DIY: How To Build A Magnetic Art Frame.

Learn how to easily build a magnetic art board in under ten steps.
All you will need is some basic tools and your local hardware store to get the job done!

Hi Friends!

I have a fun DIY project to share with you guys today.

There is a multipurpose room in our home and it has filled so many needs for our family. It is an office/art room/storage space/guest room. See I told you it was versatile! I wanted it to be a place where our whole family could be productive and creative. 

I’ve always like the idea of having an easel where my kids could paint, draw and use magnets. However, our multipurpose room is very small and there was no way a bulky easel was going to fit. So we did what any smart designer would tell you to do and we used our vertical space! 

I sketched out a design of what I was thinking, then my handy husband and I came up with an idea to make it happen. Because lets face it, when you have a small space you have to get creative.

    SUPPLIES TO MAKE BASIC MAGNETIC BOARDS

• Common 1-in x 4-in x 8-ft Pine Board (You will need 4 pieces to make 2 frames)
• Galvanized Steel Sheet Metal 24-in x 36-in (You will need two sheets if you want the same look as ours. You can usually have the folks at Home Depot or Lowes cut to your desired size)
• Kreg Cabinet Mounting Screws 
• Dry Erase Board/Chalkboard 5mm Plywood (For the backing of the sheet metal. This can also be cut to your desired size at Home Depot or Lowes)
• Bonding Multi Purpose Adhesive (To glue the sheet metal to the plywood)
• Fender Washers (To secure the board to the frame)
• 1/2 inch Silver Screws 
• Wood Glue
• Your choice of stain or paint (For the frame)

RECOMMENDED TOOLS

(Entry Level Builder)

• Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (To drill the holes that connect the frame together)
• Drill (Own or borrow from a friend)
• Assorted Screw Tips/Screwdrivers
• Circular Saw (Own or borrow from a friend)
• Fine Metal File

(Intermediate Level Builder)

• Kreg Pocket Hole Jig (To drill the holes that connect the frame together)
• Drill
• Assorted Screw Tips
• Table Saw
• Fostner Drill Bits
• Router/Router Table and Various Bits
• Chop Saw 
• Fine Metal File

INSTRUCTIONS

(Entry Level Builder)

1. Gather all of your material – Have either a box store, friend or handy person cut all the materials to desired lengths. We cut our vertical boards at 32” and the horizontal at just under 23”. Making our total frame measurement at 32”H X 28”W. (If you are an entry level builder, then I would suggest making your outside frame measurement to be a 1/4” to 1/2” wider on all sides of your magnetic board measurement. For example: if your chalkboard or magnetic board is going to be cut at 24” X 32” then your outside frame total measurement should be 24 1/2” X32 1/2” or max of 25” X 33”.

2. Drill pocket holes – Once you have your frame boards cut, you are going to drill your pocket holes on the top and bottom boards to later connect them to your vertical cut boards.

3. Glue – Glue the ends of your pocket hole board before screwing to your vertical boards for strength and support. (Building Tip: Dry fit and screw boards together before adding glue, this usually helps during the build process.)
4. Stain or paint your frames – We chose Alder White which is the same color as our murphy bed.
5. Build Magnetic Board – (If you are planning to only use the chalkboard or the marker board side then you   will skip this step.) 

6. Glue – Place thin board down and apply glue adhesive spray. When the glue gets tacky, carefully lay the sheet metal on top. (Builder Tip: I personally used a laminate roller to press the two together. However, you can use a dough roller and it will do the same thing.) Once everything has dried, begin to measure your spacing again – that’s the 1/4” to 1/2” we spoke about earlier.

8. Drill – Drill holes on each corner and then drill a hole in the rough center of each corner hole if desired. (Builder Tip: Drill from the metal front side not from the back board side. This will ensure a clear hole through the sheet metal.) Attach by drilling screws on each corner (Builder tip: Make sure to start at the left top corner and work your way counterclockwise.) Once you have done all four corners, you can then add screws to the other holes. Flip over to see finished product.

9. Attach to desired surface 🙂

(For Intermediate Builders)

I did a few extra things to make my frames match our faux cabinet wall. First I routed the outside edges using a 1/2” round router bit and then I routed the inside edges of the frame with a roman ogee like this one. I also used a 1/2” flat router bit on my router table and came in a 1/4”. Finally I set the depth to the thickness of the sheet board and routed the inside of my frame.

Once I set the magnetic board in place in the frame, I used the 1 3/8” Forstner bit to make a hole that would allow the washer and screw when finished to be flush with back of the frame.

As a result, your washer and screw will be flush with the back of the frame.

I am really happy with how the space turned out. I feel like we were able to fill a lot of needs in this one room. We have already been spending a lot of time in there watching Ellie channel her inner Picaso!

I hope this build was helpful for you and I can’t wait to see how creative you are in your home. Don’t forget to #homesweethess so I can follow along.

From my home sweet home to yours,