DIY Kitchen Whiteboard

One good habit i got into when i moved in with Mr W many years ago was to write out a weekly meal menu for the household as it helped reduce leftover waste and made me only buy what i needed from the supermarket. Planning meals in advance also had a positive impact on our health levels too as we were less likely to snack or order take away when we couldn't think of what to cook after work. I would simply print out a list and bluetack that to the kitchen cupboard. But I've always fancied a more permanent fixture.

After a serious craft fail at making a DIY blackboard (the paint went streaky and then peeled off) i came across this suggestion on Pinterest which looked like a quick and easy solution. So i bought a very cheap frame from Ikea and set about making my menu board.

Clearly i should have paid attention to the whole 'GLASS' photo frame point as I'm now having problems finding a pen that will work well on the plastic pane i have in my frame (doh) but otherwise i think its come out great.

I used a roll of old wallpaper sample that i got for free from B&Q as the backing and then printed out 'Menu', 'Don't Forget', 'To Do' and 'Shopping List' templates which i arranged behind the pane so i could write on a clear white surface.

Supposedly, dry wipe eraser pens (i.e. whiteboard markers) should work on plastic, but i found they set and stain. I actually patch tested various brands of pen to check they would work and they wiped off fine within the first five minutes but when i used them overnight that's when the problems started and they wouldn't come off. I did my research but it didn't work for me. Just to warn you. After a quick splash of white spirit and an Amazon order later i used some non-permanent markers instead which can be used on plastic and removed with water. These have worked fine, leaving minimal marks after removal. Its still not perfect and I suspect this would be a whole different story if i had used a glass pane but, oh well, its not the end of the world is it?