This instructable will teach you how to make a floating metal grid that can be used as a magnetic bulletin board, a play to display artwork, a jewelry organizer, craft organizer or whatever else your crazy little heart desires!
I originally came up with this idea in my freshman year of college to display pictures. In the dorms we were not allowed to put holes in the walls, so I instead stapled some wire mesh behind an old ladder that we had sitting around. The picture ladder was perfect for us because we could just rearrange our pictures whenever we wanted by moving the magnets. While in the dorm we also made an earring holder that hung over the door with the extra wire mesh (we ended up hating the over the door aspect because every time we shut the door earrings would fall..so save yourself the time and don't try that idea).
Realizing the many things that we were able to do with the wire mesh, I decided that I should reincarnate it once more. This time I went to Home Depot and let myself go crazy finding all sorts of goodies to pimp it out to its full potential.
The new and improved floating multi-use wall storage is a great addition to any room of yours, or any friend's home. It makes a particularly good gift because it can be used in so many different ways. If your friend is a crafty individual, it could easily be used to store his or her craft supplies. Use it to display pictures and memories, or even to showcase products for retail stores--the possibilities are endless! And, best of all, you can constantly rearrange and recreate it with minimal effort!
I originally came up with this idea in my freshman year of college to display pictures. In the dorms we were not allowed to put holes in the walls, so I instead stapled some wire mesh behind an old ladder that we had sitting around. The picture ladder was perfect for us because we could just rearrange our pictures whenever we wanted by moving the magnets. While in the dorm we also made an earring holder that hung over the door with the extra wire mesh (we ended up hating the over the door aspect because every time we shut the door earrings would fall..so save yourself the time and don't try that idea).
Realizing the many things that we were able to do with the wire mesh, I decided that I should reincarnate it once more. This time I went to Home Depot and let myself go crazy finding all sorts of goodies to pimp it out to its full potential.
The new and improved floating multi-use wall storage is a great addition to any room of yours, or any friend's home. It makes a particularly good gift because it can be used in so many different ways. If your friend is a crafty individual, it could easily be used to store his or her craft supplies. Use it to display pictures and memories, or even to showcase products for retail stores--the possibilities are endless! And, best of all, you can constantly rearrange and recreate it with minimal effort!
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Signing UpStep 1: Gather it up!
Get in your car (or better yet on your bike or go by foot!) and go to Home Depot. Then, get a basket and gather these things.
*NOTE* you may want to look ahead to the final steps and decide how you want to use your board before going to the store.
Materials needed for basic construction:
-The mesh--1/4" hardware cloth
(the smallest size you can get is 2'X 5'. That is sufficient.)
-4 rod coupling nuts (5/16"-18 x 7/8")
(the package only has 3... Sorry, you have to buy two packs.)
-4 pan head phillips screws (#10 x 2")
-8 washers (1/4 SAE washer)
(the size of the washer isn't that important, just make sure that the screw fits through the washer and the head of the screw will be larger than the hole in the washer.)
-1 nail
(pretty much any nail that is a good bit skinnier than the screw will do. It's just used to make the pilot hole for the screw.)
-a pencil
-a friend for step 6
Things to gather up at home:
-gardening shears or some sort of wire trimmers
(I have used scissors before to cut the wire, but it is a little more difficult.)
-drill
-phillips head screw driver bit
-hammer
-yard stick
-level
*NOTE* you may want to look ahead to the final steps and decide how you want to use your board before going to the store.
Materials needed for basic construction:
-The mesh--1/4" hardware cloth
(the smallest size you can get is 2'X 5'. That is sufficient.)
-4 rod coupling nuts (5/16"-18 x 7/8")
(the package only has 3... Sorry, you have to buy two packs.)
-4 pan head phillips screws (#10 x 2")
-8 washers (1/4 SAE washer)
(the size of the washer isn't that important, just make sure that the screw fits through the washer and the head of the screw will be larger than the hole in the washer.)
-1 nail
(pretty much any nail that is a good bit skinnier than the screw will do. It's just used to make the pilot hole for the screw.)
-a pencil
-a friend for step 6
Things to gather up at home:
-gardening shears or some sort of wire trimmers
(I have used scissors before to cut the wire, but it is a little more difficult.)
-drill
-phillips head screw driver bit
-hammer
-yard stick
-level
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I did this today but I did it quite a lot bigger - It's 100cm by 60cm. I've been meaning to collage the wall for some time but was scared of losing all my treasured photos, gig tickets, postcards etc when I move out or decorate but now I don't have to worry!
Just a little tip that some of you might like... If you have a glue gun (or even just some super glue) old keyboard keys/badges/brooches/unwanted earrings/scrabble letters/coloured counters etc really jazz up the small magnetic dots and fill up the board a little more.
Like 'Jentheducky' I also did a rip of coloured tape around the edge but not for the safety feature... The thicker the edge the more it winds up looking like a frame.
Thanks so much for something so easy and inexpensive. Why couldn't I have thought of this. I know I was thinking much too hard. :-)