Duuude, let’s go boarding. Clipboarding, that is. I’m not coordinated enough to tackle a surfboard, skateboard, or a snowboard, but this I can handle. And it can definitely be considered a Dude, Get On That Already project, because this old clipboard hails from the playroom, where I plopped it down among the ceramic animal chaos and said to myself: “I’ll do something cute with this later.” But soon I forgot all about it and fall turned into winter and now it’s late spring and completely time to get on it. It was a favor from a bridal shower I attended last fall (it was what we all used to play bride-quiz-games, and since the host nor the bride-to-be wanted to end up with fifteen clipboards they just told us to take ours home).
First I thought about covering it in a pretty paper and using it on the wall somehow (as a place to clip up new Clara art from week to week or notes that John and I write each other. But before doing anything hasty, I sidled up to John and asked him for his brain. And he came up with the best idea.
In our first house, we made an in-cabinet cork board where we pinned up shopping lists, recipes, articles about food we wanted to try, etc.
We loved it, but we didn’t want to do the same thing here (we have since made a binder full of favorite recipes safely tucked behind plastic sleeves and usually make our shopping list on our phone) but we did have a stack of takeout menus that were shoved into our utensil drawer (we had to lift the whole tray out to get them in and out, since they barely fit in there). Why not hang our little clipboard in our kitchen cabinet for holding our takeout menus – along with a pad for jotting down a few groceries we need if we don’t want to forget them and don’t have our phone nearby, perhaps if we have a toddler on our hip? Sold.
I started by covering it with some happy teal paper. I actually debated other more patterned options, but I figured whatever we clipped up there might be brightly colored or patterned or just plain busy looking, so I didn’t want the background to be too crazy. Don’t mind the odd shape of the paper, it was an old remnant from a previous project (originally from Michael’s for a buck or two).
So I laid it under the clipboard and traced that shape onto the paper.
I figured the top part should go around the metal part, so I sort of guessed how deep and wide that was and cut that notch out when I cut out the rest of the perimeter. Then I placed it on top of the clipboard to make sure it fit.
Next it was glue time. I used Aileen’s Tacky Glue since I’ve had this same bottle on hand for at least five years. I channeled my first grade self and swirled it all around the board, and then used my finger to smear it (I didn’t want lumpy swirls of glue to show through the paper and look bumpy).
Then I stuck the paper on top and weighed it down with some books. Can you tell Clara’s book basket was closer than all of our books in the dining room?
After it was dry, I used our only upper cabinet in the kitchen (the one with our built-in microwave) and hung it at a nice easy-to-access height.
We might hang something above it someday to balance things out (maybe a framed pic, just for a fun little behind-the-door surprise), but for now we love that our clipboard is completely hidden when the door is shut.
As for how we hung it, we didn’t want to do anything permanent (making a hole in our freshly painted cabinets = heartburn) so we went the removable route…
It’s hard to make out in this picture, but the clipboard had a metal tab that came out of the top of the board, and we had a clear 3M Command hook on hand, so I just mounted the clear hook to the cabinet with the temporary adhesive (it’ll come down without peeling any paint if I pull that curved white tab to the right of the metal part). Once the clear hook was up there firmly I just rested the metal clipboard tab over the hook. So I can lift the clipboard off the hook anytime I’d like and just put it back when I’m done.
Here’s a straight on shot for ya. I’m sure what we have clipped up there will change, but for now, we have takeout menus and a sheet of shopping stuff that I wrote out because my phone wasn’t nearby.
And yes, that really says “eggs (12)” because I’m that crazy. Sometimes I forget if I wanted a half dozen or two dozen or what.
So there it is. An old clipboard that I finally got on – for zero dollars. Hootie hoo. And now our utensil tray doesn’t have to hold our menus hostage anymore, so there’s a little more function (and I feel a little happier when I see ’em all hanging out together).
What have you guys gotten on that’s well overdue? Any other clipboarding going on? I think it could be the next athletic endeavor for those too spastic to step on a skateboard, snowboard, or surfboard. You can even hang ten. And by that I mean you could hang ten menus.
Psst- Speaking of saying things like “hang ten” we hung out with our teenage niece and nephew this weekend and asked what the cool kid-catchphrases are these days (you know, like how we used to say “no diggety” and “word up”) and apparently the new things are “swagg” (it’s like having swagger, but shorter – and with an extra g) and “cool story bro, tell it again” (which you say sarcastically when someone says something lame). How hilarious is that? There’s a whole new vocabulary that us old people know nothing about.
