Young House Love

Home Decorating & DIY Tutorials

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How To Make A Fabric Covered Bulletin Board

It’s time for a board meeting guys. Nothing official, just an actual meeting of cork boards, like so:

Cork Board2

Let’s back up. I had this random idea that a hidden bulletin board in my closet would be a fun place to tack up a bunch of pages I’ve torn out of magazines. You know, cute outfits, haircuts, and other various tips/reminders that I rip out (like how to check my freckles for signs of skin cancer – yes I actually do that). That way, instead of shoving them somewhere like a drawer or letting them pile up on my desk, I can see them all at a glance… with the push of a few hangers.

See what I mean?

Cork Board0

When I push my clothes to the side there’s a nice big swatch of unused wall space on my side of the closet. And that way my lady mag cuttings won’t be all up in John’s face (or anyone else’s really) except for mine – when I want to see them. And if I don’t I can just leave my hangers in their normal position and my incognito board is… incognito.

So to make a little fabric covered cork bulletin board, I grabbed two $6 packs of cork from Target (for a total of eight squares, but I only used six so I think I’ll use the other two to make cork flooring for Clara’s someday dollhouse – haha). Oh and I had leftover fabric (called Khanjali Peacock by Robert Allen) from making the curtains in the dining room and upholstering the chairs in the office (originally snagged on clearance for $12 a yard from a local fabric outlet called U-Fab). So I opted to use that already-owned fabric to dress up my cork.

Cork Board 1

That makes the total cost of this project $12 for the cork (since I already had the fabric), but it might run you $15-$25 to make a board this big if you don’t have fabric on hand and have to buy some. A smaller board with just four squares will only run you six bucks for the cork though, so that’s another option.

Anyway, back to the meeting of boards. I just lined up six of them like this and used duct tape to connect them (the cork is exactly the same on both sides, so just use whatever side that you tape together as the back).

Cork Board3

Then I added a little more duct tape to reinforce it (since thin sheets of cork are pretty floppy).

Cork Board4

Then I cut a piece of fabric that was about 2″ larger (on all sides) than the 36 x 24″ cork rectangle that I had made.

Cork Board5.5

And I pulled them around the back and used duct tape to secure them nice and tight.

Cork Board5

Oh and before I cut my remnant I paid attention to the pattern so it would look nice and centered. Here she is from the front after her nip and tuck:

Cork Board7

And here she is after I used six small nails to tap the four corners (and the top middle and bottom middle) right into the wall to secure it. This way I can just remove the nails to free up my board if I ever want to remove it to repaint the closet for example – or want to hang it somewhere else someday.

Cork Board8

Then I started pinning things up. First I pinned some notes/reminders I took about three years ago from a book called Gorgeously Green (love that book). And an article about how-to-alleviate-allergies from Real Simple (this pollen is trying to kill me). And a skin cancer checklist thing from Glamour magazine to keep me from being neurotic and thinking every last freckle is bad news. What? I was burned a lot as a kid. And you know $herdog rocks the pasty white limbs (evidenced here and here).

Cork Board9

Then it was time for the fun stuff: People/bags/coats/hair that I like (you know, to help me combat the dreaded Mom Slump that I most definitely have fallen into).

Cork Board10

It was about this moment that I realized that patterned fabric + a junkload of stuff pinned at random = chaos. So if you’re more of a less-is-more person, using a more subtle fabric (like tan burlap or linen) or even leaving the cork boards naked might be more your speed. But oddly enough, I love it. Imperfectly cluttered and all. Maybe because I used to make crazy-busy magazine collages as a kid? And it’s especially convenient in the back of my closet because I can just slide my hangers into their normal positions and hide it all away from view.

So what did I do? I piled even more on there. Haha.

Cork Board11

It might not always be this paper-riddled and crazy down the line (I have vague plans to remove some things once I try the hairstyle or buy the item that inspired me to rip it out). But it’s so much fun to stare at that I’m having a hard time leaving my closet.

Cork Board12

So you’ll be comforted to know that I’m not any more fabulous or well coiffed, but I spent the better part of last night hanging out in a 5 x 6 space with lots of people who are. And the good times were rolling.

Whenever I feel bad for subjecting John to my Lady-Business Board, I just slide those hangers closed and it looks like this:

Cork Board13

I think it takes me back to grade school when I had a poster of Joey Mcintyre (yes, of New Kids On The Block fame) hidden in the back of my closet so I could go in there and sigh at him. Which I did every day after school. At length.

