DIY Magnetic Boards with MagPanels

We've been having tons of fun in the craft room this week playing with these ready-to-embellish magnetic panels from MagPanels! Since they are great for all kinds of rooms and purposes, DIY magnetic display boards are a fantastic craft for everyone. The precut magnetic boards from MagPanels come in a variety of sizes and orientations and have rounded edges for a smooth, clean look. Check out our stepout photos below to see how we embellished a large vertical MagPanel (11-3/4" x 13-1/2") with fabric, adding a pocket for extra usability. Fabric rosette flowers were glued onto magnets for a coordinated look. This one will look great in the office!

• First, choose two fabrics: a main fabric and a contrast pocket fabric. We used a print from Anna Maria Horner's LouLouThi line and accented with a simple orange stripe semi-solid. FYI - fat quarters are the perfect size for this project!
• To give the pocket some stiffness, we backed ours with a light fusible interfacing and folded it in half for double thickness.
• Use spray adhesive to cover the MagPanel with fabric. Trim away a few inches from each corner to cut down on bulk, and then fold all the excess fabric to the back of the panel to glue in place (we used Fabri-Tac glue). You can see from our photos below how we started at each corner, pulling fabric tight in layers around the corners for a smooth finish. Be generous with the glue!

• Run lines of glue along each back edge of the panel and pull fabric taut before pressing into place. Apply extra glue as needed so that fabric is flat and secure at folds on corners.
• Once the entire board is covered with your base fabric, determine the placement of your pocket (being sure that precut holes are at the top end of the panel - you can feel them through your fabric). Apply a thin line of glue around the bottom edge and press the pocket piece into place so that the folded edge is along the top.
• Trim away the corners and glue excess onto back as done with base fabric, again being generous with the glue for a nice, tight pocket. 

• Each MagPanel comes with a perfectly-sized piece of black wool felt. Use sharp scissors to round each corner and then use spray adhesive or Fabri-Tac to adhere felt onto back of panel for a nice, professional finish.
• Use the tools provided in a grommet kit to hammer a hole through all layers of the fabric and felt through pre-cut holes in panel (you might need to use a pair of precision-tip scissors to completely cut away the fabric/felt after punching the holes). Attach grommets according to package instructions and voila - your MagPanel is finished! All you have to do now is add a ribbon for hanging.

We tried out a few different ideas for using MagPanels, including leaving out the fabric altogether and spraypainting with chalkboard paint. It turned out fabulously - we think it would be great for use in the kitchen or any office!

We also thought you could use a MagPanel to display interchangeable seasonal messages. Here, we backed precut glittered chipboard letters and felt/fabric flowers with small magnets. You can spell out "Welcome," count down to Christmas or display a simple holiday greeting that is super-easy to change for the occasion.

Be sure to join us for our November Tweet Meet on 11/28 at 9pm EST/8pm CST, sponsored by MagPanels, where you can enter to win a $100 gift certiciate to MagPanels.com!

Disclaimer: MagPanels and grommets for this post were provided to our team by MagPanels.com.