Happy Friday, Everyone!
Need a weekend, finish-in-an-hour project? One that will help with organization? Try this pretty, but functional, bulletin board…
Fabric-covered bulletin board made with stuff I already had (except the frame!)
Supplies:
- cork (either a roll or tiles)
- frame (Please do not buy at full price! Hobby Lobby sells nice ones at 50% off every other week. Or hit a garage sale and ditch the “art”. Or don’t bother with the frame! You can finish the edges with trim.)
- backer board cut to fit inside frame (Use what you have on hand. I had some left-over pegboard. Thin plywood or luan would work fine.)
- pretty fabric that fits your room and is about 2 inches wider and longer than your frame
- hot glue gun
- staple gun or duct tape
Steps:
- Hot glue cork or cork tiles onto backer board. You don’t need to overdo this–perimeter and a cross or X will hold it snugly.
- Place the cork side on top of the pretty fabric (back side of fabric.)
- Staple fabric edges to the backer board. Put one staple in the middle of the top, first. Then, pull fabric at the bottom, gently but firmly. Staple middle of the bottom. Do the same on the sides. Then, staple freely around the rest of the perimeter. The staples are on the back side of the bulletin board and should not show. Fabric should be smooth.
- Place frame face down on flat surface.
- Place bulletin board face down into frame. If your board was cut to fit, the bulletin board should fit fairly snuggly into the frame.
Back side of bulletin board. If you are paying attention, you will see that I apparently wrapped the fabric around the cork before applying it to the backer board. This is not a good idea, and I'm not sure why I did it. Do as I say; don't do as I did.
- Secure the board to the frame. I used the staple gun, but duct tape will also work…Just use it freely around all edges.
- Attach hanging hardware. I used eye screws and wire since I already had those, but the jagged edge hangers will work, too.
- You could be finished here. Or you can use some sort of tassel fringe, gimp, rope, or ribbon to go around the front of the bulletin board, just inside the frame. I was feeling sassy this day, so I used some extra tassel fringe that I had leftover from a sewing project.
- Hang in just the perfect spot, and use to display important stuff.
The Perfect Spot for Me
***I used a looser weave fabric so pushpin holes would not show. Most cottons should work well but test it out before you go crazy with your staple gun.
***They also make pretty pushpins now, if you want a more decorated look. For my mudroom, the old-fashioned kind works just fine.
***Periodically, clean up your bulletin board. I found coupons from 2008 on mine!
Your project looks awesome! I’m so glad you posted this project. I have been wanted to make something similar for my daughter, but wasn’t sure where to begin. I’m thinking various square tiles (cork, chalkboard, and pegboard), with the corkboard covered in fabrics. You have inspired me to begin putting the pieces together. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks, Stephanie. My daughter and I did do a project like you are talking about (I think.) We were inspired by a Pottery Barn board. I will post pictures of it when I can. It was a little more involved, but she loved how it turned out! Good luck to you!
Pottery Barn is where I orignally saw what I’m thinking of. Loved the idea, just not the price. It would be great if you could post pictures. Thanks!
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Thank you for the tips on what kind of fabric to use when covering a corkboard. I always worry that the wholes will show in the fabric after the pushpins. Btw Decorative pushpins are easy to make by glueing buttons or anything you’d like to thumbtacks. I have seen lots of tutorials for it out in the blogosphere.
Marianne, thanks so much for the tip on making your own decorative push pins. I admit that I said “Duh” to myself when I read your comment! I would never of thought of it on my own. Thanks for sharing it with me.