Recycled Mini Dry Erase Board

A dry erase board made out of recycled materials. This is a quick and easy 5 minute project, and it is great for small spaces like lockers or the fridge.

Step 1: Gather Tools and Materials

Materials
- scrap printer paper (not new)
- broken CD cases (Do not use new ones - this is supposed to be made of recycled materials!)

Tools
- scissors
- ruler
- tape
- pencil

Comments

[jr.peng]

Fantastic! I just made one now! :)

[Dawneman]

rubbing alcohol will take off dry erase marker... if it has been on too long.

[Human Being]

awesome!!!!!!! if you put a magnet on the back, you can put it on your locker :D

[out_for_a_walk]

Great idea :D

[dotingangel]

Awesome!

[741hightop]

thats insanely awesome cause I've been needing a dry erase board =]
thank you!!

[Whaleman]

cool! You might be able to make one out of old binders, there seems to be a ton of those being thrown out at the end of the school year. Unfortunately, I don't use cd cases, I use paper sleeves =(

[Coliflower]

yeah, also on those pirated DVD/thin DVD cases--thay have the same material.

[Whaleman]

"pirated DVD/thin DVD cases" Not really getting what you're saying here. Are you talking about those CD cases that are thinner than regular CD cases? Or are you talking about regular DVD cases?

[Coliflower]

well, no, the kind of DVD cases that are thinner. They use them in pirated movie stores. You'll probably see them in some chinese mall...but it depends where you live.

[crestind]

Yeah the end of the year is a big waste... I see people throwing out brand new packs of paper, binders, and all sort of things. So I sort of do my next school year shopping then lol... The stupid school doesn't even use recycling bins.

[Whaleman]

I know! My school uses bottle recycling bins though, so you have to give them some credit. I remember one year they threw out a fake palmtree that retracted into itself. I took it out of the trashcan, but my parents made me through it out when I got home.

[piddle01]

I hate that.... My parents won't let me keep anything. I took a neighbors junked up mower once, and took a sledge hammer to it. Unfortunately, I forgot, i don't know how i did, that oil stains pavement, my dad hasnt found out yet but i thought it was a great stress reliever.

[Coliflower]

very cool. My friends use mirrors for dry erase, and they're useful for their bedrooms.

[drumagon]

I always wondered what to do broken CD cases, thanks. I bet putting some prints of pictures behind could make for some entertainment.

[Gonazar]

This doesn't actually work, at first glance it does, I mean the dry erase comes off fairly easily right after your write on it. But leave it for an hour or two and it doesn't come off at all. Like DJKarmaD said, unless you use some sort of cleaning solution it won't come off. >:( and I've already gone through the trouble to make a 7 (double sided) wall mounted calendar.

[yummahcupekakez]

why leave it on for two whole hours?

[Gonazar]

Notes to yourself, a calendar, making a formula sheet I made a set of these for a larger writing surface, so i had planned to make weekly notes.

[quackerz]

use a piece of card stock, print names, border, etc, laminate it with3m easy laminating sleeves, and attach magnets to back for a quick fridge dry erase board, low cost and if it gets messy, just make a new one!

[yummahcupekakez]

Don't advertise your whole different idea on someone else's instructable

[barry_allen7]

Awesome! You're very creative and resourceful! Nice Robot too!

[killer77]

great instructable it was quick and right to the point also it didnt use hard to find materials 5/5

[diyluver]

thanks! its was real simple yet super useful! :D

[IW5 Industries]

thats the greatest instructable ive seen in a long time! 5.5 stars!!!!!!!

[guitarmansmitty]

I like the idea and the fact that you used recycled cd cases is great too. I just need to find a place to put it.

[knightge1]

I use my bathroom mirror as a dry erase board. It works great because I am guarenteed to see the message and it wipes off really easily.

[EmcySquare]

Actually you don't need to attach it to the fridge: USE THE FRIDGE !!!
I use the front door of my fridge as a Dry Erase Board: using the proper pens you can write and erase on it.
(NOTE: Test it first on a remote, small, out of sight corner before writing you whole
shopping list and find it was not the right type of fridge )

[schimmi]

unless you're fridge is textured and you cant easily write on it

[CZanna]

Ours is textured, too. We use wet erase markers (like for overhead projection screens if you remember those) and they wipe off with a little home-made window cleaner (70 parts water, 30 parts rubbing alcohol, maybe a drop of essential oil if we're feeling frilly.) Doesn't stain and better, doesn't rub off if someone leans against the fridge. Texturing is problematic with dry erase -- getting it off is impossible -- but not wet erase.

[schimmi]

if i remember them? our school still uses them even though we have those giant computer tablets

[mdv24]

really cool

[DJKarmaD]

um what have I done wrong... i can't erase the writing on the cd case ??

[burnoutxd]

did u use dry erase makers?

[DJKarmaD]

Yup. Expo dry erase markers, just like in the photo. Wiping it off with a facial tissue didn't do anything to remove the writing. Used a standard slimline cd jewel case. Writing on the cd case doesn't come off. What am I doing wrong here? :)

[turner22]

i'm having that same problem. there is pretty much no getting it off w/out some kind of cleaner, isn't there?

[crazygirlscout]

I used a Marks-A-lot WHITEBOARD Dry Erase Marker from AVERY. It seems to work wonderful.

[bluenebe]

This is cool...so simple and useful! :-) I will make it now and stick a small plastic hook beside it on the fridge and hang a wiping cloth on it. Thanks.

[jaime9999]

If your fridge is a light color and plain enamel (not stainless steel nor textured), why not write directly onto the fridge with the dry-erase markers? FYI, glass makes a terrific dry-erase surface. Follow this instructible with an empty glass picture frame (with plain white paper background).

[wsfortenberry]

Wet erase markers work better than dry erase markers. They usually have finer points allowing for more writing per CD case, and they also wipe off clean without leaving the residue that dry erase markers are famous for.

[inquisitive]

oh and it might be easier in some ways to use a Vis a Vis projector pen instead--cleaning with a little rubbing alcohol and buffing with a tiny drop of baby oil once in a while seemed to do the trick-that is for those having issues with the dry erase pens