All it takes is a few hours on a weekend to build and install this multi-purpose family message center—an item that will add just as much beauty to your home as it will tidiness. Ours has a space for meal planning, family notes, incoming and outgoing mail and the ever-elusive keys (no more searching the couch cushions!), but you can also customize the space to meet your family’s needs by adding elements like a chore chart, grocery list or sports practice schedule.
This project took about 4 hours of hands-on work time and cost less than 20 dollars (I found all of the materials at a local hardware store). They say you can’t put a price on peace of mind, but since the sticker on this piece is so low in time, effort and cost, we’d say it’s well worth the expenditure.
Materials:
Particleboard Chalkboard Paint Paintbrushes & Pans Chalk & Eraser Baskets Zip Ties Key Hooks Tools: Power Drill Measuring Tape Masking Tape
Process:
Step 1: Have the hardware store cut the particleboard to the desired size (ours was 3 feet by 2 feet). Be sure to smooth any rough edges with sandpaper at home.
Step 2: Use a measuring tape and masking tape to mark off where the holes used to secure the baskets and key hooks should be located. For this board, we drilled the holes with a 3/16-inch drill bit. The top basket was given two holes at each end, 5 inches apart, where the zip ties to hold the baskets in place would be looped. We did the same for the bottom basket, which was placed 7.5 inches below the top basket, and drilled holes for the key hooks 6 inches below the bottom basket.
Step 3: Apply the first coat of chalkboard paint in thin, even strokes. Once the first coat has dried (2-4 hours), apply a second coat. Let it dry overnight before continuing.
Step 4: If necessary, retouch the holes to remove any paint that may have dried inside (but avoid using too much pressure so that the chalkboard paint doesn’t chip). Attach the baskets with thin zip ties. Screw in the key hooks.
Step 5: Design and decorate! For space and mobility (read: I change my mind frequently), we placed our organizer on a shelf. But it would be just as easy to mount it permanently on a wall or to place it on an easel near an entryway.
Produced and Photographed By Beka Watts
