I’ve been asked by several people about how I made my menu board. I’ve spent many hours on Pinterest pinning away at all the things I someday want to try. Finally, I am putting my efforts to use!
In searching for the perfect menu board to suit my needs…I ended up having to pull from several different ideas to come up with one that would work for me!
Supplies Used:
Old Cookie Sheet with edges cut off (if you want it to be magnetic…or you could just used an old picture frame.)
Fabric to cover the backing
Mini Clothes Pins (I found mine at a local fabric store, Pacific Fabrics)
Colored Cardstock
Boxes are made out of a Jiffy Cornbread Box cut in half
Hot Glue Gun
Heavy Duty Magnets
If it were up to me, Tacos or some other form of Mexican food would be listed for every night of the week.
Sadly my husband doesn’t agree and appreciates a bit more variety!
So, I sat down and began writing down about 30 meal ideas.
They are color coded in a way that works best for me:
GREEN: Meat Dishes
TAN: Other/Misc.
WHITE: Crock Pot Meals
BLUE: Mexican & Italian Dishes
YELLOW: Easy & Quick
The goal is to not have too many of the same color each week. And to rotate through the stack of recipes before you start using them again.
(However, Tacos will still be eaten weekly in our household! 
Once a week… I can sit down and plan the meals for the menu.
On the back I’ve written all the ingredients needed to make each meal.
This way, when I go to make my shopping list…It’s pretty quick and painless.
This shopping list was actually given to me as a gift and it’s pretty handy to use!
They can be found online here.
Anyone who knows me…knows that cooking isn’t my favorite thing and I am not that great at it.
So, I won’t lie… the 30 meals I’ve got here are all relatively easy (for me). If a recipe has too many ingredients in it I get a bit intimidated and don’t want to try it!
My goal is to attempt to try 2 new recipes a month. Life with a newborn has been a bit of an adjustment…So, hopefully this will help me to stay on track better!
EDIT:
So many of you have asked for my 30 meal ideas and recipes.
Click here for the DIY Menu Ideas and Recipes !!
Thanks for sharing this, it’s fantastic! Love how you wrote out all of the ingredients on the back for easy list making. Brilliant!
I’m also glad to know I have a kindred spirit when it comes to tacos! Yum! I’d also eat them every night of the week, if it were possible.
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Thanks so much Sarah for posting this
I am a mother of 3 boys. 8 yrs, 3 yrs and 3 month old. I’ve never been much a cook, but since me and my husband have been living on our own for the past 2 years in a half I’ve been experimenting different recipes. Like you I get my recipes online and I will admit that I too will pass on a recipe that has too many ingredients lol. It just seems so complicated sometimes so I don’t even bother. I thought I was the only one. Anyhow I’ve always wasting time and money on groceries and so I came across your blog on Pinterest. I will definitely be trying this. I will now be planning my meals for the week and the idea of writing ingredients in the back of each meal was just genius
It is so me…I love to have everything in the palm of my hands. Ready to go and straight to the point. I find this so helpful and starting this month I will give it a go. I LOVE living on my own because I can now cook without my mother in law telling me I wasted food lol. I can experience, experiment and all the above all in the privacy of my OWN home. Thanks so much for the tips. You are awesome !!! #TeamMOM
I made one! I went to Big Lots and got a canvas and covered it instead of metal. Hot glued magnets on back to put on fridge. Turned out great! Thanks for the idea!
I recently found this on Pinterest and I LOVE it!!
What did you use to attach the fabric to the cookie sheet?
This is so cute! I definitely think it’ll be a Mother’s Day present this year. I had a question though: how did you cut the cookie sheet? It looks so much more finished that way, and I was wondering if you had any tips!! Thanks!
Hi Alex, my husband is actually a sheet metal worker…so he did it for me using his tin snips. The edges were actually quite jagged and rough afterwards so the fabric covering the edges helped with that! Good luck!
Hi. I *love* this idea! Will you please share your recipes? danilynn972@gmail.com Thanks!
See link added to bottom of post! Hope that helps!
I think this is amazing, do you think I coul get your recipes/directions aswell?! Cassandra.cherise@gmail.com
I added the recipes to the bottom of the post.
