DIY Theming Part 2 - Dignified Doors

In my last blog post I wrote about some DIY tools available through online sites to theme, remodel, or just spruce up your children’s area. In this post and the next, I want to show you what we

Colorful DIY Felt Boards

When I redid my 1940s classroom, I stripped it down to the plain walls and one table. I took the

bulletin and chalk boards down and the shelves and brackets off the wall and got rid of the storage cupboard. Then I scoured Pinterest for ideas of how to create an enticing classroom in a small space.

Last week you saw the metal board organizer I found and made. I also saw these cool flannel boards on Pinterest that were placed low enough for kids to play with. The flannel boards came from one of my favorite blogs, Apartment Therapy which has great DIY ideas for small spaces.

The Pinterest project called for Homasote boards.  I had no idea what Homasote was. Neither did the guy at Home Depot or our other local chain, so I did what any sensible person would do, I googled it.

I learned that Homasote is a brand name for a wall board product. It turns out that Homasote, and its generic counterparts are great for DIY projects. This fiber board has some added benefits. It absorbs sound, it’s moisture resistant and it even provides thermal insulation. Wow! And I just wanted functional felt boards that looked good.

 

I decided to make my boards shorter and wider than the tall and narrow boards on the original

Pinterest post. I had the vision of having felt cutout pieces from Bible stories available for the kids to play with when they arrived early.

Classroom Upgrade

Our children’s ministry is located in the 1940s wing of our church facility. Needless to say, it is old. It needed a big overhaul, but not everyone was ready for that. Since I WAS, I began with my own class room.

Before Picture: space hogging cabinet and bulletin board removed

The first thing I did was to strip the room down. There was a huge bulletin board and a chalk board. I wanted the walls free so I could do whatever I wanted. I also took down the bookshelves and wall brackets.

The bulletin and chalk boards were glued to the wall, so it was a big job to take them off. Then