Easel & Drawing Board

The past issues of your favourite woodworking magazines, can yield a virtual library of great projects, when you are looking for just the right project to make for a gift for someone. This was the case when I was looking for a project to build for my granddaughter, Shelby, this last summer. She loves to draw, but her mother didn't think that the kitchen cabinet doors, were the right thing for Shelby to be using as her canvas. I remembered seeing this project in a back issue of Canadian Workshop magazine. So I went through my files and found the article explaining how this easel was made. Then I figured out my plan of attack.

These were the things I would need:

I had lots of pine boards which could be used for the wooden parts. I needed just the hardware, chalkboard, and corkboard. Just prior to making this, I had seen Norm Abrams on the New Yankee Workshop making a corkboard and it looked like a snap, so that's what I did. At my local Lansing Buildall Centre, I bought a piece of cork for a few bucks, and cemented it to a piece of 1/4" plywood (I had precut to size), with contact cement. Then I cut the pieces for a mitred corner frame for the corkboard, to the same size as the corkboard that the plans called for, from 1" strips I had cut from the pine boards. With the adjustable dado blade in my table saw, channels were cut 3/8" deep in the edge of the 1" strips, to accept the cork covered plywood. The framed corkboard, now glued & screwed together was set aside, and you know what - that wasn't too hard - and it was a heck of a lot cheaper than buying one!

Now, on to the chalkboard. The prices to buy a piece of chalkboard, seemed rather high to me, so we bought a ready made chalkboard of about the size called for (with a plastic frame), at a toy discount store for about $5.00. Then I took the plastic frame off of it. In a similar fashion as I had done with the corkboard, I made a frame for it. So now I had both boards and was ready to complete my project.

Following the article carefully, the project was completed. Then it was time for finishing. Protecting the corkboard and chalkboard from the stain & lacquer, I stained it with Benjamin Moore Golden Oak stain and then gave it 3 coats of Para water based lacquer, satin finish. This project was finished unassembled to gain access to both sides of the wood, and then re-assembled when dry.

If you are interested in making this project which the article credits Wendy Townson of Newcastle, Ontario, as being the designer, it is featured in the January 1995 issue of Canadian Workshop. My granddaughter loves hers and I'm happy I found Wendy's project in Canadian Workshop magazine. Thank you Wendy!

NOTE: The reason I needed 8 pieces for the 4 legs, is that each leg is made up of 2, 2" wide legs which are bolted together. There are holes drilled down the centre of each piece, thereby enabling them to be adjusted to different heights, thereby making it impossible for your little artist to outgrow this well thoughtout easel.

Projects Drawing and Materials List

To see a downloadable drawing and materials list, Please click HERE.

NOTE: Yes, that's Shelby & me in the photo. The paint tray is not too visible in the photo, but you can just see the corner of it on the back side of the easel. On the corkboard side (the hidden side), notes and photos can be posted, or drawings can be made on a large pad of paper, which is held up by the binder clips which are attached to that side.

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