DIY Homemade Whiteboard on the cheap!

This whiteboard made from household materials works like any other- and you can make it in any shape or size you choose!

Materials:
Cardboard (cardboard with white on one side works best)
1 Ziploc Storage Bag
Pencil
Measuring Tape
Paper Clips
Xacto Knife
Dry Erase Markers

Step 1 Cut your Cardboard

Measure, mark & cut your cardboard.

Mark the dimensions 8.5" x 11" -the size of normal printer paper.

After cutting your cardboard with an Xacto Knife or similar cardboard cutter, if you are using cardboard that's brown on both sides, glue or tape a piece of blank white printer paper to one side of the cardboard.

Comments

[craftyv]

Good idea. I have been using my handy white board for ages and it still works fine. I simply had a huge piece of white paper laminated and vwa-la.
My kitchen glass cleaner, metholated spirits and nail varnish remover all work fine as long as the pens are NOT permanent.

Good Luck.

[stevenvu2011]

Aren't there cans of spray paint that lend the whiteboard property to things it's sprayed on? I may just be exhibiting wishful thinking. Great idea!

[Derin]

Are you talking about spray enamel?

[ItsTheHobbs]

yeah, I've used it before.

[tigergibb]

I think I've seen this at home depot or something before...

[eLeet]

Hmm.. I've never heard of it, but there's definitely a good chance that it exists :)

[sideways]

Pretty smart :) If you're too cheap to buy dry-erase markers (like me) use a Sharpie to write on your plastic. Use rubbing alcohol to remove it.

[Derin]

Wouldn't that be more expensive in the long run?

[sideways]

Not if I already have them.

[Derin]

They will eventually run out,and you will have to buy a second substance to erase it.

[Chiana_Rei]

What about chalk boards, i know they are dusty, but here is nothing quite like that scratch scratch sound for working out ideas, I have a homeade one in my work area with the classic eraser and colored chalks ;)

[Chuck P.]

Wow thats actually really cool. Great job!

[Gage987]

I have a dixon marker and never put it down and found other white boards if you have a little mirror it can act like a whit board and you can doodle on your reflection but erasing it makes smudges so I put liquid glass cleaner in a spray bottle and put that on before I erase

[ruraldog]

I really love this idea. I'm an elective, Junior High journalism teacher. My students tend to go nuts on the main white board - love message central, etc. I am going to put this instructable out, credited, in our next newsletter (if approved by the author here). The kids will DEFINITELY try it and it will keep my classroom board "cleaner." :-)

[eLeet]

You're definitely welcome to use this idea in your newsletter =D I will say that the board is a bit hard to erase (but it is useable)... I'm actually looking into spraying something like Silicone Spray onto the bag, then letting it dry to act as a semi-permanent lubricant and make it easier to erase- you're welcome to mention that as well, but I'd suggest you try it first to make sure it works :P

I'm glad you're finding use for this idea :) If possible, it'd be nice to be credited by name (Greg Intermaggio) with a URL to this instructable- although whatever works for you is fine by me!

[teh darkcloud]

Wow, this is a lot easier than what I was doing. :P I was sticking clear packing tape on paper. It was taking a while (because it was 2 pieces of paper wide by 2 pieces high) so decided to take a "break" and go back to it later. Then I got lazy... it's been months since I've even seen the thing. >.< Shoving cardboard into a ziploc bag seems a lot better!

[eLeet]

I'm glad you found it helpful! :D

[zachninme]

This... this is... brilliant!
+

[Fenwick]

Great thinking eLeet. Never would have thought of this. I know that some small whiteboards go for upwards of 10 bucks, this is a good solution.

[eLeet]

Thanks!

[eLeet]

Thanks alot :) Let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas for other instructables I should publish :)

[EleriK]

I'm just wondering why you wouldn't cut the bag into a sheet and then put something like double sided tape on the reverse side, then stretch the bag out over that until it's taut, then reinforce the bond on the reverse side with something like duct tape.