Well. I did it. I fixed the cupboard under the sink in the kitchen. Here’s a look at the before:

This is AFTER the old beadboard insert fell out and apart!
I asked my super-cool, helpful brother-in-law (who builds churches!) what I should do and he said to get another piece of the beadboard (I did know that) and put it in with glazing points – like a picture frame.
After measuring I went to the hardware store where the helpful, patient guy showed me everything close to beadboard, but came up with nothing that would work for me or even get close to matching what I had!
Finally, he cut a scrap of 1/4 inch plywood to fit the hole and gave it to me. When I got home, it, of course, was 1/4 inch too long! I got out my utility knife, and realized I needed one of those long, metal, straight edges – which I don’t have. (Btw, I’d already discussed my lack of hand saw and palm sander with the hardware store guy. Thankfully he realized I didn’t want to buy all those things from him.) Here’s a look at what I used to cut the plywood down to size.

From L to R: metal computer case (straight edge), edge of plywood, old beadboard being held together with belt and staples, old utility knife with new blade.
Once I sanded the corners of the plywood so they were slightly rounded (the hole had rounded corners – why?), the plywood fit right in!

Functional. NOT attractive.
I considered several options to make this look nicer – stain, paint, scrapbook paper, wallpaper, stencils, fabric – and finally settled on fabric. I looked through my stash and found nothing.
A quick trip to my local thrift shop yielded a couple pieces of fabric I thought might work. Here’s the first one I tried.

I was hoping the vertical stripes would "go" with the beadboard.
It didn’t really do anything for me, but was better than naked plywood. So I tried the other fabric which was actually someone’s unfinished embroidery.

It doesn't match the rug exactly, but doesn't clash either. Also, I have several rugs I use here - I love these cotton rugs and the ease of washing them!
Ok, I like that better than the stripes and way better than the plywood! But I’m still trying to decide if it looks like a “fun detail” or just silly!
Once I decided on this fabric, I taped it onto the plywood, and secured the plywood with glazing points on the back.
Here’s the bigger picture of the cupboards, sink and counter.

What dishes? *wink* Also, note that the rug and fabric chosen by me have a bit of a different color scheme than the soon-to-be-gone wallpaper!
Total cost was $1 for all the fabric – both pieces – and time. I already had the “straight edge” and utility knife, the plywood was free and I had glazing points from a framed puzzle several years ago.
So, what do you think?
(I’m linking this to DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land. Go see all the great projects!)