Vintage-Inspired Clipboards

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Vintage-Inspired Clipboards

These Vintage-Inspired Clipboards are fun and easy crafts that allow you to personalize your office supplies. Using vintage wallpaper and fun embellishments, this tutorial will show you how to take your plain, boring clipboards and turn them into decorative office supplies. Create a variety of these personalized clipboards and hang them on a wall in your house to create a little orginazation system. Each board can hold different bills, or schedules for your family members. There are so many fun ways to use these one-of-a-kind clipboards.

Vintage-Inspired Clipboards

Materials:

  • Clipboards
  • Decoupage medium (Mod Podge Matte works well)
  • Sponge brush
  • Scissors
  • Sanding sponge
  • Vintage jewelry pieces or buttons
  • Vintage wallpaper, scrapbook paper, or wrapping paper
  • Ink for aging the edges (I like Tim Holtz Distress Ink in "Antique Linen" or "Vintage Photograph")

Instructions:

  1. I started with a motley collection of clipboards I purchased at estate sales. After you have selected your paper, place your clipboard on the paper and trace around it, then cut out the paper.
     
  2. Next, you have to make a cut to allow for the clip attachment at the top of the clipboard. I was able to do this by flipping the board over, and placing the paper on the back of the board.

    Vintage-Inspired Clipboards
     
  3. I was able to see where I should make angular cuts by looking at the front and back of the board. It wasn't a perfect method, but it worked for me. Here is my cut piece. Believe it or not, it fit quite well once the clip was lifted up.

    Vintage-Inspired Clipboards Vintage-Inspired Clipboards
     
  4. The next step is spreading the decoupage medium evenly all over your board. I like to keep the clip lifted up with one hand while applying the glue underneath, that way it won't stick to the paper later.

    Vintage-Inspired Clipboards
     
  5. Now slide your paper onto the board, and under the clip.  Press firmly around the clip area, and smooth all over the board. Use of a brayer is helpful if you have one. Let dry about a half hour.

    Vintage-Inspired Clipboards
     
  6. Once dry, I like to sand the edges with a sanding sponge if there is any paper overhang. You can also use some Distress Ink to age the edges and make your clipboard look more vintage. If you have air pockets in your clipboard, you can slice them with a razor blade and press down.
     
  7. Next, give the clipboard a topcoat everywhere except under the area where the clip touches the board.
     
  8. As a final touch, I embellished the silver clips with some vintage jewelry bits using E-6000 glue.  Because the glue doesn't set up right away, I had to prop up the clipboards at an angle while they dried.

    Vintage-Inspired Clipboards
     

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Now why didnt I think of this? What a simple way to take something that is ready for the trash heap and make it good as new again. This display is almost like art work. Too bad I only have one clip board that I can up-cycle. I will have to start looking around for more clip boards.

I can not wait to make these. I am always running across clip boards while cruising thru the second hand stores and just never think about them as a purchase. My son could use these in his classroom. Instead of the vintage colors, I can apply science related verbiage and have it attractive for the grade he instructs! Thanks for the inspiration.

As an Admin Assistant, I always have to find ways to make our office in order, and exciting at the same time. These vintage clipboards will add emotion to our dull office wall.

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