Mad About Magnets

My magnet board

Are you always looking for just a little more space?  A little more surface area to work with?  Do you have a magnet board in your classroom? Well you want one, I promise.  Last year we installed magnet boards in our classrooms.  We use them for spelling practice, word work, patterning, shape manipulation, the list goes on and on.  I am lucky enough to have connections so I obtained our boards at cost (read:cheap).  My dad owns a HVAC business and they use sheet metal to put duct work in for heaters and air conditioners.  So find your local HVAC guy and just ask.  I promise you will love it!  I had him make our boards out of 26 gage galvanized steel, 30"x30" with the edges crimped all the way around.  This allows enough room for two first graders to work side by side.  Tina and I installed ours by our classroom door and Kasey found room under one of her white boards.

This is a new board waiting to be installed.

Now are you ready for a do-it-yourself project?  You can turn a smaller version of this magnet board into a great gift! This is what you will need:

A metal board with two wholes drilled at the top, ribbon, scrap book
paper to cover, mod podge, brush and magnets.
I forgot to include: 1 safety pin and a flat object (read on and you will see what it's for).

 Cover the entire front surface with Mod Podge.
The key is to work FAST!  Mod Podge dries quick!

Place the scrap book paper on the area that you would like covered.
I liked the look of the top two inches being metal, so I left it uncovered.

Now (QUICKLY) with your flat surface tool push out all of the air and make the paper as smooth and flat as possible.  I used the back of the cap.  Bad idea! Use something completely smooth!  If you run into air bubbles that won't budge, gently poke them with a pin and then push the air out.  If your paper start to get a little dry, add a little Mod Podge while you work the bubbles out.

Wait for your board to dry.  Then add your ribbon.
Ta-da! A gift in under 30 minutes!

This is the board I made for my room mom this past year.
Don't you just love a GREAT room mom?

What questions do you have?