Hanging Project List

This is my very first instructable, so lets start off with something simple.

I am one of those slightly absentminded people who bounces between several projects very often. However, this means that I may lose track of a project for a while. Without a list of potential projects to remind myself, I may not remember them.

However, my to-do list often gets buried on my desk under other pads of paper, pens, rulers, electrical components...you get the idea. However, I have a slightly open space on the wall next to my desk. If I could hang my notepad there, I wouldn't have to worry about it getting buried. Plus, I would also have the added benefit of only needing to glance at it to see my current projects.

The best way, in my mind, to do this is with a clip so I could take down the list at will to add and cross off projects. This would also make it easier to change the notepad without having to take down the whole assembly. However, as I am going to be moving out of my current living space in 6 months or so, I would like it to be easily removable and not leave any holes in the walls.

I saw nothing fitting my requirements being sold. Similar clips are sold which have magnets on them, but my wall does not have any metal on or in it (at least, that i know of). With that inspiration, this project was born...

To begin this project, you will need the following materials:

• Medium Binder Clip (pack of 10 = $1)
• Command Strips (pack of 12 = $2 - $3)
• Craft Plywood ($3 - $4)
• Glue
• Cover paper, like scrapbooking paper (Optional and less than $1)

If you can't find these components laying around, they can be found at most any craft store. Tools:

• Scissors
• Ruler
• Saw
• Hot glue gun

I determined that the best thing to do would be to attach a binder clip to the wall through a few Command strips. This would allow the to-do list to be easily removed to write on and replace. It would also allow me to clip things like bills onto it as well. However, the binder clip is not the best surface to attach the command strips to. It has a lot of curved surfaces that just don't work very well for that.

We can fix this problem by attaching a small piece of plywood to the back of the binder clip with hot glue. My cut piece of plywood measured about 2" (5.08 cm) by 1.25" (3.175 cm). You want the plywood to be about as long as the command strips adhesive is, while giving you enough room on the tabs to remove the strips if necessary. For width, you want something a little wider than the binder clip you are using.

Any small piece of craft plywood will do, besides pieces made out of balsa wood, but this particular piece is about 3/16" (or 0.5 cm) thick. I used a scrap piece that I had laying around and cut it with a handsaw (note that, in most cases, power tools are overkill for something this small). A miter box (like the yellow one shown in the photos) will allow you to make straight cuts easily.

This step is optional, but it does give the finished product a less haphazard look. Any scrapbooking paper can be used, but I chose to use this one with an ocean wave pattern on it. Cut a piece of paper the size of your wooden piece. Now spread glue out on the wooden piece very finely, as we do not need that much to attach the paper securely.

Carefully lay the piece of paper on top of it, lining up the corners. Spread it out over the top to push out any excess glue and get rid of any air bubbles. You may need to put it under a heavy book or something for 10-15 minutes after gluing.

I apologize for the slight blurriness of a few of the pictures in this step.

Now the hot glue gun comes into play, so plug it in and let it warm up. While this is happening, decide where you want the binder clip positioned on the plywood piece. You can measure it accurately and decide exactly where the clip should go. Or you can just eyeball it like I did.

Now carefully apply some hot glue to the area where your binder clip will be placed and press the binder clip into the hot glue and let it cool. After this, if the back side of your binder clip is attached firmly to your plywood backing, you can go on to the next step. Congrats!

However, some of us are not so lucky. In my case, the back of my binder clip could still move after being glued. This may cause the bond of the hot glue to be less effective, since it has less surface area to bind to. So, if this happens, go back in and add some more hot glue between the clip and the wood.

Okay, now it is just a matter of mounting this clip on the wall. Turn the clip over and put 2 command strips on the back of it. The red side of the command strips should attach to the wood and the black side should be attached to the wall. Be sure that the bottom curved tabs lay below the wood enough to where you can grab them easily, as this is how you will remove the clip.

After you have the command strips attached, it is simply a matter of choosing where you want the clip on the wall. You can use a small piece of scotch tape to temporarily attach it to the wall and see how it looks at certain heights. After you decide where you want it to go, it is simply a method of peeling off the black backing of the command strips and pressing the clip firmly onto the wall. It should take hold within a few seconds.

Then you're done! Write down a few notes on a notepad and clip it onto the wall. This clip will stay securely attached until you decide to remove it, and will not leave any holes or marks on the wall when you do so, as would something like a nail.

Hope this works out well for anyone who tries it. Please leave any feedback in the comments below!