I love this idea and would love to know what recipes you use. I need more recipes
im a nursing student and need ways to
make my life more organized. Jasonandrachael@yahoo.com
Added to bottom of post!
Meal ideas and some recipes have been added. See revised post.
Hi! I found your menu board on pinterest. I just blogged about it on my blog and linked back to you via Pinterest. Thank you for sharing your great idea!
This is AMAZING!! I love that you shared “cooking isn’t my favorite thing and I am not that great at it”, because that is exactly how I feel! If it’s not too much of a bother, please send me your 30 menu ideas
Thanks!
Here’s my email: jaclynlowdermilk@gmail.com
Added to post…see the bottom of post for the link.
Added at bottom of post. Enjoy!
Hey I would love for you to share your recipes with me. Thank you so much! actodman@gmail.com
Edited post to include recipes. See the link!
Added to post. Check out the meal ideas and some recipes!
I’m interested in your recipes too! I’m always up for some new ones to swap with!! Sumersunshine24@live.com
Thanks!!
Added recipes. See update on post!
See updated post with meal ideas and some recipes.
Cheers to you, Sarah! I love this idea!!!
What a wonderful idea! I am the mother of 16 month old twins so anything I can do to save time is extremely helpful! If you are sharing your menu ideas/recipes I would LOVE to have them! That is the most challening part for me..deciding what’s for dinner and finding recipes that I can make that do not require me to have a culinary degree!
cmgosse@gmail.com
Updated post with ideas and some recipes!
i know that pretty much every other comment is asking you for your recipes but i was wondering if you could send them to me too… beth_gonzo@yahoo.com
to make it easier on you, you should put a link on here so you wont have send it individually.
If anyone recieved these recipes and menu planning ideas could you please email them to me?
Added the recipes and meal ideas in a link. Check out the post.
Sarah, would u mind sharing your menu plans. My email is tonya_ellis67@ymail.com
Hi Sarah, I love your menu board. Could you send me your list of menu ideas as well? My email is angelis624@Gmail.com. Thanks, Rebecca
This is just wonderful and a must have in my house right now! if you do email out a list of your menu ideas and ingredients, I’d love a copy too! (ashley.teal14@yahoo.com) Thanks!
looks awesome! if you do email people with your list of menu ideas and ingredients, I’d love a copy too! (caitlin.coverdale@gmail.com). Thanks!!
This is fablous idea, I would love to have to have the list of meals, and ingredients you used. My email is smoravits@gmail.com Thank you so much for this wonderful post
I would love your menu ideas too. My email is trippsmommy1@att.net. Thanks.
Updated post with ideas and some recipes
I love the menu board! I too would love to see your menu ideas.
Updated post with a link to meal ideas and some recipes!
AWESOME!!!!!! I just went over a list of dinners for 5 weeks…but it looks scribbly. I LOVE THIS IDEA! It’s so beautiful! Thanks for posting!
Im really excited to try this
Hi there, I can’t tell if you ever posted your recipes or not but I would love to have them(who wouldn’t) I don’t really mind cooking I just hate figuring out what to cook. As a mother of five boys we are always on the run and dinner is just very hectic around here. Your help would be very much appreciated thank you very much danielle@rouse.biz
Updated post with a link to meal ideas and some recipes!!
This is a great idea and being crafty myself with two boys and a husband to feed this will make my life so much easier especially with my oldest who is always asking what’s for dinner mom. Thanks for posting this.
great post and I LOVE the idea. Am just about to embark on it myself but am trying to work out how to get the recipes printed too incase the hubby fancies making tea!!
I made one like this using card board, scrape book paper, and giant magnets. Very cool!
This craft idea makes my thighs tingle.
I love your idea! It will come in handy for the week of food.. But I do have one qustion for you Sarah!! Can you post your 30 ideas for your menu and the receipt. That also will give most people a start. Especially for the ones who also don’t hardly cook. We ALL love good ideas!! Thanks again for sharing!!
What size did you cut your menu cards?
