WOOD Magazine offers a free plan for a two-sided folding art easel intended for children ages 3–7: one face is a chalkboard, while the other holds drawing paper from a roll. The design also includes two supply trays. The plan is a substantial woodworking project, not a simple beginner build; review its dimensions, joinery and tool requirements before starting.
Where to get the free plan
WOOD Magazine’s Young Artist’s Easel article, published December 12, 2017, links to the 11-page downloadable plan, identified as DP-00478. The magazine also lists the easel among its free project plans. The PDF carries a 2005 copyright; its build text is credited to Jan Svec and Chuck Hedlund, with project design by Kevin Boyle.
Use the official article and DP-00478 PDF for the complete drawings and instructions. The plan states that its copyrighted material is for the user’s use and may not be shared or reprinted; it also restricts selling copies of the plans or the finished project. This article summarizes the project rather than reproducing its drawings or cut-list graphics.
How the easel is designed
The easel consists of two hinged leg frames that fold together. One frame holds a chalkboard-painted panel. On the reverse, cleats secure drawing paper, and a hardwood dowel through the paper-roll core serves as the holder. A turnbutton retains the dowel. Two trays provide space for art supplies.
Recommended Free Tools
#1 Best Overall
- Eco-friendly and Durable Kids Easel: The high-end 3-in-1 kid's easel is made of natural pine wood. Each of kids art easels has been carefully polished and polished. The storage tray of the kids easel is also made of all wood, which makes the kids art easel more environmentally friendly and durable.
- Accompany Children to Grow: The easy to assemble wooden toddler easel can be set at 3 heights to fit children of different ages, Minimum Height = 39.5", Maximum Height = 46.2". Toddler art easel can accompany your child from 3 to 10 years old. This is a very economical option.
- All in One and 2 Drawing Paper Roll: This pine wooden kids easel includes a magnetic dry-erase board, chalkboard, locking paper-roll holder, wooden trays, 3 painting cup, and paper roll ( 15"*983" in total). It's a screen-free, learning toy for children aged 3+.
- Children Drawing Artist: We take pride in creating play sets that are fun. kids art easel toy completes the children’s hands-on learning experience. Use creative drawing skills to draw any masterpiece and let children play in fun games Learn math, draw by hand, and even improve spelling and vocabulary.
- Versatile and Multi-Purpose: This children's art easel can be used for various activities like drawing, painting, and practicing handwriting, making it a perfect tool for creative play and educational development. It's also a magnetic drawing board for kids, which provides endless fun and educational opportunities. Whether in the classroom or at home, our easel is perfect for a range of activities that your child will love!
The plan identifies ages 3–7 as the intended range. That is a design description, not a safety certification: the plan does not establish tip resistance, a load rating or compliance with current safety regulations.
Materials and dimensions
The plan specifies oak for the frames and tray components, melamine-faced fiberboard for the panels and tray bottoms, and a hardwood dowel for the paper holder. Its materials list includes:
Rank #2
- Folds Away When Art Time Is Done: Give kids a creative space without letting a bulky easel take over the room. This Tiny Land kids easel folds down like a ladder after playtime—just loosen the side knobs and store it neatly in a closet, corner, bedroom, playroom, classroom, or small space.
- Adjusts as Little Artists Grow: Designed for kids ages 3 to 8, this wooden art easel offers 3 height settings from 38.6" to 43.9". It gives toddlers and young kids a comfortable place to doodle, paint, practice letters, and create as they grow.
- One Easel for Drawing, Writing & Magnetic Play: This double-sided easel gives kids more ways to create and learn in one place. With a magnetic chalkboard on one side and a magnetic drawing board on the other, children can switch between chalk, markers, paper art, handwriting practice, and magnetic play at home or in the classroom.
- Art Basics Included for Creative Play: The set includes 4 dust-free chalks, 1 board eraser, 1 whiteboard marker with eraser tip, 1 paper roll (16.54" * 118.11"), and 3 paint cups. From quick doodles to paper painting projects, kids have the basic supplies they need to start creating right out of the box.