Kristen @ Popcorn on the Stove says
We have a padded folder with all our take out menus (fancy, I know) and it hides in a shallow drawer of our buffet since nothing else really fits there.
Joe and I can’t figure out what dub-stepping is. We asked his younger brother (who’s only 21) and he has no idea either. One day we’ll figure it out. You know… when it’s no longer cool.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, exactly, the day it’s overused like “bling.”
xo,
s
Laura says
Dubstep is actually a genre of music. You can read more about it here!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubstep
Alison says
two things:
1. When I went to comment, I saw my husband’s name and email address in the comment form. John, are ya’ll secret BFFs? I am in shock here – I had no idea that he’d even been to your site, much less commented!
2. I made a bunch of clipboards for the graduating seniors at our church. It was lots of fun, but I went with crazy patterns since they would be covered up. Also, ModPodge. Love. ModPodge. But I love your idea of using it in a cabinet! My stuff always seems to sneak out and end up on the fridge, haha!
Alison says
my bad. bffs is so 1999. is the new term “bromantic?” ;)
YoungHouseLove says
I’ll let your husband explain this one…
(Although, not to sound creepy, I searched to see if there were any other comments from your IP address and nothing came up – so maybe it just picked up his info from some other site he filled it out on?)
-John
Alison says
probably. that is funny because I have definitely commented before. ahhh! who’s the creeper now??? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Cue the Twilight Zone music! :)
-John
Marypat says
Did you saddle up (to) John? Or sidle? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahah, I put a saddle on his back and yelled “take that baby to the market!”
Just kidding, I sidled. Haha.
xo,
s
Autumn says
I have 4 clipboards across the bifold doors on our hall closet. It is a constant rotation of kid art. I can’t stand kid-art on the fridge because it falls down, gets splashed with OJ, etc. The hall doors are our art gallery. We get a lot of compliments.
And Sherry, if you want to learn to snowboard, I’ll teach you next winter. I teach on Sundays at Liberty Mountain, which is only a few hours from you. Come up and I’ll give you a free lesson. Clara’s only 6 mos younger than our daughter, and she started skiing and snowboarding this year. We can teach Clara too.
YoungHouseLove says
Um, that’s amazing – you’re so sweet! I actually can ski pretty well (I learned when I was 5) but I have yet to get Clara on skis. Can’t wait though! She’ll be so cute with those tiny skis!
xo,
s
Christa @ a*typicaljourney says
Hahaha for the record, I graduated HS in 2006 and kids were saying “Cool story, tell it again” when I was probably a Sophomore. So, either the midwest is just way more hip than the east coast (true story), or that catchphrase just has an epic lifespan!!
On another note, my fiancee’s brother just graduated HS, and he’s all aboard the “Swagg” train. Their mom even asked me one time “What does swagg mean? Andrew says it all the time and I just don’t get it”. Which made me laugh hysterically, of course :)
Lacy says
I swear I woke up this morning with an idea to cover a clip board with cute paper for my office. Hmmm…. Love checking out your site to see what you are up to!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!
xo,
s
Candace says
FYI, Pottery Barn has a gray version similar to your yellow favorite! The 5×8 is definitely more than $49, but isn’t too bad, at $399. You can find it here: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/scroll-tile-rug-gray/?pkey=call-rugs-color
I have a (poorly lit) pic of it in my living room that I can send you, but I definitely love it. It’s not greenish-gray like it looks in the picture.
Candace says
Annnd…this is definitely not the right post! lol Sorry…I clicked the wrong comment link :(
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- no worries at all! We knew what you meant! Thanks for the info and the link!
xo,
s
Candace says
The third close-up pic is the most true-to-color.
bridget b. says
slightly off topic, but i ran across a list of top 100 DIY sites and you guys are listed: http://www.constructionmanagementdegree.com/top-100/
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the heads up, Bridget! What a compliment!
-John
Katy says
I teach 7th grade, so I’m kind-of aware of the newer lingo (or so I like to think). A HUGE one right now is “beast,” which is basically the new “awesome.” Would you like it used in a sentence? Okay:
“I’m beast.”
“That song is beast!”
“Aw, beast!”
YoungHouseLove says
One of my college friends from California taught me that one back in, well, college. Apparently it was big Northern California then. I don’t think it caught on though at the time.
