The other day I found a large {3 ft x 4 ft} cork board at the thrift store. I figured I could always use another pin board and the price was right, so I brought it home.
I was thinking I would cover it with linen like this one from potterybarn:
But then while perusing some of my favorite blogs, I came across this photo at Grace Happens:
That little woven bench caught my eye and I just knew that was what I wanted to do with the enormous bulletin board.
Want to make one too?
Here is what you’ll need:
:: cork board
:: burlap {or other fabric of choice}
:: scissors, staple gun, ruler, sharpie, thumb tacks
STEP ONE: cut two pieces of burlap to fit cork board. Add 3 inches to each side for wrap around.
STEP TWO: cut strips of burlap.
With a ruler and sharpie, mark equal increments on your fabric piece {mine are 3 inches}.
Draw lines with the ruler and cut. Make sure you cut one piece of fabric with the strips going vertically and one horizontally so that they fit all the way across the board. {I folded my fabric in half so I didn’t have to cut all the way down}
STEP THREE: staple strips to the back of the board
STEP FOUR: add a row of strips to the vertical edge.
When you turn the cork board over, it will look like this:
STEP FIVE: weave in a basket weave pattern {over-under-over-under}
STEP SIX: pin ends in place, pulling the strip taut.
STEP SEVEN: remove pins and staple back of strips in place.
Trim excess, if you wish.
STEP EIGHT: trim frayed edges
STEP NINE: add ribbon to hang
Cut ribbon a bit longer than the board, fold end over and staple to the back of the board.
Hang and embellish!
{a little sneak peak of our *unfinished* bedroom}
Because I hung this over our bed, I wanted to embellish with thing that are just about US.
I had a great time collecting some of my most cherished love notes, wedding photos and creating a silhouette of the two of us on our wedding day.
A photo from our wedding. What a beautiful day.
An early love note from my sweet husband. Perhaps the nicest thing ever said to me.
I really love how this project turned out.
I love your board!!! I have a cork/chalk board in our entryway that has needed to be redone done since I found it on sale. Because of you I was inspired to to this – http://bit.ly/14oZxeE
Thank you for posting this! It inspired to make my own version of a fabric covered bulletin board. You can check mine out here http://graceadkins.blogspot.com/2012/09/diy-framed-and-fabric-covered-bulletin.html
Oh, Emily. I found a burlap cork board on Ballard Designs’s website and thought I could make one myself…then went looking for interesting tutorial ideas. I should have expected that my search would, once again, bring me to Jones Design Co. I do believe you’re my long-lost creative twin! :)
Hey Emily, what size was your cork board? Also, any ideas for bargain-buys on it? Its really expensive at porters. Thanks!
I found my large cork board at a thrift store {it was a good find!}. I know they can be spendy – did you try an office supply store?
just made my woven board yesterday and i am loving it! thanks for sharing your creative ideas!
Emily, you are a true inspiration! I have just finished graduate school in marriage and family therapy, and my husband and I are getting ready to move back to the Chicago area into a new (our first!!!) house. I cannot wait to try some of these beautiful projects in our new home. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us! After we get settled, I hope to put some work into my blog, which will feature a new company I am starting with my sister called ::::artsybird. Keep us in mind, and let me know if you have any great tips on getting started in blogging about what we are creating, and marketing our products. Thanks :)
Where did you get the card with enorme on it?
Hi Emily!
I love this board! I am finishing up one for our bedroom right now. Thanks for the great idea! How did you affix the letter L to the board? I’m trying to figure out the best way to do that. Thanks!
You are awesome! I tried this at work…check out my link to see how it turned out!
So, I tried this out at work & I think it looks fabulous!! Check out my link to see the AFTER shot…thanks Emily for all the creativity and inspiration!
I tried this and it turned out sooo cute! Check out the link to my blog to see it if you want. Thank you for being your cute, creative self & sharing it with us! :)
I tried this and it turned out sooo cute! Thank you for being your cute, creative self and sharing that with us. :)
http://princessandthe-p.blogspot.com/2011/04/princess-and-pirate-not-trying-to-brag.html
Love, love, love it! And you must tell me the paint color of the bedroom! Pretty please?
I LOVE your headboard! Do you mind sharing where you found it?
It is from Restoration Hardware {the outlet}.
The L is one of those large cardboard ones from Joann’s. I decoupaged scrapbook paper on to it. Very simple project!
Is the L on your board… is it metal or wood?? if so… did you make it or did you buy it?? and if you bought it… then where?? sorry for all the questions!! i love it! i want to try it so badly!!
That is sooo clever. Thanks for sharing the instructions!
That is super neat ! BTW did you get married at Golden Gardens… that’s what one of the pictures reminded me of … (sorry sidenote)
Love it!
Wow this looks great! So creative of you, and I love how you used it to hang love notes from you & your hubby- so sweet!
this is precious. how long did this project take???
Thanks to the Nester for directing us to this great idea! I love it.
I heart this very much!!!
um hello genius! I have a plain cork board of those proportions just a-hangin on my wall waiting for this post. thank you!!!
I have had an enormous cork board and a few yards of burlap I’ve been wanting to use but hadn’t figured out what or where to use either, always changing my mind once I decided. I couldn’t figure out a good way to cover the ugly frame on the board either. I’m excited to try this project out. Thanks for sharing and being friends with Nester so that I could hear about it :o) Enjoy your weekend!
LOVE this, so awesome!!
I LOOOVE this! My co-worker and I are responsible for this “Brag Board” at work (we are elementary teachers) and we had talked about using burlap as a background. After seeing this, I thought it would be the perfect way to make a statement but keep the neutral tone of the background. I will post pics on my blog {Princess & the P} when we are finished and link to your blog/tutorial, of course! (I am a pirate, but I give credit where credit is due! haha) I love your style…it is always inspiring!