*slides hangers back to unveil Joey poster* Oh Joey. *sighs, slides hangers back to hide Joey poster, wistfully leaves closet*

Anyone else hiding things behind other things? Or tearing out haircuts and clothing far more fabulous than your own (sometimes pretty things are just fun to look at). Or embracing a little controlled chaos? Sure my $12 pinboard was pretty without all that stuff on it, but seeing all of my tear sheets hanging out together in front of it makes me nerd out.

Psst- Check out another pinboard project involving cork squares here.

Comments

  2. Molly says

    Good for you! I don’t usually comment, but I work as a dermatology PA, and not a day goes by that we don’t have a patient who finds something important by looking over his/her own skin. Keep it up!

    Reply

  4. Linda says

    Do you have ANY IDEA how much I love the fact that you did this project with $6 cork and duct tape?! I’m convinced that when the zombie apocalypse hits (you’ve seen “Walking Dead”…you know it’s comin’), that all I’ll need is duct tape to survive.

    …well, that and Daryl Dixon/Norman Reedus.
    xoxo Linda

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Seriously it should be. And for anyone who hasn’t seen Zombieland, it’s the best. I first saw it right after I had Clara and was obsessed with it but worried it was hormones or something making me love it so I watched it again about 6 months ago and loved it just as much. Turns out it’s just a fantastic movie, and being post-prego had nothing to do with it! Haha.

      xo,
      s

    • Meg@ Green Motherhood says

      I LOVE zombie land! And that is NOT a typical movie for me. I hate gore, death, scary, etc.
      But, my husband and I always refer to it. Whenever we’re watching a movie and someone shoots a bad guy, one of us always quips, “double tap!”
      Can’t forget the double tap.

    • Mandy says

      I was thinking the exact same thing!!! I do love this idea though, I bet I could get rid of a lot of magazines by making a board to put everything on…

      But, that means i’d have to get rid of some clothes. Well now, that’s not cool…

    • Heather W. says

      HAHAHA I know right… I was thinking the same thing. I will have to get rid of A LOT of clothes to be able to do that!

    • Paulina J! says

      I thought the same thing and then it hit me that I could put it behing the closet door. Yayyy! Off to get some cork.

    • YoungHouseLove says

      I have always (always) wanted a secret tunnel. To my BFF Cat’s house. We talk about moving next to each other someday and actually digging one. DIY style.

      xo,
      s

  11. Jessie says

    MAN, this is AWESOME!!! i have been meaning to do something like this but kept thinking where can i put it. HELLO CLOSET?!?!?!

    too sweet and easy! I’m doing this THIS weekend!!! Thanks for shaing you two ROCK!!!

    Reply

  12. Chelsea says

    Love it! Now I want to do this in our coat closet so that my fiance can (maybe??) remember where we’re supposed to be that night or possibly who is coming to visit that weekend. But, who am I kidding? He’ll probably forget it’s back there and I’ll end up putting a bunch of girly stuff on there instead! It’s a win-win either way, right?!

    Reply

  15. Kelly says

    This is a great idea I’m going to steal! Your reference to Joey cracks me up because I’m a huge fan. I even have all his solo albums. My secret dream is to go on the NKOTB cruise but I can’t seem find a friend to join me (or $ to justify it). Oneday, maybe. Now I know to ask $herdog to come! :)

    Reply

  16. Tara R. says

    Oh Joe…totally loved him too :)I even bought the pillowcase so I could sleep right beside him, lol. The inspiration board is such a great idea!!!

    Reply

  17. Maureen @ This (Kinda) Old House says

    I LOVE THIS!!! There are so many things I have to comment about from this post. :)

    1. My closet looks similar with a million different black shirts.

    2. I bought those cork boards and the thumb tacks I had didn’t make it all the way through. Do you seem to have that problem? I wound up having to double the cork up because they were too thin.

    3. First thing that jumps out is your doppelganger, Rachel McAdams.

    4. I love that this is just such a fun thing to do for “you”. Sometimes I forget that I need to do things just for me. This will be put on my project list PRONTO.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Aw thanks Maureen! The pins don’t slide all the way into the cork, but the part that does go in (about a quarter of an inch) is strong enough to hold up all the papers so it works really well! Nothing has fallen out or anything.

      xo,
      s

  18. Valerie says

    This is such a great idea… to create one for jewelry!Thanks for inspiring me… and any post that talks about NKOTB becomes a top 10 in my book…

    Reply

  21. Anna Lisa says

    I have a random bulletin board that’s been sitting around in my living room forever because I’m not sure where to hang it. This might be a good idea…

    Reply

  22. Vanessa says

    I had Donnie Wahlberg in my closet – seriously. I did not like the poster staring at me while I slept so I hung it in there and would leave the door open during the day. Dork, party of 1!

