gel writing board tutorial
DESCRIPTION
Try this cheap and easy gel writing board: perfect for the car ride, waiting at the doctor's office, or just for when you feel like challenging your child to a game of tic-tac-toe. This gel board can be made with items you might already have in your home. So look over the supplies list, raid your bathroom and junk drawer and follow our step by step instructions to make your very own gel board. Warning: you may want to make more than one, parents and older siblings tend to like to play with this writing board just as much as the littles.TRANSCRIPT
Gel Writing Board
List of supplies • Sturdy cardboard or foam core project board cut
to 10”x 12” sheets
• Gallon resealable food storage bag
• Clear hair gel
• Duct tape
• Clear packaging tape
• Scissors
• Food color
• Con-Tact® cover cut to 10”x 12” sheet
Some retailers sell precut foam
core boards, but you might have
to go with the large board,
which comes in 20”x 30” sheets.
Use a yard stick and
pencil to mark the large
sheet into 4, 10”x12”
sections.
Using a box cutter,
carefully cut the large
sheet (you will have extra
a 6”x 20” strip left over)
Each gel board will require approximately 2 TBS of clear hair gel. You don’t
want to use too much hair gel, just enough to coat the inside of the storage
bag. Place the clear hair gel in the bag and add the food color of your choice.
Close and seal your storage bag, leaving a small opening to allow
air bubbles to escape.
Try to work the gel from
the bottom of the bag, to
the top, so that the air
bubbles escape out of the
small opening left in the
storage bag.
Using your fingers,
begin to spread the
gel and food color
mixture into every
corner of the bag.
Be sure to work out as much of the air as you can.
This will prolong the life of your gel board.
Once you have worked all
the air bubbles out,
close the storage bag
completely, and you are
ready to secure the bag
to the foam core board.
Cut an 8” strip of clear
packing tape and place it at
the top of the bag, leaving
half the tape exposed at
the top of the bag.
Lay the storage bag on top of
the foam board.
Wrap the resealable portion of
the bag around the edge and
back of the board.
Press the exposed portion
of the packing tape to the
back of the board.
Repeat this procedure at the
bottom of the board.
This step is very important, the Con-Tact® cover sheet will help protect the
storage bag from being cut by sharp fingernails or other objects, leaking dyed
hair gel all over your favorite stuff.
Now you are ready to cover the entire storage bag and exposed board
edges with the 10”x12” piece of Con-Tact® cover.
Con-Tact® cover is a clear adhesive
sheet that is used to protect
surfaces. It can be found in the
home supply area of most retailers.
Peel and fold back one
short edge of the Con-
Tact® cover sheet.
Line up your exposed edge
of Con-Tact® cover to one
short edge of the foam
core board, and press,
securing the sheet to the
board.
Slowly, begin peeling the pa-
per backing off the Con-
Tact® cover sheet.
Use your other hand to
press the adhesive sheet
onto the surface of the
storage bag and board, until
the whole board is covered.
(discard paper backing)
Using scissors, cut the duct tape of
your choice. You will need two 10”
strips and three 12” strips.
Wrap the strips around the front,
edge and back of your board to cover
all the exposed edges of the storage
bag and board.
Repeat this process on all
sides of your gel writing
board.
The locking portion of your storage
bag and packaging tape will be
exposed at the back of your board.
Use the extra piece of 12” duct tape
to cover all those exposed bits.
Now it’s time for Gel Writing Board fun!