-John
Katy says
That makes sense…I saw girls wearing UGGs in LA a good two years before they reached the midwest…we find out everything last in the good old heartland! :)
Micha Davis says
I have a small clipboard addiction (high school teacher…) so I know this trick well! Have you tried the 3M velcro picture hangers? They work awesome for things like this too so you can rip the whole clipboard off the wall/cabinet/bookshelf to use it and then stick it right back up! Those things are my seriously my fave.
YoungHouseLove says
We do know those and they are great! Good idea of this application. Thanks!
-John
mp says
Love it! I’ve used a lot of clipboards at work and now I have ideas for using them at home! I need one to hold recipes I’ve printed out from various websites.
Lauren says
I spy with my little eye a Chicken Fiesta take out menu! Yummy love that place. The clip board was a great idea!
Preethi says
Cool idea! Quick question that’s been on myind for. Oh I don’t know, two, may be three years! How come your microwave is mounted so high?? In the UK and India ( where I grew up) it’s on the counter. How do you take out something hot. Like if you needed to set it down quickly?!?
Preethi says
Aargh! Sorry for the horrible punctuation and spelling. It’s 23:26 and I’m in bed, in the dark and super sleepy after a hot shower…
YoungHouseLove says
There are lots of counter top microwaves in the US too (some even under the counter) but I guess lots of people turned to under-cabinet microwaves to save counter space and also it often acts as a ventilation hood over the range too. I’m just sure to use a towel or hot pads if I’m taking something hot out, and I’ve got a cutting board nearby that I can set it down on to cool.
-John
Tricia says
Fantastic idea–and it looks great! I’m so glad you guys post often. I had just thought to myself, “Oh, I should check Young House Love to see if they’ve written anything new,” and then I realized that I’d already checked today? Eh-hem. ;-) But when I headed over to facebook, YES, there was a newer post than the “New” one I’d already read! Score!
Peggy says
I think you meant to say you sidled up to John, not “saddled up to John”‘ although it did make a pretty funny mind picture!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahahhah- hilarious. That’s what I meant. Nice visual though, you’re right.
xo,
Kelly says
I teach high school, and there are a few kids who have a shirt that says, “Cool story, babe; go make me a sandwich.” They’ll be ashamed of that shirt one day when they have girlfriends!
Amanda B. says
Cracking up at the sarcasm of “Great story bro, tell it again.” We used to have an opposite version… If you were telling something and it got lame, it could always be saved by saying, “And then I found five dollars.” :) Or if you didn’t realize your story sucked, someone else would help you out by saying, “Did you then find five dollars?” Come to think of it, that was kinda sarcastic of us!
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! My friends and I used to use that in college. Though I guess inflation has taken affect since we just said “and then I found a dollar.” Ha!
-John
EngineerMom says
neat!
I have to write down how much of what on my grocery list, too.
Eggs (2×24) means 2 cases of 2 dozen
Yogurts (2×4) means 2 4-packs of the Yoplait
and how many pounds of meat or how many blocks of cheese, etc.
Some weeks we whip through the eggs like crazy – especially if I’m busy and we end up with frittata or scrambled eggs for dinner, and some weeks we barely make it through two dozen.
So yeah, it makes total sense to write down not only what you need, but how much!
Megan H says
Whenever I try to glue paper to something it seems like the paper gets too wet from the glue and becomes all wavy and definitely not smooth (regardless of how much smoothing I do to remove glue lumps or how many books I would pile on top). Is that takcy glue best for that kind of project??
YoungHouseLove says
I would definitely check that out! Or a glue stick or spray adhesive, which doesn’t seem to have that issue. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Fiona, Lilyfield Life says
great idea but i’m mainly commenting because we also have Yummy Yucky book from when our kids were very little. my daughter used to say “Mummy’s cookies are yummy. Mummy’s coffee is yummier”
I sitll sometimes read them that book and they love it even though they are 8 and 6 now. LOL.
have a great day
cheers Fiona
Taylor says
Hi,
I know this isn’t really relevant to this post, but for your dining room chairs, have you tried Simply Spray? It is made for upholstery fabrics.
Here’s the link.
http://www.simplyspray.com/product/simply-spray-upholstery-fabric-paint/
God Bless!