    Now we need a soundtrack of R Kelley’s “Trapped in the Closet”. Classic

    Reply

  24. Susan says

    Sherry, this is soooo clever that it makes me love you (and respect you!) even more than I already do. One idea I had is you could attach the duct-taped corks to a sheet of foam core board (available at my local Dollar Tree store for $1/sheet)and then wrap with your beautiful fabric (by the way, is that fabric also seen in the Ballard catalog?) for even more rigidity. I can’t wait to try this idea out on my own personal “Lady-Business” items!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Love the foam core idea! It would definitely add more rigidity and make it thicker! And yes, the Ballard fabric is the same as ours. Love when it pops up there!

      xo,
      s

  25. Tara says

    I’m planning to do this with some discount fabric and foam core for some cheap, lightweight over-the-TV art (my TV is sitting below a big, blank, booooring wall). I was planning to use double sided tape, but your duct tape idea looks way better! Thanks!

    Reply

  27. Meredith says

    Super cute! (Although I think you actually mean “incognito”…”cognito” by itself is not a word.) :)

    Reply

  28. Jillian says

    Joey!! Ha ha! I love it. I love the idea of using duct tape to put it all together, too. Seems pretty easy to do.

    Reply

  29. Ainhoa@ALittleBite says

    I burned a lot when I was younger, too. I once fell asleep at the beach… I wound up having small, tiny blisters from the sunburn, ugh. (That was only once, I’m now waaay more careful!)
    Anyway, each time I see that fabric I smile because I love it so much! I think there’s an armchair from Urban Outfitters slipcovered in it – gorgeous.

    Reply

  33. Jeanne says

    I loved New Kids on the Block! My favorite was Jon and my room was pestered with Teen Beat! I often wonder what my kids are going to be obsessed with.

    Reply

  34. Robin says

    Confession: I drew a giant heart in chalk on the wall of my closet with the names of the members of Hanson inside, including pages of their faces ripped from Tiger Beat. I didn’t just sigh at it after school. I kissed it.

    Reply

  35. Katie says

    Really fun! I also looked back at the post you linked to about your kitchen pinboards in the old house – have you replicated that at all in the new kitchen? Or have any plans to?

    Reply

  38. Kate says

    OMG i tore out the SAME pic of that blonde lady years ago – on the right side of your board, being coy behind her hand – i love that blonde hair, also the cute top knot on the other side.

    I also just made-over my home office space (aka a 5 x 5 closet) and made sure to include a pin board. it so reminds me of Jr. high and i love it.

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Yes! She has the best hair. My stupid cow lick makes it impossible to replicate, but I just like staring at it and torturing myself I guess. Haha.

      xo,
      s

    • Kristin H. says

      Sherry you have a cowlick?! How have I never noticed!! Me too.. I can get it to lay flat in front for all of .5 seconds just after blow drying then poof! gone! Terrible. That blonde style is to die for!

  40. Meg@ Green Motherhood says

    I have an inspiration board in my closet, too! It’s so fun to stare at things that inspire you (and it’s good for manifesting as well!).
    Love your blouse/shirt collection. I’ve recently realized I have tons of day dresses and no shirts!

    Reply

  41. Libby says

    I had a giant poster of Dylan McKay from 90210 hanging in the back of my closet. And….that very same poster now hangs in my garage, haha :) I just couldn’t bare to give it up!

    Reply

  42. Diana says

    I love this…I feel like it is so youthful and fun. I am glad it is still acceptable to tear out pictures from a magazine for inspiration! It brings me back to my teen years in a good way. Great idea, Sherry!

