Making a Menu Board

I have been wanting to tackle this project for months.  I was super motivated to get all the supplies, and then to the back burner it went!  Well, now this project has it’s time to shine :)

My main reason for doing this is to start being better with meal planning, shopping, and making healthier choices for dinner.  Let's begin!!!

Gather your materials:

* 14x11 magnetic whiteboard like this one (Whiteboard Link)  

* Picture frame for 14x11 photos (make sure it is deep enough for the magnet board to fit inside).  My frame is close to an inch deep and the board fits inside perfectly.  I purchased my frame at Hobby Lobby when they had a crazy sale so it was very affordable!

* Washi Tape - this can be any pattern or color you want

* Paint color cards - I went and grabbed a bunch from Home Depot.  Free and tons of colors in the perfect size!

* 3M Command Velcro

* Ruler

* Permanent Marker

1.  The first thing I did was measure out the line on the whiteboard.  I divided the board into 8 sections and I made the top one a little larger.  If I ever get a Cricut Explore I’ll make a cute name for up there but for now, I hand wrote our name.

2.  I cut out strips of colored paper from the paint strips.  I used my nerdy paper cutter that I have from my teaching days so that they were all the same size.

3.  To make the board a little cuter, I used the washi tape around the edge of the board.  Then I put the board in the frame and used the 3M velcro to stick it up to the wall.  It is important to make sure you check to see that the magnet board will fit completely into the frame.  If not, the board will have no way of sticking to the wall.

4.  I gathered up my magnets and then I was ready to go!

The thing that kept holding me back is all the recipes and ideas for meals.  The OCD in me wanted everything done and labels printed to use on the board.  When I finally got going, I just decided to hand write meal ideas as we went along.  It’s not as pretty as I would like but it’s working and we love it!  

For the future:

I will continue to handwrite the meals but once we have a good database, I will go back and print labels with my label maker.  If you don't own a label maker yet, I highly suggest you invest in one.  I also think I will leave room to maybe add sides to the menu, but right now, that's way too much :)

When OCD Takes Over:  

I will color code the cards to match the main protein in the meal.  Or maybe I'll add sides.  Or maybe both.  Who knows what might happen when I get going :)