How I Made My Magnetic Whiteboard CC Board

I decided to go a different route for my CC board than the typical trifold board. I’ll explain why, how I made it, and where I got my materials.

I’ll also explain some pros and cons to it so you can see if this style of a CC board/CC tutor board is a good fit for you or not.

Let’s get started!

Why I’m Skipping the Trifold Board

While I love the idea of the trifold board being lightweight and easily portable, I wanted something more sturdy and I guess I’ll say, aesthetically pleasing.

Of course, you may think it’s ugly, but I like it. 🙂

Because I plan to use this board in my home (as well as at CC community days) I knew I would need something nice to look at.

I am NOT that person that is good about putting things away when I am done with them. I wish it were so, but I’ve just never been good at that.

So, I knew this board would be up all CC year in my dining room. Sure, if we have guests coming over, I can move it. (But also, isn’t it fun to leave it up and show others what our kids are learning?)

This board looks more permanent/intentional for the home and less like it is for science fair and I forgot to put it away.

Materials Needed for DIY CC Board

Here’s what you’ll need to gather:

• 36″x48″ aluminum sheet metal – I found mine at Lowes for about $20
• 36″x48″ trifold foam board – yes, you still need this to back the sheet metal, I got mine at Walmart
• duct tape
• heavy duty adhesive & something to apply it with – I used JB Clear Weld & a popsicle stick
• optional – whiteboard adhesive paper for the back side of the board

When picking out your foam board, pay attention to the color you grab. I went with black and put whiteboard paper over it.

You can choose black and do a transparent whiteboard paper on it if you want to do neon dry erase or chalk markers.

You can even choose a fun color and use transparent whiteboard paper on it and use a black dry erase marker.

Or, just choose your favorite color and don’t apply any whiteboard paper on it and it will simply be a sturdy backing to your sheet metal board.

How to Assemble the CC Board

You may be anxious about how awkward it is to carry the sheet metal board – but trust me, it is so much easier to carry once it is mounted and taped onto a foam board.

Here are the steps I took:

1. Look over the sheet metal for any imperfections. You will have the imperfection side face the foam board so that the pretty side is facing out.
2. Apply heavy duty adhesive to the sheet metal board and the foam board, working quickly so that it doesn’t dry. Remember to apply the adhesive on the ugly side. I also made the foam board more sturdy by having the side that folds face the sheet metal.
3. Line up the sheet metal and foam board, paying extra attention to the edges. You will cover it with duct tape so it isn’t going to cut you, but the better you line it up, the easier it is to not hurt yourself.
4. Once dry, apply the whiteboard paper to the foam board. Skip this step if you don’t want a whiteboard on the back.

   

5. Apply duct tape around the edges so that it covers both the front and back side of your board. This will make a pretty border and make it safe to carry. Because this is a border – make sure your borders are even in width so it looks intentional.

That’s it!

To make it pretty, pick out some shop tickets in your preferred colors, make some subject headers, a GOD sign for in the middle, your room expectations, your class list, and your schedule.

As you have probably noticed, I got my ideas straight from My Chocolate Moments on YouTube. She has the cutest stuff.

Because I have been blogging for years & have some social media graphic experience, I know Canva very well and decided to make my own.

But, I totally encourage you to purchase My Chocolate Moments templates on Etsy if you aren’t comfortable with design software. You can grab her stuff here: My Chocolate Moments Etsy Shop

Last year I went with pastels and loved it.

This year, I am doing red, white, and blue since we are doing American history AND it was the 250th birthday.

But you do you and pick your fav color palette!

How I Fit My CC Board in My Car

I drive a 4Runner for reference.

It does not fit in my trunk space but it does fit behind the driver’s seat.

I have the board all set up when I leave the house (since it was set up for my home use already!) so I just face the shop ticket side to my backseat. This way my kids don’t play with it since it’s right in front of them in the car.

Will this fit in your sedan? No.

Will it fit in your van? Likely, yes.

Will it fit in your truck? In the bed/canopy and maybe behind the passenger seat.

A trick to seeing if it fits is to just buy the trifold foam board and see if it fits in your car – no folding!

Of course, you’ll know right away if you try to leave Lowes with your sheet metal board and it doesn’t fit. But that’s always awkward, so do the foam board first!

Pros and Cons to This Style of CC Board

The Pros:

1. It’s pretty so I don’t feel I need to hide it when I’m overstimulated at home 😉
2. It’s magnetic – great for shop tickets & attaching Timeline cards.
3. It’s durable.
4. It has a portable whiteboard which I used for science & art on community days.
5. It’s not as expensive as buying large magnetic whiteboards.

The Cons:

1. It’s kind of annoying to lug around, but certainly not impossible. I don’t have a wagon so I just put my bag of tutor supplies on my arm and carry the board. My kids carry my lunch/water bottle for me 🙂
2. It might not fit in your car. It won’t fit in a sedan.
3. It’s more expensive than just buying the foam board.
4. It isn’t foldable.

Save this Tutorial for Later!

Save this tutorial for your own DIY CC board/CC tutor board on Pinterest so you have the supply list and instructions ready to go! Thank you for sharing!