- Mostly Pre-Assembled with a Sturdy Wooden Frame: Just attach the 4 legs for a tool-free setup, and your child’s art station is ready in 10 minutes or less. Made from natural pine wood with smooth, polished edges and side support, this kids easel is built for everyday drawing, painting, coloring, and writing activities.
- Four oak legs, specified as ¾ × 2 × 44 inches.
- Four oak rails, specified as ¾ × 2 × 28⅜ inches.
- Two ¼-inch melamine-faced fiberboard panels, each 22 × 25 inches.
- Two oak paper cleats, specified as ½ × 1 × 28⅜ inches.
- Oak tray parts and two melamine-faced tray bottoms.
- A ⅜-inch-diameter hardwood dowel.
- Two 2-inch strap hinges, #8 flathead wood screws, #10 SAE flat washers, ¼-20 press-in threaded inserts and ¼-20 × 1½-inch roundhead machine screws.
- Woodworking glue, chalkboard paint and clear finish.
Dimensions above are transcribed from the plan text. Fractional dimensions can be distorted in text extraction, so check the PDF drawings and cut list directly before cutting stock.
Tools and woodworking operations
This build calls for more than basic hand tools. The instructions specify a tablesaw with a stack dado set, drill press, bandsaw, router table, handheld router, clamps and sanding equipment. The listed bits include a ⅜-inch Forstner bit, ¼-inch round-over bit and ½-inch rabbet router bit.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREEClear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Rank #3
- 【Double Sided Art Easel】The double sided easel for kids inspires children's creativity, with dry erase board for watercolor painting. The double sided kids easel allows children to perform different painting activities on one easel at the same time, or create together with other children, increasing opportunities for interaction and cooperation.
- 【Ample Storage Space】The kids easel is also equipped with a sturdy wooden storage tray for storing painting tools and materials. The storage tray is located at the bottom of the kids easel, providing a neat and orderly storage space for children, making the painting process more tidy and organized. Children can easily access the tools they need, while also developing their organizational skills and sense of responsibility.
- 【Adjustable Height】The 13.78"/35cm(L) x 14.76"/37.5cm(W) x 31.1"/79cm(H) children's wooden easel is easy to assemble and the height can be adjusted from 24.8"/63cm to 31.1"/79cm. It can be adjusted according to your child's height and needs, ensuring they maintain the correct posture and comfortable position while drawing. Thoughtful design, effortless height adjustment, suitable for children aged 3 and above. Kids art easel, accompany your child every day of growth.
- 【Safe & Environmentally Friendly】High-quality kids easel made of selected natural pine wood, non-toxic and no harmful chemicals. It is environmentally friendly and pollution-free, guaranteeing the safety and health of children. A reliable easel for kids serves as an excellent tool to keep children away from electronic devices and foster strong parent-child relationships.
- 【Ideal Choice for Kids 2-5】The 3-in-1 double-sided painting easel is an ideal choice for gifts for little artists. It is great for exercising children's hand-eye coordination and inspiring their creative talents. We are committed to providing excellent products and services. If you have any questions, please contact us promptly, we will give you a satisfactory reply within 24 hours.
Key operations include half-lap joints for the leg frames, dadoes and rabbets, bevels, and routed edges. The frames receive the panels in rabbeted openings; the two assemblies are joined with strap hinges. The source does not assign a skill rating, so assess your ability to make these cuts accurately and safely before committing materials.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Choosing paper for the roll holder
The easel is specified for 24-inch-wide paper, but WOOD Magazine’s sources disagree about roll length. The 2017 article says 24 inches wide by 105 feet long. The downloadable DP-00478 plan says 24 inches by 150 feet and names Dick Blick with a historical price of $14.99. That price and listing are dated details, not current availability or pricing.
