Before You Toss That Old Baking Pan, Try This Clever Organizing Idea Instead

The baking pan is one of the most versatile utility tools in any kitchen — there's a reason the empress of home cooking, Ina Garten, keeps at least eight of them on hand. Baking sheets are a quintessential item for everyday culinary tasks like roasting veggies to perfection, reheating leftovers, and baking chewy chocolate chip cookies. Since this trusty tool has such a wide range of uses, though, no pan is completely impervious to wear-and-tear damage like cosmetic scratches and warping due to extended high heat exposure. Even high-quality sheet pans that are built to last still need to be replaced after four to eight years of consistent use, on average.

While your first thought may be to chuck your banged-up baking sheet into the dumpster, there's a fun and clever way to get a little more use out of your old pan: turn it into a magnetic memo board. If you're someone who is constantly running out of space on the refrigerator door, this is the upcycling project for you — a DIY board perfect for posting reminders and grocery lists, displaying photos and memorabilia, saving recipe cards, and so much more. All you need to transform your old sheet pan into an organizational masterpiece is spray paint, super glue, and a heavy-duty wire hanger.

To convert your favorite old sheet pan into a memo board, thoroughly clean the pan to rid the surface of any lingering burnt food or greasy residue, and allow it to fully dry. Then, give the sheet pan a facelift with a solid coat of spray paint, fully covering any scratches and rust spots. After the paint has dried, use a gel-based super glue to attach a heavy-duty hanger to the back of the pan, which will allow you to hang the board on the wall.

Once you add a few small magnets, your new magnetic memo board is ready to go. However, if you want to further personalize your creation, grab a piece of patterned fabric and create a bold lining for the sheet tray using spray adhesive. You can also add a bit of aesthetic flair to your board by punching small holes into the top of the pan and tying twine or strong ribbon through for hanging. To get twice as much use from your memo board, line half of the sheet pan with cardboard and secure it in place with super glue. Then, place a layer of adhesive-backed cork over the cardboard to create a simple cork board for pinning notes and photos.