In Search of a Whiteboard, Part 1

8/20/2014 01:00:00 PM Lexie Dunne 11 Comments

I want a whiteboard.

Not one of those little whiteboards you stick on your dorm room door or by your fridge. I have one of those (the little tennis ball holder is Sybil). What I’ve decided I need is a giant whiteboard that takes up most of a wall and I can draw dragons write up plot ideas and have a temporary place for things I write down that I don’t need to keep, but do need to remind myself about. If you take a look at any of my multitude of notebooks (I have boxes and boxes), you’ll discover that the pages make very little sense even to the author, as they’re a mish-mash of notes pages with very little detail, tucked in among pages of various works in progress.

So in anticipation of buying a whiteboard to install while moving into my new place*, I went on a shopping site safari, where I discovered that the size I want (at LEAST 4x6’) cost anywhere above $179, which is a little bit out of my budget.

Curious, I clicked over to see if there was a DIY solution, and I found several videos advising the use of white paneling from either Lowe’s or Home Depot (where they’ll cut it for you), which costs about $10-$20. The boards do require a little care (windexing before use) and seem to be a good alternative to whiteboard paint, which apparently can cost up to $65 for a few square feet**. You can even go super fancy and make molding for them, or buy pre-made molding. I would add a line of magnetic strip to the top for paper notes since it won’t be magnetized.

Right now I’m elbow-deep in the final polishing stages of SUPERHEROES ANONYMOUS, so it’s not a good time to attempt a project like this. But I’m also plotting the sequel and I can’t help but think it would be such a great addition to help me think, so I may decide that it’s worth the hassle of moving a giant board like this between apartments next month. Especially if I hire movers like I’m thinking about doing.

So here’s my question: what do you guys think about this as a DIY project? Is this a good idea? Any suggestions?

* Wherever that is. Apartment-hunting is a nightmare.
** And I want a board I’ll be able to transfer between apartments when I move next.