Make

Magnet boards. I know, I know, this trend has probably passed it's prime in Utah, but I'm just now getting into it out here. My friend saw this awesome-cute magnet chore chart online and we said, "Hey! We can do that." So we got all the supplies and snapped out a chore chart in an afternoon. Last night, I decided to make a Family Home Evening board for a friend; so that's what I did because it's so darn easy. It was so easy from start to finish, that I highly recommend making something like this if you want to feel "crafty".

Family Chore Chart:

Family Home Evening Board:

Okay, so my number one "craft rule" is that the project has to be relatively inexpensive. These fit that category. I went to Home Depot bought a big roll of metal flashing (NOT alumninum!) and then had them cut a 2'x2' board in half ( to make two 1'x2' boards). We spray-painted the wood and cut down the flashing to the size we wanted (I used an old heavy-duty paper cutter... you know, the kind with the handle; we inherited it from a friend and after a year of just storing it, I decided that if the blade dulls up because of cutting through metal, I wouldn't be too upset. It cut through the metal like a knife to butter.) After applying some Epoxy to the metal, we pressed it to the board and weighed it down with cans. Using scrapbook paper and "crafty stuff" we made the board the way you see it. I had bought magnets at the Dollar Tree and just painted them and added circles of scrapbook paper and labels.

Siena saw us working on the boards and after it was all done, I explained the concept of the chore chart to her. She immediately took a liking to it and constantly begs to do chores. Yep, that's what I said. It's a marvelous thing. (I think it helps that I added some fun chores to the chore chart. Her favorites are feeding the birds, getting the mail, and watering the plants.)

The whole project cost about $6 per board*. HOWEVER, I found a way to make it even cheaper. Instead of buying the boards at Home Depot for $4, I buy them now at IKEA in their scratch and dent section. They are usually around $0.49 and are already mostly finished. The boards I chose out for the FHE chart had two unfinished edges, so I just took some #9 ribbon I had on hand and glued it around the board to finish it. I still have to come up with magnets for the board, but that's not too hard. The rest of the project is DONE.


*The roll of flashing is around $8, but you can make many boards with it. If you happen to get lucky and find the single flashing shingles at the hardware store ($0.10 each,) then I would go with that; however, don't get fooled by the aluminum shingles, the magnets will not stick... even if the teenage worker in the Construction Department at Home Depot says they will.