The struggle to keep organized is a never ending one. I find that I work best when I jot down notes on paper. The challenge with writing those little notes is that they often get lost among the creative clutter on my desk. I decided I needed a place to pin those notes up. However, when I searched office supply stores, I just couldn’t find anything that was the right size or that I liked the look of. One day, I noticed my neighbor putting some perfectly good gold frames out by the recycle bin. Seeing them sparked a plan. I would make my own upcycled bulletin board!
Tips for Making an Upcycled Bulletin Board
You can easily make your own customized version of my upcycled bulletin board. Before you start, keep the following in mind:
- You don’t need an expensive frame. I got lucky and found mine for free. You can also look at thrift stores and garage sales. Keep your mind open. If the frame isn’t the right color, you can easily paint it with spray paint or acrylic paint.
- Try to find a solid sheet of cork to fit the frame but don’t stress out if you can’t find one. I could not find a sheet of cork large enough for my frame. I did find two sheets which I could easily piece together. In some ways, using multiple sheets of cork can be an advantage. You may not have to tape off portions of the design and can instead, just paint the block one solid color. Cork comes in a variety of price ranges. For my project, I used cheap cork covered foam boards.
- Cardboard is your friend. Depending on the frame and the thickness of the cork sheets, you may need to layer in a little bit of cardboard to get the cork sheet to sit properly within the frame. The cardboard can also reinforce the seams if you need to use multiple sheets of cork.
Tips for Creating Custom Thumbtacks/Push Pins:
- Try to find the flattest push pins/thumb tacks that you can get.
- Not all jewels are opaque which means that it might pick up the color of the pushpin. In effect, that color can darken or change the color of the jewel in an undesired manner. To prevent this, use only white push pins.
- If the enamel dot or jewel won’t stick well, use a small bit of liquid adhesive.
The actual process of making the upcycled bulletin board is simple and can be completed( depending on the drying time of the paint) in an hour or less.
I am happy to be a part of a wonderful collaboration between myself and other crafters on You Tube. This month’s theme is back to school and organization. Though we may think of the kids when it comes to “back to school”, many of these projects are worthy of us moms too. I spy several that I would love to make for myself. Some of these projects have sparked ideas for simple gifts to give during the upcoming holiday season. Be Sure to stop by and see the rest of the projects from the #craftcollab:
