paper on a clipboard

 

I was working on a set of clipboards this week and wanted to share a small "how to" for putting paper on a clipboard. The challenge is getting around the clip.  Here's how I do it:

• Measure your clipboard and cut a rectangular piece of paper to fit.  
• Slide the paper up under the clip, matching the bottom of your paper with the bottom of the clipboard.  
• Fold over the paper at the top where it hits the bottom of the clip base (the hardware secured to the board under the top clip). 
• Mark your folded paper with two little marks on each side of the clip base and remove the paper from the board.  
• Unfold the paper and add a mark at the top mid-way between your two clipboard base marks.  
• Starting at your top mark, cut away a triangle shape (where the base of the triangle is along your folded line between the two clip base marks).  
• Slide the paper under the clip again matching the base of your triangle against the clip base. 
• Use your fingers or a small embossing tool to "fit" the paper around the rest of the clip base. These will be your lines for cutting so make them nice and crisp (I use my nails). 
• Turn the clipboard over and use a pencil to mark around any excess paper (like at the corners).  I do this on the edge of a table so I can keep the clipboard flat where I'm marking. 
• Remove the paper again and cut away the rest of the clip base and any corners that you marked. 

You should now have a piece of paper that fits your clipboard perfectly (cool, huh?).  I keep the paper on the clipboard and, starting at the top, secure the paper to the board with ModPodge.  After it dries, I use one more very important step...

Sand the edges of your paper and board with a sanding sponge.  This is the final touch that takes your paper from being just on the board to actually being part of the board...it makes a huge difference in the look of the clipboard. 

Comments

[colleen]

I love it! I've been buying clipboards at yard sales lately, and I don't know what to do with them. This is a great idea!

[lera]

Oooh! So very pretty. Thanks for sharing.

[Liz]

Very cool. I'm still pretty darn sure I'd end up botching it though. I'm a disaster with projects. :)

And I adore green flowers as well. Just gorgeous.

[tammyCA]

How neat...I have a blah clipboard, but it has a different clip - when I get time I'll try it. What is a sanding sponge, never heard of it before?

[Wonders Never Cease]

I've tried a couple but they never turn out as well as yours. Maybe it's the sanding sponge. I'll try that next time. Thanks so much for sharing your instructions!

[Lorilee]

Wow what a really great way to make a used clipboard pretty again. What kind of paper--Scrapbooking? I have never heard of a sanding sponge. Where does one look for that?

[barbara]

I have an ugly clipboard, a pretty piece of wallpaper, a jar of Mod Podge - and VACATION! Thanks for the tips! Can't wait to try it.

[Casey]

how fun!!! thank you so much for sharing this... now I must go hunt some delicious paper up to cover my ever-present clipboard. :) (it's always next to my computer along with my planner!)

[Kelly]

Thank you so much! I picked up a clipboard for free at school last spring and have wanted to cover it and use it for the person writing down my gifts at upcoming wedding showers. I didn't know how to get around the clip and decided it was something I didn't need to do. Literally that was just days ago and here you are with a helpful how to! Thank you so much for always being so generous. I was in Hobby Lobby today and was thinking of you and your post on glue! Thanks! Kelly

[Mary]

Ditto to all the above thanks! I've been collecting old clipboards from thrift stores and now can decorate them properly!