Building a custom whiteboard can be a fun and rewarding project for any DIY enthusiast.
Whether you’re using it in the office, classroom or home, a custom whiteboard is sure to be an investment that you won’t regret. But before you begin building your board, there are some materials and steps you’ll need to consider.
When the reality of moving into our first official office space hit us we immediately started to plan. In true fashion, we first discussed the things we hated about traditional offices and ruled them out. But one need we knew was an absolute essential element to the space was a custom whiteboard.
At any given time we have 20+ client projects we are working on, not to mention all of the internal projects we’re tackling. It is imperative that the entire team is up to speed on all aspects of the business. And to do so we had to have a custom whiteboard…and we had to make it our own way. Here is our guide on how to build a custom whiteboard!
WHAT YOU WILL NEED
- 4 foot level
- Tape measure
- Pencil
- 1 by 3 trim
- Miter saw
- Dry erase whiteboard wall paper
- Brad nailer
- Brad nails
- 2.5 inch Purdy Paint Brush
- Green Frog Tape
- Drydex hole filler
- White Lightning Caulk
- Caulk Gun
- Fine Sanding Sponge
- Proclassic Trim Paint
HOW TO MAKE A CUSTOM WHITEBOARD
- The first thing you’re going to do is find the desired location where you want your custom whiteboard to live.
- Once you find the right space, find the center. Then you are going to need to choose the size of whiteboard you want to make. The wallpaper we use from Tempaper comes in 20” strips. It will be easiest to make your whiteboard the width of full strips (20”, 40”, 60” and so on). Also your height can be whatever you want it to be because the rolls come in 16’ lengths.
- Once you have chosen your desired size you will want to use your level to mark a vertical line on the left side of where your desired location is.
- From there, mark your horizontal lines on the top and bottom of the desired location to the exact size you are trying to achieve.
- You will connect the top and bottom lines by marking a vertical line on the right side using your level to ensure the line is perfectly straight up and down. You will be using this line to ensure your paint goes on level.
- Cut your first piece of whiteboard paper at the desired length. This does not have to be perfect in size because you will be covering all edges with trim when finished.
- Peel the back of your whiteboard paper to reveal about 18” of the sticky back. You will want to line this up with your vertical line on your left and the horizontal line on the top.
- Once you feel you have it lined up level and straight you will work the white board paper down from the middle out to be sure you are getting rid of any air bubbles. Do this in approximately 12” sections until you have reached the bottom horizontal line.
- Repeat this process until you have the desired size whiteboard area covered.
- Once you have your whiteboard area covered you are now ready to trim around the edges.
- Start by cutting your bottom molding piece to your desired length. You can do a straight edge or cut each edge at 45 degrees. Once you have this piece but you can attach it using the brad nailer, making sure to cover the edges of your whiteboard basically making a frame around the whiteboard area.
- Next, cut your top piece the same size as your bottom piece. This will help to keep your sides level.
- Now you can cut and install your two side pieces using a 4 foot level to ensure everything stays square. Once the sides are on you can cap off the top and you are now ready to caulk all the edges and fill your nail holes with Drydex.
- When filling your nail holes be sure to leave the filler material a little higher than the trim surface. This will ensure a smooth paintable surface once sanded.
- Caulk the four outer edges of your frame you just made while waiting for your filler material to dry. Using a wet rag and a caulk gun, run a small bead of caulk around your outer edge of trim. Use the wet rag and run it down the edge to remove any excess caulk.
- Finally, sand your nail holes so your trim has a smooth surface and you are ready to finish it off with a coat of paint.
We hope this tutorial helps you create a much needed space to plan or brainstorm in your home or office, saving both time and money in the process! Looking for more updates on projects we are doing and inspiration make sure to follow along over on Instagram!
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