Built in Whiteboards!!

diy dry erase tables

My sister told me about this amazing idea she found on  Kinder Keri's Awesome Owls, using vinyl as a built in dry erase board on your tables!


I had a lot of extra Dry Erase Adhesive Paper from back when I put my whiteboard together:

diy whiteboard

I took the one large piece I had left and cut it into four (sort of even) squares. I have to say it was MUCH easier putting this on a flat table than on a chalkboard!! I used the odd shaped pieces to make the fifth and largest board for my own spot. I sealed off each square with electrical tape and then covered the remainder of the table with black contact paper

I even covered up a little bit of the electrical tape (just the edge to seal it tight!) I am hoping that this will prevent little fingers from picking at the boards. I know my students will be fine with it once we go over the routine, but my room is also used for after school groups - I figured it would not hurt to be thorough in covering it up!! I finished it off by edging the entire table with zebra Duck Tape to keep it from lifting up.

diy whiteboard tables

My students saw this when it was a work in progress on Thursday (just the boards halfway electrical taped with no contact paper.) They were really excited about it, even my 5th graders! I am really looking forward to seeing what they think of it on Tuesday. I know that it will be a huge time saver for 1st grade. Now when I see I have three minutes left in group I will not have to fly about the room gathering whiteboards and markers! We will be Word Work ready at all times!

As for 3rd, 4th and 5th (my computer lab students) I think this will be useful for recording details as they listen/read their computer stories. I was going to start using Graphic Organizers this week, to help with recalling information from the story, and this will save me from having to run off tons of copies each day! I can draw the organizer I want them to use for each day on the whiteboard and they can copy it onto their individual boards.

I am wicked excited, and cannot wait to try this out! (Of course I would make it the day before a 3 day weekend, thus prolonging the first use of it!!) 

Check out how these held up here!

*All links in this post are affiliate links.

18 comments

  1. Looks great! Thanks for the shout out!

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    1. Thanks Keri! You're welcome and thank you for such a great idea! :)

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  2. What a great idea!!!!! I've been trying to figure out how to do something exactly like this and haven't been successful! I'm wondering...does the expo marker erase very easily off? And if you ever want to peel it off the table, does it come right off? Thanks! :)

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    1. Thank Sandy! The black Expo markers erase the best of course. I let my students use the colored markers though. (How can you not, they are more fun!) If it leaves a bit of residue a baby wipe and Magic Eraser, or even some Windex gets it right off! The Dry Erase paper is thicker than Contact Paper, but it peels off just as easily. I haven't had a problem removing it before and I have used it on brick walls, metal cabinets, chalkboards & now tables! :)

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    2. Thank you Melissa! I'm heading over to Amazon to buy this right now!!! :)

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  3. How cute is that table?!? (I would expect nothing less of you though) ;O)

    Just to make sure I have this right, you put black contact paper over the boards too? Or just to the edges of the boards, covering the electrical tape? (I promise I'm not slow...)

    So cute, and such a great idea! Great time saver! Thanks for sharing!
    Amanda
    Collaboration Cuties

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    1. Thanks Amanda! Whoops! Thanks for noticing that, it was a bit poorly worded. I have amended it to say I covered the remainder of the table with contact paper, just overlapping the edge of the electrical tape to reinforce it! :)

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    2. No,no, it wasn't poorly worded! Thanks for the clarification!! So cute! :O)

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    3. Hehe, no I appreciate you asking me! You know how it gets when your blogging faster than your brain can think sometimes! ;)

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  4. What a great idea, I hope it works well for you!! I LOVE the zebra duct tape too! My sister and I are your newest followers! =)
    -Jackie-
    Sister Teachers

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    1. Thanks ladies! I am hoping that it will hold up & work well! :)

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  5. Oh I posted about this last year! A teacher at my school did something similar but not as stylish! First thing that got my eye is the zebra tape. I LOVE the black contact paper and the boards and the zebra tape! It looks AMAZING. Love it!
    Melissa

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    1. You did! I didn't know that, I will have to check that out! Thanks Melissa! I cannot wait to go back on Tuesday to try it out!

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  6. I absolutely love this idea! I just complained last week about having to pull out whiteboards every time I work with my kids in small group. Thanks for sharing this idea :-)

    MrsMc from Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

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    1. You're welcome! I know isn't it crazy how much time we waste gathering those kinds of things?

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    1. Pretty good, as long as you really remind them not to pick at it! 😀

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