DIY Wall Organizer and Washi Tape Dry Erase Calendar
| September 9, 2013 | Posted by Jessie under Apartment living, Organization, Stuff I like, Wood |
Hi everyone!
We completed our first DIY project at the apartment this weekend. It was a little bit more of a task doing it out on our balcony rather than the workshop in our garage but we made it work. Not sure how our neighbors felt about all the noise, but they’ll get used to it:) Anyhow, we made a really great DIY wall organizer and white board calendar to share today! I have to apologize first of all for the horrible pictures. Apartments don’t have the best natural light. I tried everything I knew-the tripod, lights on and off, different angles, etc. and this was the best I could do. I hate it too because the pictures don’t do it justice! Anyway, here it is:)
We worked with Dremel on this project and created our own spin on their wall organizer. You can find the supply list and their steps here. Our version used the following supplies:
- 2×4 sheet of sanded plywood
- 2-2×4 sheets of 1/2″ MDF
- 2×4 sheet of 1/4″ MDF
- 2 rolls of coordinating Washi Tape
- 2×4 sheet of white board
- key hooks {from Target}
- wood glue
- nail gun and nails
- 2 colors of spray paint
- Dremel Saw-Max
- picture hangers
We started by getting our supplies at Home Depot-did you know you could buy sheets of whiteboard??? I had no idea. They also sell sheets of chalkboard. The projects are endless and so much easier than painting with chalkboard paint. The 2×4 sheet we bought was only $10! Ok, onto the tutorial. Mike started by setting up our “shop” out on the balcony:) He laid out the first board and clamped it to the “bench” a.k.a the piece of scrap wood he brought. He also lined up a board to create a straight line for cuts.
He used the Dremel Saw Max to make all the cuts listed on Dremel’s site. Side note-they have a ton of awesome weekend projects on their site so head over for more inspiration!
It cut perfectly straight and was much easier to use than a large circular saw.
He went down the blueprints and made all the cuts on the list.
Once it was all cut, it was time for spray paint.
I used navy on all the trim pieces and sanded plywood which will make the base for the boxes.
Once everything dried, Mike assembled them. He used wood glue and let that set
And the nail gun to secure it all.
The assembled boxes were attached to the plywood next. We also glued and nailed those in place.
The last step to finish off the box boards was to add the key hooks. We haven’t ever had a regular place to hang our keys and now that we have the apartment keys to keep track of, we thought this would be a great place to put them when we walk in the door. We bought these for about $6 a piece at Target and screwed them into the bottom of the board.
I also added Washi tape around the border of the gray boxes and also to around the whiteboard rectangles on each box. I didn’t get a pic of him cutting that {baby duty called}, but he simply took the large sheet of white board and cut 2.5″x10″ rectangles and we used wood glue to secure them to the box. I went around them with the coordinating Washi tape as well. The third board was the whiteboard. We used the sanded plywood, cut the whiteboard to size, and covered it in trim.
I used the same method as my budget tracking sheet by simply spacing out Washi tape to make boxes. I actually made a large one at work too! After I came up with the budget boxes, I loved how easy and cheap it is to make these so I’ve gone a little crazy with it:) Anyway, I spaced out my tape so the boxes are 2.5″x3″.
I love the tape patterns:) The last step to the whole project was hanging them up. We used picture hangers screwed into the backs of the boards.
It looks great in the entry and adds a pop of color to the otherwise boring, beige walls:)
It’s right in the entry of our apartment so hopefully it will be the perfect place to keep everything organized. I’m learning that when we are in a tight space, you need to have a place for everything and everything in it’s place!
- Disclosure: I was given the Dremel and materials necessary to make this project. All opinions are my own.
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