DIY: My Big-Ass Dry Erase Board

 

As you age, you (hopefully) learn to embrace and accept the things that make you YOU, for better or for worse. Myself, that’s still a work in progress but one thing I’ve accepted is that I’m forgetful. I’ve been this way since childhood, although my parents never believed it when I told them that’s why I forgot to load the dishwasher.

Now that I have no one to nag remind me to do my chores, I had to create a solution: lists. I’m a huge fan of these and am prone to having  several to-do lists floating around at any given time. Naturally, having multiple lists means I don’t always get to everything when I should (or that I forget I even have a list existing out there).

Enter the next solution: a big-ass dry erase board.

My first thought was to create a large board by painting a large slab of plywood with that fancy dry erase paint. But then I came up with a thriftier, less toxic solution: dry erase contact paper.

Since my apartment walls are slightly textured, I didn’t want to apply it to my walls. Instead, I used some old sliding doors I had stashed away. They’re actually the doors for my home office’s closet, that I’d taken off after they kept falling off the track. (Have they made closet doors that don’t do this?!) Having an open closet also makes my office feel roomier and makes for easy access to my decor/DIY stash.

To create this big-ass board, I used 3 rolls of the adhesive dry erase contact paper and measured them per my door measurements.  I leaned the doors against one of my walls and applied the paper slowly, smoothing out bubbles as I went along. Because the paper isn’t as wide as each door, I had to stick on a few strips. It’s noticeable and took a couple tries to get it just right, but was still a lot quicker than if I’d used dry erase paint.

 

Here, I can compile my multiple lists: bills to pay, an immediate to-do list (workout, cooking, errands, etc.), a blogging to-do list, and a decorating to-do list broken down by rooms. I color coded them to organize my tasks better, which helps them feel less overwhelming and is less likely to increase my blood pressure.

 

 

Creating this board has been a godsend for my scatterbrained self. The only downside is that it’s temporary–when I move, I won’t be able to take it with me. But if you live in your own home, this would be a clever project for doors or smooth walls.

Are you also forgetful? Do you love lists like I do? Do you use a dry erase board in your home? How do you keep track of all you have to do?

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