This is the BEST thing I’ve ever found! I usually just scribble a list on some paper this is so cute and creative going to make on asap! love shoping list on the back GREAT IDEA thanks
I am fairly new to pinterest ~ but want you to know that
I’m definitely going to try this idea! Thanks – so creative
I have seen notepads like this on See Jane Work, you might check there and see if they still have theem
Sorry for the mistake. I had a pic line put in my right arm last March and they caused a large blood clot and nicked a nerve, so my right hand doesn’t work so well. We are moving soon and I am an organizing addict. If anyone has any good organizing ideas send them my way. My email is barbehall@hoymail.com
DON’T YOU JUST LOVE ORGANIZING
I did it again correct email barbehall@hotmail.com
Check out the post again…there is now a link with ideas and some recipes!
Edited post with meal ideas and some recipes! Enjoy!
Just wondering where the link is for your menu ideas. I need help planning meals!
Added link to post! Check it out!
I bought an old, ugly cookie sheet at a thrift store. I spray painted the whole thing black and used an adhesive magnetic sheet on the back of the cookie sheet. I scrapbook a lot, so I am going to cover the front with food related paper. The cookie sheet is pretty big and the magnetic sheet works. It is strong enough to stay on the fridg. Thanks for the great idea!!!
I LOVE this and I am going to start on it very soon! I was wondering what all was magnetic? Are the clothes pins magnetic? I know you stated you could use a picture frame if you didnt want it to be magnetic. Great thing about this is I already have all the material, so it wont cost me anything!
The only thing that is magnetic is the back of the board that attached to the fridge. And, as you can see from the photos, my magnets weren’t strong enough to support the weight of it all so I actually ended up just using those magnet clips you see pictured to attach it to the fridge.
ok thanks! That is what It thought. I am keeping the edges on mine and I am going to hand it from the fridge from the hole that is on one end of the lip. Thanks for sharing. Very cute idea and I am excited to make one!
Sarah,
I also would love to start this idea for my family but like some of the others I just don’t know where to start would you please share your meal ideas with me.
I love this idea. i am going to use it!
EXCELLENT idea! As all the other ladies have stated, would you mind sharing your wonderful recipes with the rest of us? I am not much of a cooker and desperately need to broaden my cooking horizons!
Thanks again for sharing!
Meagan
Sarah,I absolutely love it!
I am person driven by structure and organization and for things to run easily. I was wondering if you could send me the list of meals that you came up with to help me out with my menu board?
I would greatly appreiate it
Thank you,
Katie
kathleen@markun.us
Still trying to find the menu items / recipes…. This is awesome by the way! I’m gonna start on mine right away!
This is really a great idea! You could also add all the ingredients to the back of the cards, so once you’ve decided on the weekly menu you could easily copy everything onto your shopping list.
Ah, just read through the whole description and saw you already had that idea
.
Wondering if you could post the list of meals that you came up with to help me out with my menu board?
Ditto!
Now that I’m a work-from-home newish mom I seem to be responsible for dinner now… Getting complaints for not enough variety, but there is little time or interest to learn bunches of new meals each week. What did you start with?
I absolutely love this idea!!! I would also love a list of the meals with ingredients! My email is samanthasears0523@gmail.com
Thanks!!!
Updated post with meal ideas and some recipes!
Link with ideas is now posted!
opps nevermind, i found it! haha I love this site!
Where did you get the “All out of” note pad? I love that!!!!
Great idea! Wondering how you cut the edges off of the cookie sheet…
Hi Krista,
My husband is in sheet metal so he actually did it for me…He used sheet metal power shears. He said you can also use aviation snips to do it by hand.
Thanks!
I am so NOT a cook either, but if I had some planning to help me along the way, I might actually do it a little more often. I am going to try this, it’s a great idea.
Lol to be perfectly honest I wondered what you two ate for dinner other than tacos…ha ha now I know. Many of the same things we enjoy too.
I love it!! You know me, everything in my world has to be organized…so this is an awesome idea. I like making new recipes but I tend to avoid the ones with tons of ingredients too. Not from intimidation but more from knowing that the more ingredients it has, the longer it will take me to make. I like fairly quick recipes. Tonight we had homemade burritos that were made from leftover filling from stuffed peppers the night before..with some added corn and salsa.
Monday tacos are rad.
Hi there! Such a creative and helpful way to meal plan. Would you mind sharing your wonderful recipes. This would be so helpful to this fellow Momma who needs some easy (few ingredient and uncomplicated) go to recipes!