Easy DIY wood clipboard

I do a lot of DIY projects around here, but my favourite projects are ones that I know my readers will actually try. There’s nothing more rewarding than when one of you sends me a photo of your completed project or a quick note saying how well your project turned out. I designed this easy DIY wood clipboard specifically for those of you who want a simple project. Additionally, no power tools are needed. My easy DIY wood clipboard is the perfect afternoon project and I guarantee you will want more than one!

The finished size of the clipboard is 10 ¾” wide by 23 ½” high by 1 ½” deep. You can make yours any size you like by adjusting the dimensions. Perhaps you’d like to have the clips oriented differently or you’d like to allow more space to clip larger artwork?

Supplies

Note- you can have your pieces cut at your local wood store. Alternatively, if you have a circular saw or mitre saw, you can cut your pieces at home.

• Pine board: 9 ¼” wide by 22” long by ¾” thick (purchase a 1 x 10 board and have it cut to 22” long)
• Trim piece (pine): Cut two of 1 ½” wide by 10 ¾” long by ¾” thick (purchase a 1 x 2 board and have it cut into 2 pieces 10 ¾” long each)
• Trim piece (pine): Cut two of 1 ½” wide by 22” long by ¾” thick (have your 1 x 2 board cut into 2 pieces 22” long each)
• Fusion Mineral Paint (tester size 37 mL) in Peony
• Homestead House Stain & Finishing Oil in Cappuccino
• Wood glue
• 320 grit sandpaper (1 sheet)
• 8 spiral finishing nails (1 ½” long size)
• 6 small screws (about 5/8” long) unless they’re included with your clips
• Tim Holtz clipboard clips – two sets of 2

Tools

• Paintbrushes (1-2” size) for paint and stain
• Hammer
• Countersink tool
• Screwdriver
• Awl (optional)
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

Instructions for the easy DIY wood clipboard

• First, have all your wood pieces cut to size according to the supply list above
• Place the wood pieces together to ensure that there will be a good fit
• Lightly sand each piece; wipe clean
• Mark the location of the clips and use an awl or screw tip to make indentations in the wood where the clip screws will be affixed
• Paint the clipboard main piece with 2 coats of paint (one side only), allowing to dry at least an hour between coats
• Meanwhile, stain the trim pieces on the three facing sides and ends (back side doesn’t need staining)- apply stain with a brush, allow to dry only 5 minutes, then wipe dry with a clean, lint-free cloth
• Allow paint and stain to dry for a few hours in a warm spot before proceeding
• Once dry, you can give the painted surface and stained surfaces a very light sanding to produce a smoother effect (make sure your sandpaper grit is 320 or higher)

• Affix one trim piece at a time, starting with the longer sides- to do this, apply glue to the side edge of the main piece and then push the trim piece onto it, then secure with 2 nails
• Affix all four sides, nailing the shorter trim pieces last
• Use the countersink tool to ensure the nails are flush (or slightly inset) without damaging the wood surface

• Screw the clips onto the completed board using the indents
• Finally, add some fun postcards or artwork

Styling

I chose to paint my clipboard with a soft pink because I thought it would look pretty next to my Paris postcards. I associate pale pink with Paris, as well as other colours like white, grey, boxwood green, and grey-blue. Since I am planning to use pink in my spring décor, I thought pink would be a good choice for my easy DIY wood clipboard. The cappuccino stain is a good classic stain colour that works with just about any colour.

You could even apply wallpaper or a stencilled design to the back of your clipboard. That would be really pretty!

If you’re interested in the Paris postcards, I purchased them in a set from Amazon. The set contains 32 international postcards with a vintage look. I’d love to collect and display some real vintage Paris postcards.

Display options

In addition to postcards, you could display birthday or holiday cards, art cards, recipe cards, inspirational quote cards, or any other keepsake like a treasured letter or concert tickets. You could also make a larger version to display children’s artwork or other artwork like botanical prints. Or you could make several of these and create a gallery wall.

I hope you have enjoyed my post, Easy DIY wood clipboard. If you do make one of your own, I’d love to see how yours turns out!

If you liked this post and want to try some of my other easy DIY projects, here are a few of my favourites:

DIY Robin’s Eggs for Easter

Easy DIY Ticking Stripe Napkins

Easiest DIY Blanket Ladder