erase board

So last week, miss Gwen from The Bold Abode created a Personal Dry Erase Board out of an old picture frame, paint and burlap.

I've been wanting something similar in my home to jot down groceries we need, to do lists, etc. and I can never find a dry erase board that I like to match my home. If you know me, everything matches in my home. And the more rustic, the better. So, the standard white dry erase board was not going to cut it.

I knew I wanted my boards to have a permanent purpose so I put a different twist to mine, making personalized boards just for cleaning and groceries. This way, I would be forced to use them and I wouldn't use them for something else. No guarantees they won't collect dust, but so far this week, they have been handy!

I started off by figuring out what frame I wanted to use. Either I was going to re-purpose an old frame or use new. I've had these two frames sitting around from TJ Maxx. I was going to use them for something else but I think I like the idea of using them for this project better. I love the stain and the knots. They're perfect so I don't need to do any extra work with them which makes this project super quick and easy. 

I began creating a print out on the computer using Adobe Illustrator. You can use Microsoft Word, or any layout program that you would like. I made sure my image was about an inch smaller than my glass on each side so I would have plenty of room for install.

I printed my image onto Kraft paper. I love Kraft paper. It adds a nice rustic touch to just about anything. You can use whatever color or print you'd like, of course! Just make sure your paper is sturdy and thick so you can't see through it.

I then took the back of my frame off and traced a rectangle onto my paper of where I'd like to cut.

I cut my rectangle out and tested it in the frame to make sure the sizing was correct. I had to trim a little off in order to get the paper to fit inside.

And my board was done! It was one of the easiest projects I've ever done. It took me longer to choose a font than it did to execute the whole thing.

I repeated the process for my cleaning schedule board.

Now it was time to find a spot in my kitchen to place the boards. You could set them up on a plate stand or hang them!

I chose the side of my pantry because even though these are pretty enough to display, I wanted them away from being out in the open. No one cares but me if I remember the eggs or vacuumed my upstairs on Friday. 

I'm excited! This is probably one of my favorite projects I've done. And let me tell you, my house is spotless thanks to the cleaning schedule I followed this week! I'm getting ready to head to the grocery store to grab a few things and I know I won't forget the eggs this time.

Have a great weekend everyone!