For the Back to School event I decided to upcycle an old wooden frame with glass cover, turning it into a reusable board for both dry-erase and chalk markers. I fixed a few small dents on the frame, and for the background I used a beautiful Mi-Teintes ivory Canson art paper. The idea was to design a background that creates separate spaces for taking notes on the glass, keeping it handy so that I don’t miss any event deadlines, ideas, or to-dos.
It all began with some doodles on my tablet. I created a whole collection of small drawings and interesting doodle line brushes that I can reuse in many other projects, and then I turned them into clean vectors with Illustrator. Among them, I really liked a set of doodles representing little post-it style notes hanging on a clothesline with clothespins, very similar to how I like to display my latest works in my craft room. The design is simple but very versatile, so I decided to share it publicly in the official Idea Studio library. You can already find it by searching “Notes” and sorting by most recent.
To keep the hanging strings very thin, I cut them from Loklik black permanent vinyl. To save material, I filled the cutting area with some unused doodles, so I now have extra cuts to decorate other things in the studio. For the hanging notes, I chose a Print then Cut on Fotokarton, a 300 gsm quality matte white cardstock made for printing, which gives a very elegant look. This adds a subtle 3D/shadow effect, giving depth to the board. Once cut, the notes can be arranged freely across the background with a drop of glue, or left loose so the layout can be reconfigured at any time. A few pieces are still unused, so I can keep them as cute keepsakes. After everything was in place, I just cleaned the glass, closed the frame, and enjoyed writing colorful notes on my brand-new upcycled board.
This project combines design, upcycling, and practical crafting. A simple idea that adds charm and function to my daily note-taking.
This is such a clever and beautifully executed project! I love how you blended upcycling with intentional design—turning a simple frame into a functional, customizable workspace is genius. The Mi-Teintes ivory paper adds such a soft elegance, and those clothesline doodles? Absolutely charming. It’s like you bottled the spirit of a cozy craft room and made it interactive.
