gave it another try with magnetic makeup boards.

You might have read my earlier post about how I made a Magnetic Makeup Board. I was pretty pleased with the outcome of the project, originally found on pinterest - of course. However, as I mentioned before, I didn't pay much attention to the cost of the project. What was I thinking?!? I'm out of work and living on a pretty tight budget these days. Shame on me for being so impulsive!

Well, I didn't let that stop me from giving it another try. This time I was MUCH more aware of how much I was spending on materials, and in the end, I actually made a little bit of money, but I'll get to that later.

A few weeks ago, my husband and I drove south a few hours to attend a friend's birthday party. On the way, one of us spotted a huge thrift store, so of course we had to check it out.

Let me stop to explain something here. My husband is OBSESSED with finding and buying records. He has everything from SesameStreet to Johnny Cash to ZZ Top in his growing collection. So anytime we come across a thrift store or garage sale, he has to stop and "take a look at the records".

Of course, I don't mind. I usually have my eye out for a specific item or two myself. This time, I had picture frames on my mind. So I was ecstatic when I found 4 new frames for $1 a piece! If you remember, I paid $5 for the one frame I used in my first project, so already I was off to a great start.

Another big change I made to the project was adding fabric to the sheet metal, instead of paint. I found some discount fabrics at a nearby craft store for about $5.50/yard. I figure I can cover about three boards with each yard. The only downfall to using the fabric, is that the magnets with the stick-on backs aren't strong enough. So I had to buy stronger, and slightly more expensive magnets from my local True Value Hardware store.

With my first board, I kept the original bracket on back of the frame to hang it on the wall. Unfortunately, it only had one bracket on the center of the back. Well, this made the entire board move back and forth on my wall every time I took makeup off or put it back on. With my new boards, I bought some small brackets (the ones with the little teeth) and attached one on each corner in the back. This solved the problem and keeps the board pretty stable and tight to the wall.

The one thing I still can't figure out, is where to find a cheaper pencil holder to keep the brushes, eyeliners, etc. in. I'm afraid to admit, I caved in and bought two more from Walmart at almost $4 a piece. I really like these, but when I brought them home, I realized the magnets they come with are also not strong enough to work through the fabric. So, I had to super-glue four stronger magnets to the back of each holder.
I know what your thinking, did you really save any money on materials, with all of the extra magnets, and the expensive pencil holders? Well, not a lot, but I did save some. In the end, I decided to only make two boards, and to keep my eye out for cheaper pencil holders.

Drumroll, please...

 

 But, if you remember, I also said I made money on these! It turns out I'm not the only one who thinks these boards are pretty fantastic. I sold them for $25 each, within 24 hours of making them!

I have a feeling there will be more Magnetic Makeup Boards in my future. :)