It’s no secret that I looooove me some copper.

Only replace “looooove” with “total and utter fanaticism,” that’s more accurate.

Obviously copper had to play a big part in my Scandinavian workspace, and when I discovered the wonders of copper foil, I knew it would be perfectly perfect to make an easy DIY copper inspiration board.

insert Homer Simpsonesque groan of bliss here

I know I use the word “easy” a lot around here. But really, this copper inspiration board is so easy. All you do is glue copper foil to a magnetic board. Yes, copper foil is a thing! It’s super easy to work with and you can cut it with scissors. And then you get a beautiful, shiny, gloriously coppery place to display your favorite art and paint swatches and to-do lists.

watercolor peacock by the talented Tan of Squirrelly Minds Paper Shop

yellow flower field photo by me, printed by Artifact Uprising

Ready to make your own?

DIY Copper Inspiration Board

Skill Level: The Easiest.

Time: About an hour.

What You Need:

+ scissors*, any sharp pair will do

+ magnetic office board (mine is the SPONTAN magnetic board from IKEA)

+ .003 thick or 40 gauge copper foil* (This brand doesn’t show the gauge but I used it and it is the perfect thickness. For this magnet board I needed about 1.5 rolls of copper foil.)

+ double-sided permanent adhesive tape*

NOTE: I tried several different types of glue and this had the best hold with the least mess! In the photos you can see I used a tape runner, but I’d recommend Scor-Tape* for an even stronger hold. If you use a runner like I did, make sure it says both “permanent” and “adhesive” (not just tape) in the title, as regular double-sided tape will not be strong enough to hold the copper in place.

*AFFILIATE LINKS. THIS MEANS IF YOU PURCHASE, I WILL EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AT NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU, WHICH IS PRETTY SWEET BECAUSE IT HELPS ME PAY BLOGGING BILLS, SO THANK YOU! I WILL ONLY LINK TO PRODUCTS I HAVE USED OR WOULD USE MYSELF, PINKY PROMISE.

What You Do:

one – Unroll enough copper foil to cover part of the magnet board (with some overlap), and cut your first piece to size. You will essentially be wrapping the magnet board like a present so use those gift-wrapping skills your crafty friend’s mom taught you. We all had one of those, right?

two – Trim the foil so that it just folds over onto the back of the board. Cut the corners off so that you can fold both sides flat (we’ll cover the exposed corners later). Attach the foil to the magnet board using your double-sided adhesive tape or tape runner, paying special attention to all the seams and keeping it as flat as against the board as possible.

three – Keep cutting pieces of foil and gluing them to the board until it is completely covered. Because my roll of foil wasn’t large enough to cover the magnet board in one go, I made a kind of patchwork of different sized pieces, and I love the extra hand-made look this gave the final piece. Remember to cut out the corners so that you can fold them over flat, and don’t cover the hanging holes on the back!

four – Finish the piece by attaching an extra strip of foil to wrap over the corners as pictured. And that’s it! Hang your DIY copper inspiration board and cover it with anything that makes your workspace “you.”

wood photo holder by The Crafted Life Shop 

DIY leather handle box by me for Shrimp Salad Circus

Just did a rough tally and I’m up to at least 16 individual objects made of copper in my home, not including the pieces of copper pipe waiting to be used, and the many copper nails I’ve used to hang things. I think I need more though, what do you think?

Read the whole series:

Scandinavian workspace inspiration for renters

Scandinavian workspace makeover — Before

How to shop IKEA like a pro

How to hang heavy shelves on horsehair plaster walls

Scandinavian workspace makeover — The Reveal

*AFFILIATE LINKS. THIS MEANS IF YOU PURCHASE, I WILL EARN A SMALL COMMISSION AT NO EXTRA CHARGE TO YOU, WHICH IS PRETTY SWEET BECAUSE IT HELPS ME PAY BLOGGING BILLS, SO THANK YOU! I WILL ONLY LINK TO PRODUCTS I HAVE USED OR WOULD USE MYSELF, PINKY PROMISE.

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