Do it Yourself Magnetic Picture Board
- You don't need much for this project, thats what makes it so great. The most important piece is a thin sheet of steel. These can be found in the duct section of a your local hardware store. If the metal is not already cut to the size you want, you will need some metal sheers to cut the metal into the size you want. You will also need some some spray paint of whatever color you choose, semi-gloss or hi-gloss metal primer spray paint known as "appliance enamel," some molding, and some spray on adhesive. It is probably best to get the weakest strength adhesive because you will be sticking the metal to your wall.
- The first thing to do is to thoroughly clean the steel with any household cleaning product that removes oils. Once it is clean, prime both sides with your spray paint primer according to the directions on the can. Also prime the moldings. Once the primer is dry, paint the metal and the moldings whatever color you have chosen. Remember to only paint the side of the steel sheet that will be facing outward so that the primer on the backside can be used to help the adhesive stick. After the first coat of paint is dry, add a second.
Once the paint is dry you are ready to stick the board up. First mask the area of the wall where you will be putting your magnetic board. After masking, spray adhesive on the backside of the steel and on the backsides of the molding as well as on the wall where everything will be stuck. Try not to over-spray your masking or you will have a mess to clean up. Read the back of the adhesive can to see how long it takes to set. Once it has started to set, stick all of your pieces into place on the wall. Tape the pieces to the wall with masking tape until the adhesive dries. Once the adhesive has dried you can remove the tape and begin sticking photos to you board. - You may not wish to have the board stuck directly on your wall. If this is the case, acquire a piece of plywood cut to the size you want your board. Follow the previous steps to build the board but stick the pieces to the plywood rather than the wall. Once everything is dry, attach a couple of eye-hooks to the top of the plywood and you can then hang it anywhere you like.