Easy DIY Wood Display Board for Family Photos and Art

Build an easy Farmhouse Style DIY Wood Display Board to show off your family photos and artwork. I LOVE this beginner woodworking project.

Easy DIY Wood Display Board for Family Photos and Art

Everyone in the family has something to be proud of – an award, artwork, school work, certificate of achievement, photos of memorable times, race medals, special trips or experiences, etc.

Why not make your own ‘Hall of Fame’ family display board?

Like any proud parent, I have my kids artwork and pictures scattered around the house. Soon they’ll be bringing home school work, awards, more artwork, and so many other things they’ll be proud of.

Then there’s all the fun and memorable things we do as a family that deserve a little spotlight in the home.

Displaying photos and mementos for a while keeps the memories alive and gives us an excuse to talk about the fun times we’ve had together.

And, some of you warrior moms and dads run marathons, triathlons, and those crazy obstacle course races. You need a fun way to display those medals.

This DIY Wood Display Board or Noticeboard is a great way to show off all of those family memories.

Cost to Make the DIY Display Board

Depending on the type of material you choose, the wood will cost between $15 and $25. So much better than the store prices for a display board this large. 🙂

Materials Needed

• 2′ x 4′ – 1/4″ Plywood Board
• 2 – 8′ long 1″ x 4″ Select Pine Boards

Tools Needed

• Miter Saw
• Sandpaper

How to Make a Family Display Board

Quick Step Guide

1. Build the Frame
2. Attach the Plywood Back
3. Stain the Frame
4. Paint the Plywood
5. Add the Hooks and Wire
6. Optional Text for your Display Board
7. Hanging Your Display Board

Detailed Steps

Build Your DIY Wood Display Board Frame

Your local Home Depot, Lowe’s, and probably most hardware stores sell those awesome pre-cut 2′ x 4′ plywood boards. Good news, that is the perfect size for this DIY. Yea!

You’ll need 2 – 8′ long 1″ x 4″ boards to create the frame around the 2′ x 4′ plywood. I used Select Pine because it’s typically very straight and knot-free lumber.

Measure and cut the frame so that it overlays the plywood board about 1″ on all 4 sides.

So, the inside edge of 2 of the framing boards should be about 22″ long (24″ – 1″ – 1″= 22″) . And the inside edge on the other 2 will be about 46″ long.

Cut the boards for the frame with 45-degree angles.

There are many ways you can assemble this DIY Wood Display Board. You could use pocket holes or some other joinery. But, it’s really not necessary.

All of the glue used is strong enough to keep this frame together.

Use Wood Glue and a Strap Clamp to assemble the frame pieces together. Make sure everything is lined up straight while the wood glue dries.

Attach the Plywood

Once the frame dries, you can attach the plywood to the back of the frame.

Flip the frame upside down on a flat surface. Then use wood glue on the plywood edges and carefully put the plywood on the back of your frame.

Use clamps or even just some weight on the back of the plywood to hold it tight against the frame while it dries.

Staining the Display Board Frame

Start by finishing the frame of your DIY Wood Display Board first.

Sand the frame and plywood with 120 and 180 grit sandpaper to prepare it for stain. Dust it clean with a tack cloth.

Then use painter’s tape to tape off the plywood edges next to the frame. We’ll finish the frame first.

Once the plywood edges are taped, apply wood conditioner to the frame so that it will stain more evenly. I used Minwax’s Special Walnut on the frame of this display board.

After the stain dried, I applied 2 coats of a matte water-based poly to the frame. Applying the poly to the frame before painting the plywood helps to protect your stain finish from that paint.

Follow the directions on the wood conditioner, stain, and poly for the best result.

Painting the DIY Display Board

Let the poly on that frame dry completely, then tape off the edges of the frame with painters tape.

Then you can paint the board with 2 coats of your favorite white or off white paint. I like this white chalk paint.

After that dried, I decided to add a faux shiplap look to the plywood board. This is optional.

For that faux shiplap look I used a grey Elmer’s Paint Marker over lines I spaced 6 inches apart on the board.

Then you can finish up the board with 2 coats of your favorite polyurethane. I used Rust-oleum’s Ultimate Polyurethane in a Matte finish.

Add the Hooks and Twine or Wire

I used 8 – 15/16″ screw eye hooks and a very fine twine for this DIY Wood Display Board.

I made 4 rows of twine on hooks, 6 inches apart to hang things on.

BUT, after using the twine for a while I think wire would have been a better choice. Wire would stay straight, instead of sagging a bit. And it could hold heavier items, like medals.

Optional Text For Your Sign

I added “The Home Team Hall of Fame” to the top of my sign.

You can add whatever text you want to the frame with a white paint pen or marker. I used this Paint Marker.

Hanging the DIY Wood Display Board

You can use 2 Sawtooth Hangers and Wall Anchors with Screws to hang this board. Or a French cleat hanger.

More Pictures of the Finished Board

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That’s it for this Easy DIY Wood Display Board or Noticeboard, guys. Be sure to check out more of my Easy DIY and Home Makeover Videos on my YouTube Channel.

And, here’s a few more DIY projects you might like!

How about another easy display board? Check out this DIY Mini Clip Lights Board too!

How about another DIY gift for those awesome kiddos? Try this Super Easy DIY Kids Sit & Spin Toy.

And, I absolutely love this Easy DIY Acrylic Paint Pouring Wall Art too!

You should also see how to make this Easy DIY Wood Towel Rack too.

Make some fun 3D DIY Felt Wall Art for your Kid’s. I even have some free patterns to use as inspiration for this project!

Feeling inspired? Now that you know how to make this DIY Wood Display Board or Noticeboard, have fun and let me know if you have questions. Or post pictures of your work and tag Abbotts At Home on FB, I’d love to see it!