This ingenious DIY elevates a skateboard from a dude-erific mode of transportation to an eye-catching wall accessory in no time. A few supplies and several paint colors to complement your scheme are all you need to fashion a cool and street-chic accessory to hang on a wall, door or the side of a bookcase.
Once you're finished, you can detail the board in countless ways. Use the ruler to make an abstract angular design across the entire board, or give it a simpler treatment. You can trace a message, sentiment or your fave skating fan's name across it. Orient the lettering and hang as you wish, either horizontally or vertically. This novel take on a message board is sure to trigger a high five from all passersby.
Advertisement
Materials
- Skateboard
- Electric drill
- Impact driver
- Needle-nose pliers
- Clear plastic electrical project box — usually used for protecting electrical connections — with screw holes that should align with those on the skateboard
- Four screws that come with the project box
- Screwdriver
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Sanding sponge
- Clean dry rag
- Three jars of chalk paint in the colors of your choice
- Fine art paintbrush with a small brush head
- Sponge paintbrush
- Skateboard
- Electric drill
- Impact driver
- Needle-nose pliers
- Clear plastic electrical project box — usually used for protecting electrical connections — with screw holes that should align with those on the skateboard
- Four screws that come with the project box
- Screwdriver
- Ruler
- Pencil
- Sanding sponge
- Clean dry rag
- Three jars of chalk paint in the colors of your choice
- Fine art paintbrush with a small brush head
- Sponge paintbrush
DIY Everywhere
Instructions
1. Place the skateboard on its side on the work surface so you can access both the wheels and their hardware, known as the “truck,” and the screws that sit in the wheel hardware holes. The screws are flush with the upper surface of the board where the skater stands.
1. Place the skateboard on its side on the work surface so you can access both the wheels and their hardware, known as the “truck,” and the screws that sit in the wheel hardware holes. The screws are flush with the upper surface of the board where the skater stands.
2. With the electric drill in one hand, remove the screws on the upper board surface, and with the impact driver in your other hand, remove the lug nuts that attach the wheels and their hardware to the board.
3. Remove any screws that are stuck in their holes with the needle-nose pliers if necessary.
4. Take one of the clear boxes and place it over one set of holes on the board's upper side where the wheels had been screwed to the board.
5. Insert the screws, one by one, through the holes on the bottom side of the board through the four screw compartments in the project box placed above them on the board's upper side.
6. Use the screwdriver to screw them in tightly.
7. Repeat steps 4-6, but attach the other project box to the board.
8. Place the ruler on top of the lower side of the board and use it to mark a straight vertical line widthwise on one end of the board. The line should be next to the set of wheel screw holes closest to the end of the board.
9. At the midpoint of that drawn line, use the ruler and pencil to mark one line that goes from there to the upper outer edge of the board, and another that goes from the midpoint to the outer lower edge of the board. The lines will create an arrowhead form.
10. Lightly sand the outer area of the board that’s to the right of the arrow form, straight out to the edge of the board.
11. Wipe away the dust created by the sanding process with the rag.
12. Carefully paint the two pencil lines that originate at the midpoint of the vertical penciled line with the chalk paint, using the small paintbrush.
13. Apply one coat of chalk paint with the sponge paintbrush to the rest of the sanded area of the board. Allow the paint to dry.
14. Tear two pieces of painter’s tape that are just a bit longer than the length of the board and place them across the board, making sure that they cover the wheel holes. The tape will expose a strip of board that’s about 2 inches wide, and the arrow’s tip will sit directly between the two tape strips on the right side of the board as you look down on it.
15. Paint the stripe on the board delineated by the tape with one of the other paint colors. Let the paint dry.
16. Remove the tape.
17. Place two more pieces of tape directly above this newly painted stripe. They should be spaced to create a very narrow stripe that’s about ½ inch wide.
18. Use the small paintbrush to apply the same paint color for this stripe that you used for the others. Apply the paint to the entire length of the stripe, even over the chalk paint. Allow the paint to dry.
19. Repeat steps 17-18 but orient the stripe below the wide central stripe.
20. Write your message or phrase freestyle with the pencil over the unpainted and striped surfaces of the board.
21. Paint over the words with your third paint color and allow the paint to dry thoroughly.
22. The skateboard sign is now ready for you to display.
Advertisement