Dude, let’s go boarding — clipboarding, that is. I’m not coordinated enough for a surfboard, skateboard, or snowboard, but this I can handle. This old clipboard came from the playroom, where I dropped it among ceramic animals and told myself, “I’ll do something cute with this later.” Then life happened and the clipboard sat there through fall and winter until late spring, when it was finally time to deal with it. It was a party favor from a bridal shower last fall (we used them for bride-quiz games and were told to take ours home so the host and bride wouldn’t end up with a stack).
At first I considered covering the clipboard with pretty paper and using it on the wall to display Clara’s artwork or notes John and I leave each other. Before doing anything hasty I asked John for input, and he had a great idea.
In our first house we made an in-cabinet cork board to pin shopping lists, recipes, and food articles. We liked that, but didn’t want to repeat the same thing here. We already keep favorite recipes in a binder and make shopping lists on our phones. What we did have, though, was a messy stack of takeout menus shoved into the utensil drawer — they barely fit and required lifting the entire tray to access them. John suggested hanging the clipboard inside a kitchen cabinet to hold menus and a small notepad for quick grocery reminders when our phone isn’t handy (for example, while juggling a toddler). Sold.
I started by covering the clipboard with a cheerful teal paper. I considered patterned options but chose a simple background so whatever we clip onto it won’t clash or look too busy. The paper was an old remnant from a previous project.
I laid the paper under the clipboard, traced the shape, and cut it out. To fit around the metal clip, I estimated the depth and width of the top, cut a notch, and checked the fit on the board.
Next came the glue. I used a trusty bottle of tacky glue and spread a thin, even layer across the clipboard, smoothing it with my finger so the paper would lie flat without lumps showing through.
I pressed the paper onto the glued surface and weighed it down with books while it dried. (Yes, Clara’s book basket was the closest convenient weight.)
After it dried, I hung the clipboard inside our upper kitchen cabinet — the one above the built-in microwave — at an easy-to-reach height.
For now it’s fine on its own, though someday we might add a small framed picture above it for balance. The nice part is the clipboard stays completely hidden when the cabinet door is closed.
We didn’t want to make permanent holes in freshly painted cabinets, so we used a removable solution. The clipboard has a metal tab at the top, and we mounted a clear 3M Command hook inside the cabinet using its temporary adhesive. The hook can be removed later without peeling paint by pulling the adhesive tab, and the clipboard simply rests on the hook so it can be lifted off whenever we want.
Here’s a straight-on shot of the clipboard in use. Right now it holds takeout menus and a short grocery list I scribbled when my phone wasn’t handy.
Yes, that list really says “eggs (12)” — I forget if I wanted half a dozen or two dozen, so I wrote down the exact amount.
So there it is: an old clipboard repurposed for zero dollars. Our utensil tray no longer has to hold menus hostage, and it’s satisfying to see everything neatly stored and easy to reach.
What projects have you been putting off? Any clipboarding going on? It might be the next low-impact “athletic” pursuit for those of us who prefer to stay off boards that require actual balance — you can even “hang ten” — meaning you could hang ten menus.
P.S. We hung out with our teenage niece and nephew this weekend to learn current slang. Apparently “swagg” (like swagger, with an extra g) and the sarcastic “cool story bro, tell it again” are in vogue. There’s a whole new vocabulary that leaves us old people scratching our heads — and entertained.