Glass Dry-Erase To-Do List.

For my birthday (which was in January!), my dad made me this big picture frame. I had asked for something this size to use as a dry erase board in our kitchen. (Glass can be used as a dry-erase board.) I wanted to have a giant to-do list but wanted something more decorative than a plain white dry erase board. I had envisioned organizing it with different grocery store lists, a to-clean list, etc.

However, I couldn’t decide what to put behind the glass. This is what I’ve finally settled upon.

I took a few road maps, which I received free from AAA. I ironed them so that they were semi-flat. I positioned them over each other and then cut two circles out of scrapbook paper to use so that the writing on the glass would show up well.

Here were the initial attempts at decorating this frame.

1. This idea included six different lists. However, the lists were uneven and the whole thing looked awful. So I struck out on that idea.

2. My second idea was to use this great fabric I purchased a few months ago. I bought 1/2 yard of it, which was the perfect size to use behind the glass. However, when I wrote on the glass, it didn’t show up well.

I considered just using it as a decorative frame, but it just didn’t look right. And it wasn’t useful. 

So I had one more idea (the map idea) and I am more than satisfied with the result. 

Writing shows up clearly, the colors match the rest of the kitchen, and it just looks better. And since I used circles for the lists (not rectangles or squares) if they’re not completely level, it isn’t very noticeable.

And you know what is really neat about this frame? It has four magnets built into the bottom. I can hang the dry erase pens on them. Or we can use them for messages with magnets (bottle cap magnets found here).

What do you use for messages and lists at your house?