Creating this washi tape decorated dry erase board is super low cost but a big boost for productivity! It is amazing what having a ready-made space for quick notes or bursts of genius will do to your work surface. Chiefly: this project rids your desk of the tons of sticky notes scattered around, slowly losing their sticky-ness. (What, is that just me?)
Washi Tape Dry Erase Note Board: So Simple it is Difficult
Today’s washi project is deceptively simple, which means I failed 3 different ways before getting it just right. So read on to learn from my mistakes to make sure when you try your hand at it you will have a successful result!
Supplies for Your Dry Erase Note Space with Washi Tape
An 8” x 10” picture frame with glass/plastic (go as big as is practical for your space; you are not going to get anything written in a 4” x 6” frame with a fat dry erase marker)
Paper/cardstock
Washi tape
Ruler
Scissors
Dry erase markers (preferably with built-in erasers!)
How to Assemble Your Washi Tape Dry Erase Board
Seriously, these are the steps:
- Cut paper/cardstock to the size of your frame.
- Decorate that paper with washi tape as desired.
- Place in frame.
- Use dry erase markers to write notes as needed.
How hard could that be? Apparently very hard, at least for me. Let’s go through some things I did wrong so that you can avoid the same pitfalls.
Measuring Your Frame/Photo Space
You would think that a frame that advertises itself as 8” x 10” would be that size, right? Turns out: not when you buy the super budget frame on sale at Joann’s. My first perfectly cut, beautifully decorated piece of paper did not fit in my frame, because the opening for the picture was actually 7 5/8” x 9 5/8”. Bummer.
I debated going to get a second piece of paper but ultimately just ended up using the insert paper that came with the frame. It already fits perfectly, the printed front did not show through to the back, and it saved me a trip upstairs. The choice is yours, but I think this hack came out just fine.
Account for the Overhang from the Inside Frame Edge
Got my perfectly fitted paper all decorated with washi tape, assembled the whole frame and… could not see 50% of my beautiful washi tape border. I was so frustrated I forgot to even take a picture of this part, I just broke the whole thing down. Turns out there was roughly a ¼” overhang on the inside frame edge. So check for that on your frame.
When I redid my washi tape placement allowing for the overhang, my page looked like this:
Reassembled the frame, turned it over, and… turns out ¼” was too generous a guess. The washi tape did not meet the frame edge. So I dissembled AGAIN and readjusted to 1/8”. That was nearly perfect, except…
Clean the Inside of the Glass Prior to Assembly
...There were little dots of dust marring my beautiful white background! So, while taking deep, calming breaths, I dissembled again, cleaned the glass inside and out, then reassembled. Finally, I had the beautiful result I had imagined!
The (Finally) Finished Product
Featuring a nice, large center space to jot down notes and things bordered by the beautiful washi tape from the Lights Collection, this Washi Tape Dry Erase Note Space was exactly what I wanted. Success, at last!
Customizing Your Own Washi Tape Dry Erase Note Board
Now, you could surely use a traditional dry erase board and decorate it with washi tape. I, however, went the picture frame route for several reasons:
- Could stand on my desk instead of hang on the wall
- Much cheaper overall
- The washi stays pristine behind the glass, instead of getting marred by markers and erasers
Some alternate ideas you might like to try for your own project:
- Use scrapbook paper instead of plain white paper
- Cover the whole space with washi, not just the border
Just take care, however, that you are not creating a space so busy that it will be difficult to read your notes. Otherwise, have a ball!
