Rustic Magnetic Board

Supplies:

-sheet of galvanized metal. This is found with the HVAC supplies at the hardware store. There are usually a few different sizes available. I chose the 24”x36” ($10)

-boards for the frame. I used 1x2 furring strips. They are much rougher looking than regular appearance boards, but I liked that for the look I was going for. (2 at $1 each)

-L brackets for the corners of the frame. Depending on the look you want, you can put these on the front as an accent, or on the back for strictly structural support. ($2)

-pan head screws, 1/2” (not pictured, used to attach metal sheet to the frame)

Also will need:

-paint and/or stain and brush

-drill with metal and wood bits

-picture hanging hardware

First step: prepare your frame. I cut the boards at 90° with long sides, making the top and bottom fit inside the sides. The frame will overlap the metal sheet approximately 3/4” on each side.

My dimensions (these will be different for you depending on sheet size or wood width): (2) 37 3/8” [sides], (2) 22 1/2” [top/bottom]

After cutting the frame pieces, sand and stain if desired.

I wanted a layered rustic look, so I dry brushed on some white paint first and lightly sanded. Make sure you get the sides of the boards as well.

Then I dry brushed on some pink at my daughter’s request. You want some areas thick, and some without any paint at all. Sand lightly again.

Attach the L brackets to the front or back depending on your preference. If you are attaching to the back, make sure you place the brackets to the outer edge of the frame so you have space to attach the metal sheet.

Attach the metal sheet to the back of your frame using the pan head screws. Pre-drill each hole. We attached a screw at each corner and then evenly spaced along the sides around 6-8” apart depending on if it was a short or long side.

*Note: our sheet metal was evenly spaced on the sides (3/4” overlap), but we had a larger overlap at the bottom than the top to allow more room for the hanging hardware.

Attach your hanging hardware. We used two saw tooth hangers.

Hang up and decorate! Make sure you use magnets too large to swallow if this is going to be around small kids!