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Frugal portable ‘lap desk’

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in: Organizing Time & Space

Ellen came up with a clever hack for her artistic kids:

My kids like to draw everywhere — sitting on the couch, on the drive into school, waiting in the doctor's office.  Rather than spending a pile of money on a real 'lapdesk' gizmo or another flimsy clipboard (the overpriced Dora one broke on the second use), I use a smallish plastic cutting board from IKEA with a butterfly clip or some tape to hold the current masterpiece on.  If I get organized, I'm going to use duct tape to create a pencil holder on the edge of the desk.  The board's cutout handle makes it easy to carry, they come in several sizes for different sized laps, and it's a cinch to wipe it down if it gets mucky.  The same surface can be used as a worksurface for playdough too.

Tags: Art projects

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About Asha Dornfest

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast.

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Comments

  1. Jill says

    May 10, 2006 at 12:15 pm

    How about a real clipboard? The clip wouldn’t come off to get lost and it’s big enough for a full piece of paper.

  2. Dave says

    May 10, 2006 at 1:05 pm

    Real clipboards tend not to react well to water.

    Being washable is a key feature of the plastic cutting board.

    I also like the lower profile of a butterfly clip as compared to most clipboards

  3. radmama says

    May 10, 2006 at 5:26 pm

    Great idea!

    We have also used small baking sheets from the dollar store. I glued felt on the back for traction on laps and to use as a felt board.

    A great size, the edges keep pencils from rolling away in the car and you can take along some magnets to play with as well.

  4. kelly jeanie says

    May 10, 2006 at 6:37 pm

    This is a fantastic idea. Thanks!

About the Author

Asha Dornfest is a writer, parent, and insistent optimist living in Portland, Oregon. She is the author of PARENT HACKS, co-author of MINIMALIST PARENTING, and co-host of the Edit Your Life podcast. More about Asha »

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