For a while I have been wanting something on the wall by my bed where I could write stuff down (this is easier for me than typing it into an app, and keeps it visible). This post motivated me to get started on acquiring something, so thank you for that!
I decided a whiteboard would suit my needs better, but the problem is that most whiteboards are REALLY UGLY and I DO NOT want them in my room. So I did some poking around on ways to make whiteboards more attractive looking, and here are some results:
-Glass is dry erasable (duh! I knew that, but hadn’t previously thought about how to turn that into a nice dry erase board). Something like decorative paper or burlap in a nice frame (with a glass surface) works well as a pretty dry erase board. The plastic material that’s sometimes in frames also works, but not as well. You can also just use any piece of glass (old window, glass table top, etc) and mount it on your wall. Or put an empty frame on your wall so that the background color is your paint color.
-There exists dry erase paint that makes walls dry erasable. It is a clear coat, so you can keep whatever color wall you like. My friend has this, but it is moderately hard to wipe off because they didn’t sand down the wall first (so it’s a mottled surface).
-Metal is generally dry erasable (but uncertain about sealants that might be used on various metals), and you can get it in sheet metal form to make a dry erase board. Galvanized steel sheet metal is ALSO magnetic, if that’s useful to you. It’s also sharp though, so put it in a frame or whatnot.
-Tin ceiling tiles are really decorative, come in lots of colors, and some have a big flat space in the middle ( like this ). I am uncertain how the sealant or coloring (some have something swiped or mottled on) would effect its dry eraseability though, and the internet doesn’t seem to have answers. I expect the untreated one should work just fine, but then you don’t get the color choices. I just bought a five dollar sample though, and will tell you how it works.
-Plastic sheet covers are also dry eraseable. I wouldn’t want them on my wall, but might be useful to keep in mind.
The tin ceiling tiles work well as dry erase boards. I got a few samples, and learned that if the tile is “unfinished” it is much less dry eraseable than one that is finished. So you can get the tiles in any solid color. Note: Even on the finished ones, if you leave writing up for a really long time (multiple months), then it will leave a bit of an afterimage that’s hard to get off, but the same is true for regular dry erase boards.
MORE ATTRACTIVE WHITEBOARD SUBSTITUTES
For a while I have been wanting something on the wall by my bed where I could write stuff down (this is easier for me than typing it into an app, and keeps it visible). This post motivated me to get started on acquiring something, so thank you for that!
I decided a whiteboard would suit my needs better, but the problem is that most whiteboards are REALLY UGLY and I DO NOT want them in my room. So I did some poking around on ways to make whiteboards more attractive looking, and here are some results:
-Glass is dry erasable (duh! I knew that, but hadn’t previously thought about how to turn that into a nice dry erase board). Something like decorative paper or burlap in a nice frame (with a glass surface) works well as a pretty dry erase board. The plastic material that’s sometimes in frames also works, but not as well. You can also just use any piece of glass (old window, glass table top, etc) and mount it on your wall. Or put an empty frame on your wall so that the background color is your paint color.
-There exists dry erase paint that makes walls dry erasable. It is a clear coat, so you can keep whatever color wall you like. My friend has this, but it is moderately hard to wipe off because they didn’t sand down the wall first (so it’s a mottled surface).
-Metal is generally dry erasable (but uncertain about sealants that might be used on various metals), and you can get it in sheet metal form to make a dry erase board. Galvanized steel sheet metal is ALSO magnetic, if that’s useful to you. It’s also sharp though, so put it in a frame or whatnot.
-Tin ceiling tiles are really decorative, come in lots of colors, and some have a big flat space in the middle ( like this ). I am uncertain how the sealant or coloring (some have something swiped or mottled on) would effect its dry eraseability though, and the internet doesn’t seem to have answers. I expect the untreated one should work just fine, but then you don’t get the color choices. I just bought a five dollar sample though, and will tell you how it works.
-Plastic sheet covers are also dry eraseable. I wouldn’t want them on my wall, but might be useful to keep in mind.
How did the tin ceiling tiles work?
The tin ceiling tiles work well as dry erase boards. I got a few samples, and learned that if the tile is “unfinished” it is much less dry eraseable than one that is finished. So you can get the tiles in any solid color. Note: Even on the finished ones, if you leave writing up for a really long time (multiple months), then it will leave a bit of an afterimage that’s hard to get off, but the same is true for regular dry erase boards.