A Second Magnet Board Option

Several months ago, I posted about a magnet board that I made for one of my granddaughters from a large, repurposed frame and a sheet of metal from the hardware store. But now we needed a manlier option for a grandson.

I found this amazing frame (with a painting of a chef that our resident two-year-old fell in love with) at my favorite thrift store for a dollar. Using blue painter's tape, I taped around the frame to protect it.

Then, following the directions on the back of the can, I applied three coats of magnetic primer paint--that's the black stuff--re-taping between coats to prevent build-up around the edges:

(Sorry, sometimes I forget about taking pictures until I am in the middle of a project.)

Let me tell you a little about this magical mixture. First, it isn't available everywhere, so check around before you head out. I didn't find it at my usual craft stores, didn't find it at Home Depot, but finally did find it at Lowes. Google says you can get it at Walmart, but I would call them first to be sure. It is also expensive, $20 for a relatively small can. And this project didn't require very much. (So if you are my friend, live nearby, and want to do something like this, just borrow mine.) If you do end up buying it at the hardware store, be sure to have them mix it for you. I opened my can to find a layer of smelly medium floating on top of a quagmire of metallic sludge. I stirred it for a very, very, very long time. (I think it would have been faster to drive back to Lowes and have them mix it for me.)

I really like the look. But in the interest of full disclosure, the magnetic pull is not as strong as I hoped it would be. Could more coats of paint help that? I don't know. Does using stronger magnets make a difference? Not really. So my compromise is to use several magnetic clips, like these, along with regular magnets:

I love your artwork, buddy!