Rank #4
- Child Wooden Easel Paper Roll 18 inch for Drawing:Dry-erase whiteboard,chalkboard,locking paper roll,large bottom storage tray with cups,wooden art easel .The paper roller can pull down by the children,unlike other designs that hold the paper with clips
- Double Sided Easel for Child White and Chalk Board:One side is a magnetic dry erase board and the other side is a magnetic black chalkboard.Functionality art easel can be more creative play,it is a great learning tool with magnetic on double-sided
- Adjustable Height Easel for Different Child Height:It's a wooden kid's easel double-sided adjustable standing art easel.You can adjust the height from 29.9 to 53.5 inches,adapt for age 3+ years and height of the kids
- Great Present Dry Erase Magnetic Board Art Easel Fun present for little artists: Double-sided painting easel is big enough to allow two kids to draw and play at the same time.The wooden art easel for children is also great learning and teaching helper
- Child Wooden Art Easel Easy to Store Design: This art easel fixed with plastic screws.If you need to fold it,just take the tray off and get With a large storage tray can hold all your artistic utensils
For a replacement roll, prioritize the 24-inch width, then check that the core fits the dowel and that the roll feeds through the holder and paper-cleat arrangement. Confirm fit against the assembled easel rather than relying on the differing length figures.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- 🎁 【3-in-1 easel for toddlers】SUNFATT kids easel integrates all the supplies needed for chalkboard and whiteBoard drawing,graffiti,acrylic painting.The double-sided magnetic blackboard and dry erase whiteboard,paper roll holder are on the top.All the accessories are just for enhancing children's imagination and artistic drawing ability and keeping them away from electronic products.Ideal Gift Idea: This easel is the perfect Christmas or birthday present for kids.
- 🎁 【Adjustble height kids easel board】: The height of the Kids's art easel can be adjusted from 29.5" to 54.3",and the size of the easel is 21.65" x 17.72". It is suitable for the height of 99% of boys and girls ages 2-12 and can be adjusted according to the height of the growing child,accompanying the child's growth all the time.
- 🎁【Magnetic easel have 114+ art supplies accessories】2 * Paper Rolls;1 * Set Kids Apron;12 * Colors Kids Paint;12 * Style Paint Brushes;4 * Painting Cups;1 * Color Palettes;8 * Colors Dry Erase Marker;1 * Dry Erase Eraser;6 Colors Dust-Free Chalk * 2;1 * Chalk Holder;1*Washable Chalkboard Eraser;1* Storage Box;41 * Pcs Magnetic Letters;1 *Magnetic Ruler;6 * pcs magnetic buttons;6 * Animal Magnetic Stickers.Thedust-free chalk and the chalk eraser need to be moistened with water to bewiped clean.Comes with acomplete set of drawing accessories.Allaccessories are designed to spark children’s imagination and artistic skillswhile keeping them engaged away from electronic devices.
- 🎁 【kids drawing staion with CPC and CE certification】The kids coloring easel is made of high-quality Mongolian Scotch pine,and each material is carefully polished.The smooth wood has no burrs and round corners, which is safe for children.For both the whiteboard and the blackboard,the number of coatings has been increased to 4 layers, and the surface is coated with an additional moisture-proof coating for long-term use. It has passed CPC and CE certifications.**Dust free chalk requires wetting the blackboard eraser for wiping.
- 🎁 【Easy installation and storage childern's easel】We have detailed instructions and following the guidelines,it is easy to install and operate.The included storage box can hold all the accessories together,no more clutter in the room,and let children develop hands-on ability from an early age.
Assembly and finishing overview
- Build the two frames. Cut the oak legs and rails to the dimensions verified against the PDF drawings, then form and assemble the half-lap joints.
- Prepare the panel openings. Cut the specified rabbets and other frame details, and fit the melamine-faced panels. Paint the chalkboard face before installing the panels, following the plan’s sequence.
- Join the frames. Install the two 2-inch strap hinges so the easel opens and folds as designed.
- Add the paper and supply hardware. Attach the cleats, install the dowel-and-turnbutton roll holder, and assemble and mount the two trays.
- Apply the clear finish. The plan directs the builder to mask the panels and tray bottoms, apply three coats of water-based satin polyurethane, and sand between coats with 220-grit paper. It names Rust-Oleum Specialty Chalk Board paint as the example used; that reference is not a current independent product recommendation.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
