ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

1. Cut the dry-erase board to fit the dimensions of your wainscot space. If using a hand or table saw, cut the panels with the finished side facing up. If using a circular saw or saber saw, the face should be down to minimize chipping of the surface.

2. Every installation will be a little different, but in most cases you can adhere the dry-erase board to the wall by caulking a latex-based adhesive to the back of the board and gluing it on. The less permanent way to install is to simply nail the sheets in place with 1 1⁄2” flat-head ring shank nails. Either way, be sure to leave a 3⁄16” gap between the bottom of each panel and the floor or baseboard, and if you’re using more than one piece, leave a 1⁄16” gap between adjacent panels. This allows for expansion and will help keep the board from bowing.

3. For a finished look, add molding to the top and attach it to the wall with pin nails.

Safety First:
This project is for kids old enough to know not to put pens in their mouth, or for those with eagle-eyed parents. We recommend choosing alcohol-based low-odor markers.

Tip:
Don’t make the mistake of thinking this is the same material as the white shower board used in bathrooms. They look alike, but if you leave dry-erase marker scrawls in the shower for more than a few hours, you’d better get used to them—they won’t come off. Framing Ideas Your kid is a prodigy. The “paintings” she brings home are taking over every available surface of your home. Get some perspective, people! Not every splatter on craft paper belongs on the wall. Here are a few less abstract-expressionist ways to display her artistic promise.

1. For kids old enough to write, hand them a few colorful pens and a Spirograph kit, and watch them go to it. The intricate cyclones that emerge will be wall worthy.

2. Never mind the finger paint. Make a tech-age memento of those plump little paws by placing them on a scanner or copy machine, then letting her color in the prints herself.

3. Document your mini Maya Angelou’s poetry by typing it up with an old Underwood or copying it down in your best cursive on a piece of archival paper. Framing it will make her feel like the budding literary star that she is.