DIY Planning Board

I've got a treat for you today from none other than....my sister Laura!

This is my sister.  She's pretty much the most awesomest sister/aunt ever.

She is here today to show you how to make a planning board for next to nothing!  You can customize it however you want - make a to-do list, a shopping list or a menu planner!

For this project, you will need...

(1) 10x13-inch frame

Scrapbooking papers in two patterns (make sure they are not dark pages that you cannot read through)

Cardstock: one color that coordinates with your patterned papers

Glue (I used an Elmer’s Kids Glue Stick)

Paper trimmer or Scissors

Letter stickers

Stickers, rub-ons and other embellishments

step 1 Trim your papers and cardstock according to the following dimensions 

(adjust if you have a different size frame):

From your first patterned paper: (4) strips cut to 1.25 x 11.75 inches

From your second patterned paper: (3) strips cut to 1.25 x 11.75 inches

From your colored cardstock: (1) strip cut to 1.25 x 11.75 inches and (1) strip cut to 1.25 x 10 inches

 step 2 Remove the cardboard backing from your frame. You will affix all of your pieces directly to this piece. Take your 1.25 x 10-inch strip of colored cardstock, and adhere it vertically along the left edge of your cardboard piece, so that the lower corners are perfectly aligned. Now, take your remaining colored cardstock strip and adhere it horizontally along the top edge, butting the edge of this piece just against the right-most edge of your first piece. (The entire left and top edges of your cardboard base piece should be covered now with your colored cardstock.)

step 3 Starting with a strip of your first patterned paper, adhere this piece horizontally so its left (short) edge butts directly against the first cardstock piece you adhered in step one and its top (long) edge is directly against the long edge of the second cardstock piece. Now, take a strip of your second patterned paper and adhere it in a similar fashion. Continue adhering your strips in this manner, alternating between your different patterns, taking care to ensure that the edges of each subsequent piece touch, but don't overlap. You shouldn't be able to see any of the cardboard backing between your strips.  I also added thin strips of my colored cardstock to break up the two patterned papers. This is optional.

step 4 Now, Place letter stickers on each of the horizontal rows to represent the days of the week: S, M, T, W, T, F, S.

step 5 If creating a menu/to-do board as I have done here, place those letters in your top cardstock row. (You can modify the wording of this board to suit the needs of your recipient.) Now, finish your board by embellishing as desired with additional stickers, rub-ons and other flat scrapbooking embellishments.

step 6 Now, slip your finished work into your frame (making sure the glass front is still in the frame when you do so). The glass makes this board 100% compatible for use with dry-erase markers, so your board is now ready to fill with your plans week after week!

Here is another board made for Mother's Day:

Thanks to my sis for this great tutorial!

Here is a shopping list board that I made for Annie for Mother's Day:

And here it is in her house on display!

{NOTE: I used the same size frame as the tutorial above but I rotated mine to a portrait layout to increase the number of lines.  Therefore the dimensions of my paper pieces were different.}

Pin It