My Readbox is Finished!!

My Readbox book display is finished! I've seen several different examples on Pinterest but wasn't sure how I could incorporate it into my classroom. Many of the ones I saw were library displays. I just decided to keep the idea in my head until I figured out how to make it work. Earlier this week I was working in my classroom and came across a large particle board white board. Unfortunately the white board had many scratches and permanent marker marks. As I was about to take it out to the dumpster, I suddenly had a brain storm.... so I headed to Home Depot.

I'll do my best to walk you through the steps of making it. I don't have step-by-step pictures because honestly, when I first started, I wasn't sure how it was going to end up.

1. I started with a large piece of particle board, approximately 32 x 48. I kept the 'white board' coating on the back. You could use particle board or another thin piece of wood. Mine was less than a half an inch thick. 
2. Figure out the spacing for your shelves. How many you want? How much space you need between shelves? I did three shelves, one 14 inches long, and two 28 inches long.
3. The shelves are made of base cap molding. ($1.36 a foot). I went with the measurements for each 'shelf', so they cut it right there in the store for me. Here's the link to the base cap I used. While at Home Depot, I picked up wood screws, wood glue, and spray paint (Matte Colonial Red).
4. Once I had all of my supplies, I used a pencil to mark out exactly where I wanted the shelves. Once the markings were made and centered (to the best of my spatially-challenged ability), I glued the molding down. 
    
   
   
   5. After letting it dry over night, it was time to put the screws in. This was the most challenging part, getting the screws into the molding. I had a few misses, but just kept trying. Because of the 'white board' coating, it made it difficult to put the screws in directly without pre-drilling the holes.

6. I did an image search on Google for the Redbox logo, found one that was clear and could be made large enough. I copy & pasted the image and enlarged it. I put "red" on one page and "box" on a second. I printed out an "extra d" and turned it into an 'a'. Print and cut out the letters. I then used scotch tape 'donuts' to hold the letters in place. I used it has a 'reverse stencil'. 

7. Time to paint! My paint had the color and sealer in one. Because some of the paint soaked in to the particle board, it required a few coats. Make sure to get on all sides of the shelf.

       8. After letting it dry over night, I pulled the letters off. It worked quite well. After letting it dry for a full 24 hours, I used white paint to paint in the letters.

9. The last step was to find a "screen" too use. I found a template at Kristina's blog The Caffeinated Librarian. Thanks so much for letting me use it :) I used adhesive spray to attach it.

10. I still haven't fully decided how I am going to display it in my classroom, although I am hoping to hang it from hooks in the back of my room. I'll attach a picture when I have it in my room.