Easy DIY Whiteboard with farmhouse frame

Hey there, friends! I can’t believe it’s already almost mid-April and how much life has changed due to the pandemic this past year. Things seem fairly normal in my world, with some exceptions. The biggest is the new mask life we have. They were nice wearing in the cold to help keep warm, but as the sun beats down on Georgia it’s getting a bit hot under one. HA! If you’re like me, you or your kids, may be working or schooling remotely. With this lifestyle change, it may be cool to try this easy, DIY whiteboard with farmhouse frame on one of your open walls. I sure love the dry erase whiteboard wall and my kids sure love it too! It’s an easy solution for school, work and fun!

How we use the DIY Whiteboard!

My daughter is only four and will be starting Kindergarten this year. Our whiteboard gives her a fun place to practice writing her name and letters. Plus, it’s fun to draw randomness on there, too! I’m a little nervous to leave my 2-year-old unattended with the whiteboard … but eventually I’ll trust that he won’t run around marking up all my walls!

This easy, DIY whiteboard also has been pivotal in helping me keep track of all my to-do’s as I’ve started this blog…which is actually what first inspired me to make one in my home. I set it in my basement on an open wall that needed some love.

Gather supplies!

So, how do you make this easy, DIY whiteboard with Farmhouse frame for your home? It’s pretty simple! First, decide where you want to put a dry erase board and what size you need. I chose a 4’ x 6’ board since I had a large space I could put it in. There are various sizes and they are peel and stick! I have plans to add another one inside my home office that is 4’ x 3’.

Next, order your whiteboard and head to the nearest home improvement store, like Home Depot, to purchase your frame materials. I grabbed four 8’ pieces of wood that were 4” wide. I thought the width would be perfect for the frame. This frame and the process I did for the paint job is similar to my bathroom mirror frame, which you can read about here.

Some other supplies you’ll need are paint or stain, and adhesive or nails. We chose to use our nail gun to attach the frame but you can also use liquid nails or a general construction adhesive. Just remember that it will stick permanently to the wall, so consider what you may want to change about the whiteboard location in the future.

Get started!

Now that we have our whiteboard delivered and our framing supplies, we can get started. First, I’d wipe down the wall that you will be placing the whiteboard to. Wipe with soap and water and dry it really good. Next, follow the steps provided with the dry erase board to install on your wall. Roll it slowly and smooth it along the way (smoothing tools are provided with the whiteboard!). The white board goes on easily, but remember it does say in the directions that the adhesive will stick well and could ruin your sheetrock when you remove, unless you use a blow dryer or something else to warm it up before removing. So again, consider the location and if you are fine with it being there near permanently. I was totally fine with the location I chose and hope it’ll be there for years and years to come!

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Here is what ours looked like after installing on the wall and before framing. As you can see, there was a slight bit of damage to one small area on the side. I wasn’t upset with it at all since I was going to be installing a frame on this easy, DIY whiteboard.

Painting the frame

Now it was time to paint the frame. We cut the piece of wood to frame perfectly around the white board. You have a couple options on how you want to frame it. You can angle your cuts like we did, or stack, as shown below. It’s really a matter of preference.

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Next, sand your wood and wipe it clean so you can then apply your primer. You can also purchase pre-primed wood for your frame as well. There really are a ton of options you can choose from for your frame! Or instead of priming and painting, you can stain the frame. Your preference and décor will drive what you do for your frame.

Since I chose to paint, I’ll explain how to get the farmhouse effect I did on my frame. Once the primer dries, apply two coats of white paint. I used Pure White from Sherwin Williams. No need to paint the back, but make sure you paint the front and sides so it’s fully covered on all visible places once the frame is placed!

After the Pure White dried, I layered on Peppercorn paint, also from Sherwin Williams. I waited about 2-3 minutes and grabbed an old rag and wiped off the paint. Not a full wipe off, just grazing the top to remove some of the paint and to leave a cool look. It turned out amazing and rustic and had a modern farmhouse feel. This is exactly what an easy DIY whiteboard with farmhouse frame should look!

Apply the frame!

Now that the painting part is done and dried, it’s time to install the frame. We used a nail gun to install. Just place your top piece and nail it in in several places. Add the next piece and nail again. Do this till all four pieces of the frame are placed. Make sure to use a level to confirm the frame is being laid correctly. This will help the additional pieces of the frame fit in nicely as you work your way around the frame.

If you plan to use construction adhesive, place a small amount in a wave pattern along the back of the wood and place it level and continue till all pieces are on. You may need to place painter’s tape to help hold it in place till the adhesive sets. You can follow the same steps I did placing my bathroom mirror frame here.

Enjoy the fruits of your labor …

Once you have the frame on, take a step back and look at your handiwork. It’s done! Test it out and appreciate the fact you now have an easy, DIY whiteboard with farmhouse frame in your home ready to capture your to-do list, or release your artistic self on, or for anything you can imagine. You’ll find more and more uses for it as you go!

Do you have a perfect spot for a DIY whiteboard with farmhouse frame in your home? Let me know in the comments below.

Be Blessed!