Two Boards

Well, I've finally got a chance to post!  After a busy traveling schedule over the holiday weekend and then getting things back in order at home while attending mom's group play date after play date, I actually have a spare moment (well, not really, but the laundry and vacuuming can wait a few minutes!)
 
Anyway, don't you just hate the look of a cluttered fridge, especially if it is a beautiful stainless steel one?  I most definitely do!  Yet, my oldest daughter loves her magnetic alphabet set, and she always draws mommy and daddy pretty pictures.  So I came up with a solution we both could be happy about.  I made two boards.  Sounds simple enough, right?  One is magnetic for her alphabet, and the other has ribbons on it to hold up her artistic creations.  I used old fence boards from the part of our fence that came down courtesy of a tree during Hurricane Ike (the eye went directly over our house, but fortunately we were visiting family and friends in Washington state at the time).  I just love the look of old rustic things!

To make the magnetic one, I bought a cheap dry erase board, covered it with fabric, and cut the fence boards to size (I cut each fence board in half lengthwise so that my frame wouldn't be so thick, then cut all of my joints at 45 degree angles) for the frame, securing it all with some wood glue and a nail gun.  I also used a router on the inside edge of the frame so that the board could slip into the frame, just like glass slips into a picture frame.  For the art project board, I cut a piece of cheap wood to the size I wanted, then covered that with both batting and fabric.  Then I strung ribbon vertically and horizontally across the board in a checkered pattern, and hammered in decorative tacs at each intersecting ribbon.  I then cut the fence boards to size for this frame, securing it all with some wood glue and a nail gun.  Then I used a router on the inside edge of this frame as well.  Finally, I attached two hangers to the back of each board and hung them on a large empty wall in our kitchen.  Very simple, yet I find them to be quite cute!  And my daughter just loves them!  The magnetic board is hung at the perfect height for her to enjoy playing with her alphabet while I cook dinner, and the art board is hung high enough so that no little siblings can come along and grab her masterpieces!

Now...more is soon to come about all the other great things I have made with those old fence boards!  Man I L.O.V.E. those old fence boards!