I have been beside-myself-excited for the past 2 weeks to show you this bulletin board project! However...
I have come to learn that there is ALWAYS a "however" in ALL of my craft projects! Why is it that I can never seem to get things right or perfect the first time? Maybe, just maybe (said in a whisper) I am a bit of a perfectionist...
Or maybe it's because I get so excited, I rush to start the project before fully planning it out and thinking through the details.
Probably, it's a combination of both. But, now that my "however" is CONQUERED, I am READY to show you the RESULTS of the cutest-ever bulletin board for my 10-year-old's Bedroom Makeover!!
But first--here was the inspiration:
Using Pottery Barn's darling 3x3 square board as my inspiration, I purchased some 1'x1' cork squares, some beautiful fabric at my favorite fabric store, some spray adhesive, a piece of pegboard (half off--because we found a damaged piece!!! We then had the nice man at Lowe's cut off the damaged part because we only needed the board to be 3'4" square), and some white chair rail molding for the frame.
Want the project elements in a list?
9- 1'x1' cork squares
fabric for 9 squares (at least 16"x16" each...I just bought half-yards)
spray adhesive
piece of pegboard 3'4" square (or 3' PLUS your frame size)
white chair molding for frame
staple gun to attach the fabric to the cork squares
hot glue gun (to glue cork squares onto pegboard)
I used some scrap fabric (an old sheet) to go under the fabric--just to give it a smooth, finished look.
screws to attach the frame to the pegboard
Because I cannot seem to describe anything quickly, I'll go ahead and show you the FINISHED product!! That way, if you likey like, you can keep reading to find out the details.
Drum roll...
I don't hear any drummers....
Do you like it? Goodness, why am I always so nervous when I show pictures of something I have made? I'm like a little kid, really wanting your approval...but also like a perfectionist adult, who sees (and usually points out) my mistakes. So, just don't look too closely--because there ARE mistakes. But, I have to admit--I am giddy proud of this bulletin board.
And I'm all smiley--because this happy, colorful little piece of art will go into my happy, colorful little artist's bedroom! (Sorry I can't show you the picture of it hanging on the wall above her desk...Well, because, er, it's not actually on the wall yet! Baby steps, people!)
So, if you likey...keep on reading to find out the details to make one for yourself! Let me warn you, though. I would rate the difficulty an 8 out of 10 (10 being Martha Stewart difficult). I'm usually a 5 kind of a project girl, so this was a big undertaking for me.
Here goes:
Here are the supplies, all ready to start! I bought the cork tiles at Michael's. They came 4 to a set. I wish I had measured the fabric squares. Next time, I definitely will! These--I just "eyeballed" with the cork on top, and cut away! You'll see in some of the next pictures that eyeballing doesn't always work out...some of my squares had some really short sides--which made for some very creative stapling.
Note that I have also cut up an old sheet for my under-layer squares. I did not take the time to iron these, and they worked just fine. I did pull the sheet very tight before stapling, to smooth out all the wrinkles.
IMAGINE a PICTURE here of me spraying the adhesive onto the cork tiles.
Also IMAGINE a PICTURE here of me ironing the fabric squares. This is an important step that I learned by not doing it the first time, and having to re-do that square. Ironing gives the fabric its nice, crisp appearance on the cork, and allows it to adhere evenly.
Note that there is no perfection here...just pull opposite sides of the fabric taught, and staple with your beloved staple gun. (Do you love your staple gun as much as I do mine?) Do the corners last, which I just sort of wrapped like a present. (Thank you, Laura!)
See! I told you that eyeballing the fabric to cut it into a square, does not work. Self--next time use a ruler! On those really short edges, I stapled the fabric onto the side edge of the cork. It all worked out--none of these creative "fixes" show up in the finished product. Whew!
Oh, and the white paper? As I was flipping the tiles over to work on both sides, cork dust kept getting on my pretty fabric. I just stapled a piece of computer paper onto the back to help lessen the dust.
Ah! Isn't this the prettiest piece of silk fabric? Do you ever look at pretty fabric, and imagine it made into a fancy ball gown for yourself? This aqua silk shall be a 1-shoulder affair, cut on the bias, with some slight rouching in the skirt... Okay, back to reality. No ball gown for me today. We're all about bulletin boards today. Ball gowns are so totally Saturday, dude.
Measure the exact center of your pegboard for your center tile, and mark it with a Sharpie. Next, line up all the fabric-covered tiles, and play with them until you like the layout.
I think this is the arrangement I like most. Now, very carefully lift one tile at a time to hot glue to the pegboard. Be careful not to move anything, so your tiles stay in perfect alignment. My crystal ball says your tiles are in perfect alignment...
Since I just might want to change the fabric someday (ya never know!), I worked hard to hot glue the fabric part (and not the exposed cork). That way, I could always pop off the tile and re-cover without damaging the cork tile.
May I publicly RANT a little about the teensy tiny excuse of a hot glue gun that I own??? And that I have owned it for at least 10 years, and HATE IT every single time I use it. Granted, I don't use it that often...but every time I do, I get so angry that it is so tiny, and it is so low temperature. I want a BIG and HOT temperature glue gun. (That's what he said.)
Okay, disclaimer part...Here is the part of this bulletin board project where I *wince* a little about the "DIY" description. Okay, I admit it--my husband TOTALLY did the whole frame part. But, I WAS standing right there...taking his picture, cheering him on, and just maybe saying "are you sure?" just a few times...
The whole angle part of the molding, and trying to match up angles so they fit nicely--at an angle...That part just scared me. I mean, I had Mrs. Tew for Geometry a long, long time ago. And my husband is a math whiz! So, I nominated him for this part!
Oh look! It's my husband's little helper, Pinky Tuscadero! (Anyone remember Pinky? Name that t.v. show of my childhood.) Isn't she a cutie? My husband decided, I mean WE decided to screw in the frame, as opposed to gluing it. He screwed it in from the back side, careful not to let the screw poke through the front.
Ooh, look! It's the last side! Almost finished!!!
Ready for him to turn it over to look at the finished product one more time?
I promise to hang it SOON! I cannot wait to see it hanging on the turquoise wall! With all the other happy polka dot fabrics in the room nearby!
UPDATE!!! To see it hanging happily on the turquoise wall, click here!
That's it! That's all you need to do to make your OWN Pottery Barn inspired bulletin board. Ours only cost about $45 to make! I bought deeply discounted fabric, a damaged pegboard, and inexpensive chair molding. The most expensive part were the cork tiles from Michael's. If I had planned ahead a little better, I could have scored a half-off coupon.
If you make one of these, please please send me a picture! I would LOVE to see!!!
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