YoungHouseLove says
We actually tried some fabric sprays for book projects, but not for the chairs yet!
xo,
s
Jeff Patterson says
Nice job Sherry with using recycling a standard clipboard and making it cool. I can totally understand why you put down 12 eggs-attention to detail is necessary at all times when you’re a parent! Thanks for keeping us all up to date on the cool catchphrases, too. There must be an app for that, haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- there needs to be an app for that!
xo,
s
danielle says
i just finally found a spot to store my halloween costume after leaving it on the guest bed for 7 months… does that count? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- yes. You totally got on that!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Is that Trader Joe’s Vegetarian Chili I spy in your cabinet? Sooo yummy! We like to put it over half a baked potato or stir some into pasta – kind a like a meat sauce only better!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes it is! Love it!
xo,
s
Katie @ Miss Tweedle says
Awesome way to vamp up those clipboards! I’m a teacher and I think this might be fun to do for the many clipboards I use all the time! :) Thanks for the idea!
Megan says
Nice. Our take out options are about three places here in town and so we don’t really have menus piling up. But I do like the idea! Are you all keeping track of what’s been taken out of the room and how many projects you’ve created? I know you’re more worried about getting it cleared than the final tally, but I thought it could make a good post later on down the road.
YoungHouseLove says
It’s sort of a revolving door in there- things come in and out and it’s full of secret book projects and stuff. Once we have a charity auction with the book stuff it’ll clear out a lot more (probably this fall when the book is out) and then we’ll probably get closer to actually clearing the room and might start keeping track and taking photos (since we can’t reveal book projects beforehand, so photos we take now can’t be published until the fall anyway).
xo,
s
Lauren says
The cool new thing to say is #yolo. Meaning you only live once…you may have already known it, but I just wanted to let you know the newest craze. My 13 year old brother just used #yolo in a test question stating his opinion on euthanasia. Basically anything is cool these days if you put a hashtag in front of it.
YoungHouseLove says
Ha! So true about the hashtag thing. It’s like it immediately says to the world “yeah, this is a thing – whatcha gonna do about it?”
-John
Kathryn Griffin says
OMGosh! I have a clipboard that really needs some loving. I’m embarrassed to say, it’s been in the same state of ickiness for well over a year. Really, I should go dig it out and get her done. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you a grand evening. Toodles, Kathryn @TheDedicatedHouse
lesli devito says
what I LOVE, one of the MANY things I LOVE about you guys is this…you GET that it is a never ending quest to “make it work”, nothing lasts forever, and every single day is an opportunity to be industrious and creative…the possibilities are endless and the answers are right under our nose!
thanks and thanks again….
Sarah says
Yep, my students yell out “Swagg! Swagg!” all the time! They also say “Bloop!” when someone gets shut down. As in, “Timmy, stop dancing and sit in your seat! And pull your pants up!” They would reply to the student, “Bloop!” or “She blooped you!” Fun times ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahah- that’s hilarious!
xo,
s
Barbara says
I love using the inside of the door! But do you have to take the clip board down every time you want to add/take something from it? Im visioning everything falling out of the clip.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, thankfully I can just smash my hand on everything clipped up to the board and use the other hang to unclip something, so it seems to work so far! Taking it down and hooking it back up isn’t a big deal though!
xo,
s
Sheri says
We have a clipboard with full instructions on how to use the phone, our phone number and our address (and 911 instructions) hanging next to the phone. Because our 9 and 11 year old tend to forget.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- that’s really smart! John’s sister has that too (her 14 and 11 year old must forget too).
xo,
s
jen says
cool story bro. After buying a custom (huge) piece of sheet metal and framing it out in my hallway for kid-art I got a little magnet happy. I went and bought smaller sheet metal, cut it into 4 pieces and glued it (construction adhesive) to the inside of four cabinet doors. Then I stuck cool marble/glass magnets (got them on etsy) inside. One has menus, the other has recipes (previously I was always taping recipes to this cabinet) and the other I glued super strong magnets to and stuck my most often used knives up there. (Now if you’ll be like everyone I know and wonder: I’ve slammed the door plenty of times and they don’t budge) I still have to frame them so they look pretty, but, SO handy. I hate anything on my fridge.
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo,
s
Katie H. says
So simple, but I love it! This is one of those projects you could do in 20 minutes, then feel proud that you accomplished something that day. Those are the kinds of ideas I’m always looking for in the summertime!
YoungHouseLove says
Amen!
xo,
s
Lindsey B says
I have all my take out menus in a clear plastic folder on top of the fridge.
I always cross out anything I’ve ordered and don’t like, and put a check next to anything I do like. Sometimes you forget which sub shop has the awesome steak and cheese and which one has the better cold cuts.
