Fabric-Covered Magnet Board

decor & DIY

Make this giant fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

My kids love playing with magnets. The door into our garage is metal, so it's been covered with magnets for years. Unfortunately for them (but nice for me!), I just turned that door into a magnetic chore chart. So all of those magnets have been sitting sadly in a plastic bin, waiting for someone to play with them again.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

Until now! Because I made Mason this giant fabric-covered magnet board.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

This sucker is HUGE. Like, bigger than him huge. 48" x 25" huge. When I looked around online, I found a few different fabric magnet boards (like this one and this one) that were almost $70 and were about half this size. Mine cost less than $20 and it took about 30 minutes to make.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20! - Start with this large metal sheet.

It all started with a $12 oil drip pan from Walmart. I had seen these drip pans as magnet boards all over Pinterest, but most of those pins show them being used plain. The pan I found had embossed writing on it, so I didn't want to put it up on the wall like that. I had originally thought about covering it with wrapping paper, but I realized that was going to be difficult and you'd probably be able to see the writing through it. So I decided to go with fabric.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

And then I spotted this fabric at Joann's. Mason loves himself some Lightning McQueen, and he is constantly turning anything he can find into a racetrack. I figured he could play with his magnets and cars on here, so it was a two-fer.

This is such an easy and inexpensive project, and it's so much fun for the little people. {Connor has been playing with this nearly as much as Mason, and he's almost 7!}

Supplies to create your fabric-covered magnet board:

  • Oil drip pan - I got mine at Walmart for $12, but you should be able to find one at any auto supply store
  • Spray adhesive
  • Fabric of your choice - Be sure to use a thinner fabric, like cotton or flannel, because a thicker fabric won't allow your magnets to stick.
  • Hot glue gun
  • Large Command Picture-Hanging Strips

How to Make a Fabric-Covered Magnet Board

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

Start by laying your drip pan on top of your fabric and trimming it so you have about an extra 3"-4" of fabric all the way around.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

Next, lay your fabric on top of your pan the way you want it. Then, fold it back halfway and spray the exposed half of the pan with your spray adhesive. Fold your fabric back over the adhesive and smooth it out with your hands.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

If you get a bump like this, it's not a big deal. Just slowly pull the fabric back off the pan, and then re-smooth it out.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

All fixed!

Repeat with the other half of the fabric and smooth the fabric with your hands to make sure that it's entirely adhered to the front of the drip pan.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

Now you're going to flip the whole thing over and glue the excess fabric to the back. Spray adhesive can make a giant mess, so I used hot glue for this part. Just go around the whole edge and glue the fabric down.

Make this huge fabric-covered magnet board for less than $20!

When you get to the corners, just make it as smooth as you can. It doesn't need to look pretty, because it's going to be against the wall.

Place your Command Strips on the back according to the directions on the package. I used all 4 sets of the large strips, even though it says that will hold up to 16 pounds. This weighs way less than that, but I figured it's better to be safe than sorry.

Great magnet play board for kids - fabric-covered repurposed oil pan means inexpensive, huge, and fabulous.

Hang it up, again according to the directions on the Command Strips package, give your kids some magnets and let 'em go nuts!

Now you're going to flip the whole thing over and glue the excess fabric to the back. Spray adhesive can make a giant mess, so I used hot glue for this part.

The kids are having such fun with this, but I think it would be great to make one of these and use it as a giant chore chart, a home command center, or in an office as a bulletin board. There are so many fabric options out there, you could make one for every room in your house!

Where in your house would you use one of these magnet boards?

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Hi, I’m Jenn. I’m a freelance writer and editor who lives in central Pennsylvania with my husband and three boys. Yeah. That’s a lot of testosterone in one house. I love decorating, DIYing, crafting, baking, and cooking, and I’m constantly scouring everything I see for inspiration. My ideas can come from anywhere: Pinterest, books, magazines, stores, TV shows, websites, other blogs, other people’s homes, nature. You name it, and I’ve gotten an idea from it. {Literally. I selected the color scheme for our family room from a pocket pack of tissues. Totally not making that up.} I hope to teach others that, if you really pay attention to the world around you, you can get inspiration from anything! I love to hear from readers, so be sure to leave me a comment! Or, if you’d prefer to email me, you can do that too — just visit my contact form. Thanks for stopping by!

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