I have tried numerous chore charts for my kids in the past. It never failed that I would forget to print out the weekly paper ones or we would run out of stickers. It was a half-hearted, half-hazard situation at best and a total failure at worst.

The things I LOVE about this magnetic dry erase “big helper” board:
* changing the jobs is easy as dry erase and jot in the new
* washi tape is quickly removed/replaced to add more jobs as kids grow
* durable and looks great on the wall
* no printing (or forgetting to)
* entirely reusable – no stickers to buy
* very easy for kids to manage themselves

Here’s a quick tutorial on how to make one for your little one.

Supplies:
– magnetic dry erase board ( I used the Spontan board from IKEA  *update* – since writing this post, IKEA has seemingly discontinued the white version of the Spontan, now only offering it in silver. Bummer. But truly, the idea will work on any white magnetic dry erase board. )
– washi tape
– 1″ wood craft stars
– craft paint
– 3/4″ magnetic buttons with foam adhesive
– Mod Podge & glitter (optional)

Figure out how many stars you will need (# of jobs x 7 days). Paint them with acrylic craft paint to match your decor.
Or, better yet, have your child paint them!

The magnet buttons are soft enough to cut in half with scissors. They come with foam adhesive already on the back, so just peel and stick to the back of the stars.

I decided they were lacking a little something, then decided that something was sparkle. Coat generously with Mod Podge, dust with translucent glitter, let dry.

Once dry, apply a thick layer of Mod Podge on top to set the glitter. Don’t fret when it looks all milky like this – it will dry clear.

For the board, use colorful washi tape to mark out evenly spaced rows and columns. Leave space on the side to keep the unused stars.

Use a dry erase marker to write in job titles and days of the week.

We hung Songbird’s in the under-utilized space behind her bedroom door. Low enough for her to reach, but high enough to keep little brother from stealing her glitter stars. So far, it’s been an astounding success!

I must end this post with a disclaimer: my lovely and design savvy friend Carly (of Heart and Country Photography) had the original idea for this board. I know she would probably never blog about it… so, while I did put my own spin on the design, she remains my inspiration!