I even save the take out menus of places I don’t like and draw a big “x” through the front. Sometimes you forget, and a new one comes in the mail and you get tricked into ordering from somewhere again!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart! You’re a takeout expert!
xo,
s
Krista says
I thought this was going to be a post about a project that I need to get too already – a changeable art display for the kids. I’ve pinned a couple of ideas with clip boards either painted or covered in pretty paper hanging in rows then you can clip your kids art to the clipboard until something new is made then switch it out easily. I really want to get that done soon.
YoungHouseLove says
Love the idea of using it for art!
xo,
s
Kim Birum says
I have two old clipboards and two teenage daughters in need of direction. I’ve been thinking of fixing them up for to-do lists… Thanks for showing how easy it can be. When I try to rap along to my girls’ music, they say I need more swagg. What can I say, I’m a mom.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I love it!
xo
s
Sally says
I did the same clipboard project awhile back, but used Mod Podge on the covered-paper finished product to make it durable.
There is something about pretty paper that makes using a clipboard a lot more pleasant!
Tricia says
ooh ooh! my little cousins are using campin’ a lot these days. if something is intense (or “in tents” – haha) it is camping/campin.
cracks me up :)
Leah says
Awh what a great idea! Are you guys not “hang stuff on the fridge” type of people? What do you do with Clara’s artwork/craft projects?
YoungHouseLove says
They’re in frames in the frame hallway! And one is hung above my desk in the office too! I love to give them a spot of honor!
xo,
s
AmyK says
Completely irrelevant comments:
I went to elementary through high school with Leslie Patricelli and I LOVE it when I see her books “out and about”. Talented lady.
When I was in sports television production, “swag” was an acronym for “stuff we ain’t gettin'”, in reference to all the giveaways that the high falutin’ folk in production would get from the networks, like logo jackets, t-shirts and the like. That was 15 years ago. I still use it to talk about any garments that are logo’d, but my kids tease me about it and tell me to stop talking like the Beebs.
So there ya go. I know, I know…coolstorybrotellitatpartiesthenputitinthebasket.
YoungHouseLove says
No way! She’s the best! Love that she was in your HS! And so funny about swag- haha.
xo,
s
Alice H says
psst I have a 13 year old girl and 11 year old boy, along with my 2 year old boy also. And man, our phrases were so much cooler than the ones they have. Swagg, YOLO, cray-cray, beast, etc.
YoungHouseLove says
Ah yes, how could we forget cray-cray!
xo,
s
Andrew says
Have y’all had any trouble with those 3m hooks staying on the walls? We tried using them in our house for pictures but they kept falling off. We had just painted our daughters room and didn’t want screw holes. But they wouldn’t stay on the walls. We even tried a heavier weight class hook than was needed but to no avail it fell again. I would be interested to see if yours stays in place.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh no, never had an issue! Are you installing them as they say (letting the things hold for a while before adding the frame/art? – sometimes it falls if you don’t give it that time to set first).
xo,
s
Frank says
I like how you guys hide the microwave, not only does your kitchen look less clustered that way! Did you have to enlarge the cabinet to fit the appliance inside?
YoungHouseLove says
It was actually a secondhand cabinet that we found which happened to fit a very small microwave we found (we did ventilate the back though, to keep things safe). You can click the link in this post when we mention it to read more about that process!
xo,
s
Scott says
It’s swag – 1 g.
ex: T-Shirts that were made during VCU’s Final Four run – http://oi56.tinypic.com/3590234.jpg
YoungHouseLove says
Hahaha- maybe the double G is just a Jersey version? Haha. Here’s Paulie D in Exhibit A.
xo,
s
Connie says
When you grow tired of the clipboard swinging back and forth every time you open the cabinet door, a lump of poster hanging goop from Office Depot or Staples would likely keep it still. Museum Putty surely would but might not be as easily removable if you wanted to take the clipboard down.
Amy says
We just read “Yummy Yucky” in my daughter’s Tales for Tots class yesterday (it was the first time I had seen it) and I actually thought of Clara when the “Worms are yucky” page was read! So funny that you have that book!
Sarah Courter says
That’s so weird that you bring up the slang phrases… We are on vacation in Colorado and have seen a couple of teen girls with tshirts that say “cool story bro, tell it again” and I had NO idea what that meant. Now I know! Thank you! lol
Also, a funny story… I was hanging out with my 13 year old sister the other day, and I said something was “neat,” and she looked at me and said “nobody says ‘neat’ anymore, Sarah.” It made me feel so old!!! Haha.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, oh man! That’s hilarious!
xo,
s