    Reply

  43. Paula says

    I did this same thing a few months ago but loved the way the fabric looked on the wall so much that I went the opposite route from you — I never pinned a single thing to it. But I know I always have the option to someday! =) (Unless the pollen kills me before I get a chance…)

    Reply

  44. Brigid says

    I love inspiration boards, whether via pinterest or good old fashion cork boards like this! And…I think you meant to say well coiffed not quaffed – which means to drink heartily :)

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Bwahahahaha, yes I did! I kept looking at the word when I was proofreading and saying “it looks so wrong but there’s no wiggly red line”- hahahaha.

      xo,
      s

  45. Shannon says

    Good for you for checking your skin. I was diagnosed with Stage 3 melanoma almost a year ago by finding something myself (even my regular doctor thought it was “fine”). Keep an eye out for moles that change especially. If you are worried, it is WELL worth it to go to a dermatologist, have a full body “scan” (they look at all your moles, etc. and point out ones to keep an eye on), then take pictures of yourself. ALL of yourself! That way, if you ever get freaked out that a mole is changing or if you think you have a new one, you can pull up that picture and compare it. Just relying on memory can be really hard! My mole was a new one that was changing FAST, but otherwise looked “normal.” Totally not meant to freak you out or anything, but if I had had pictures of all of my moles and compared them regularly, I would have been able to catch it more quickly. (I was also pregnant at the time, so that might have affected the growth rate. Fun times!). But very happy to see you being proactive and I was THRILLED to see Clara so sun-safe in Hawaii!

    Reply

  46. Sayward says

    I love that! I’ve made three giant bulletin boards by covering those cork tiles with fabric and then framing the whole thing with a giant old chunky frame. I hot glued the tiles to cardboard so it would sit in the frame more solidly. I also have posters in the back of my closets… you know a grown up girl has to hide her Harry Potter posters SOMEWHERE.

    As far as allergies go, have you looked into eating local honey? After I spent all of last spring laying in bed with ice packs on my eyes, I figured I had nothing to lose. Starting in September or October, you’re supposed to eat one or two spoonfuls of LOCAL honey every day. The theory is that by spring time, your body has built up a tolerance to the local pollens. There’s no concrete medical proof that it works, but lots of people swore to me that it did. So I tried it figuring I had nothing to lose. So far this spring I’ve been COMPLETELY allergy free. I think it’s too soon to officially take this baby to the market, but even if the honey has only bought me two weeks of allergy escape, it was totally worth it. Plus, delicious and chemical free! Have you heard of this? It’s TOTALLY worth a shot for next year. In the meantime you have all my allergy sympathy. They’re the worst :(

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks Sayward! As for the local honey, I actually have given it a go! I tried it for a few years in a row (for the full season, and it definitely was local, etc) and it didn’t work for me. So sad. I just read a study that said there’s a reason it might not work for some people so I guess I’m just one of those resistant folks. So sad.

      But so excited you used take this baby to the market. Hahahahhhaa.

      xo,
      s

    • Kate S, says

      The local honey method only works if the honey was gathered from the plants the allergy sufferer is actually allergic to. Since almost all honey is created from the nectar of wildflowers and garden fodder, it will have little to no effect on individuals who are primarily allergic to tree pollen. That’s probably why it didn’t work for you, Sherry. You might be allergic to local trees and the honey was gathered from local wildflowers.

    • Randa says

      I’ve had allergies in the past as well, but this year have been doing okay so far… it may be because in October I started to cut out a lot of sugar / grain / processed foods in my diet, eating more veggies & juicing my own veggie juice a few mornings a week, and taking a good probiotic daily to build up my immune system.

      Here are some more good suggestions (ignore the first one – it’s the local honey suggestion): http://frugallysustainable.com/2012/03/natural-remedies-for-seasonal-allergies/#

      On another note, love the hidden corkboard idea!
      And yes, I had a poster of the 90210 group on the back of my door. I stared at Dylan the most (Luke Perry). Ha!

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Thanks for the tips Randa! I find when I have less dairy and caffeine it really helps! Also drinking lots of water seems to help too. Oh and I’ve tried boosting my vitamin c with things like oranges and it seems to help a little too!

      xo,
      s

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Bwahahahaha, yes I do! I kept looking at that word when I was proofreading and saying “it looks so wrong but there’s no wiggly red line”- hahahaha.

      xo,
      s

  48. Carley says

    Great idea! This would be a perfect way to stash all of the things I tear our of magazines…glad I’m not the only person who does that!!

    Reply

  49. Rebecca says

    well quaffed = well coiffed, yes? :-)

    Super idea — my magazine pages tend to end up all over until I get frustrated and recycle them without ever following up on any of the tips or ideas!

    Reply

    • YoungHouseLove says

      Bwahahahaha, yes! I kept looking at the word when I was proofreading and saying “it looks so wrong but there’s no wiggly red line”- hahaha.

      xo,
      s

  50. Jen says

    Love this idea – so simple! And if it’s any consolation, I’d probably still put Joey McIntyre on my board today! ::swoon::

    Reply

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