So, I tried this out at work (for a Brag Board) & I think it looks fabulous!! Check out my link to see the AFTER shot…thanks Emily for all the creativity and inspiration!
I love this! I knew I had a small cork board up in a closet somewhere in my house… so I went digging and I found just enough burlap to cover it. Turned out to be a double positive because I moved the project outside and my boys (3.5 and 2) had a good hour and a half outside while I crafted! Thanks for the beautiful idea AND tutorial, it was a sinch! (ok, mine may or may not be a tad bit crooked :) xo
How in the world do you have time for this stuff?!!! :)
Simply beautiful!. Emily you’re a person who inspires, you have very good style and incredible ideas. Greetings from Argentina :o)
Love the look. I bet you could do the same with that chair banding fabric, can’t remember what it is called lol But then you wouldn’t have to cut all the pieces. It looks just as beautiful in burlap though.
Thank you:) Going to get a sample tomorrow!
Is there anyway you could post your bedroom color:) thanks!
Of course! It is Marine Magic by Behr.
thanks for sharing, so creative! how do you come up with all these wonderful ideas & execute them??!!
i love this! it looks great! your bedroom looks beautiful! are we going to get after pictures? i am also missing your WIWW posts!!! your style is super cute!
Been brainstorming for something to do for my 10th anniversary – Now I know :) Thanks for the inspiration!
I have to copy this. Did your cork board have a frame that you removed? Thanks!
Really creative…love!
Very cool……….I have three children and never enough room for their art work, etc. I recently found a bunch of pieces of cork in my storage shed and have been trying to decide what to do. Thinking this would be great to do three in my kitchen covered in some french grain sacks that I have found! Thanks
I love this!! You are so talented. What is the paint color of your master bedroom?
i like that your nails are painted…pretty. and of course, i love the board.
TOTALLY gorgeous! LOVE this.
Emily, I love this so much I posted it on my FB page…. http://www.fb.me/LongabergerLifestyle with your link.
“I *love* basket weave (Ha! No surprise here!! Huh?) And I am sooo smitten with the bulletin board cover up Emily @Jones Design Company came up with using my new favorite decorating fabric…burlap…used in a basket weave. What a terrific way to add a creative and inexpensive twist to the repetition of basket weave in a room. “
Thank you SO much for the blog love!!!! What a thrill for me:) I was wondering why I was getting more comments than usual, and now I know why. THANK YOU!
And I LOVE your bulletin board. Great tutorial. xoxo grace.
ps. if you’re with holly mathis still, give her a hug for me!
I really like this! I also noticed your lamps…did you happen to make those? Just curious because I’m thinking about buying a glass drill bit and wanted to see if you used it on your lamps.
Thanks!
This is simply genius. Bookmarking it now for my “to do” list! I love it! And the quotes are positively fabulous too. And I love the “L”. The whole post is brilliant and so inspiring!!!!!!!
Wow, that looks fantastic! Nice work!
I really like this idea, and I love the details that you added to it!
Love it! I actually made a similar board recently using a bulletin board I found in a neighbor’s trash with jute upholstery webbing. It’s great for my son’s art and little treasures like leaves and sticks.
The L is one of those big ones from Joann’s and then I decoupaged scrapbook paper on to it. Super easy.
Another crazy gorgeous project, Emily! Thank you for the inspiration that you continually provide. I’m particularly fond of that damask patterned “L”. Is that wrapping paper? wallpaper? scrapbook paper? Source, please! :)
Emily you are so stinkin talented! And I am so jealous of your creativity and “eye for design.” I probably would have never noticed that woven bench in the bottom of that photo and I definitely wouldn’t have noticed it and then said “hey I can make my cork board look like that!” I wish I had that ability, but instead I just have to read blogs like yours and hijack your good ideas! ;)
The cork board came out gorgeous and is WAY more cute than that pottery barn one! And I love how you personalized with all those beautiful memories of your life with your husband. Next, can you do a tutorial on how to make those sillouettes from a photo? I would love to do those from one of my wedding pictures!
P.S. I have been working on my spring wreath with the ruffles from your last tutorial! It’s been a fun project!
Love this project ~ you made it look so easy and just beautiful!
I especially loved the photo with the little toes in the corner :)
yeah … can you believe it?!! My one time with un-chipped nail polish.
your projects are some of the best online, girl. simple. elegant and accessible.
another great one!
{ps. your nails look lovely. hee hee}
-{darlene}
fieldstonehilldesign
I really luv the stool too, but your idea to put it on a cork board is great. CREATIVE! The texture it brings. Luv. And your husband is a sweet guy, they don’t know how much those compliments mean to us girls.
First off….where in the world do you find the time to do these amazing crafts?!?!? Secondly…I am soooo excited to create this. I just revamped our guest bedroom and wanted something to hang for myself. This is it! Thanks again for a great idea!
I like it too!
Emily…your just the cutest… good morning !… and have a sweet day!
*Lynne*
{with love}
Utterly charming.
Hey, nice manicure : )
This is so sweet and personal. I love that you hung it over your bed. Sweetness!
Blessings!
Oh my goodness – brilliant and creative! I love it!
This is really just fabulous, so creative on your part. And I’m sure patience was involved too :-) Love the texture it adds, and great sneak peak of your bedroom. Ours is a similar paint color. The silver bed and lamps really fit the space well.
LOVE this!!! I picked up a huge corkboard at our area “Recycled Resource Center” where everything is FREE :) It has been sitting in my storage area for weeks (ok maybe months!) waiting for inspiration. Thanks for sharing! Between this and the Spring Wreath…I have to get to work this week!! ;)
I really like the natural texture of the board – what a great idea! And I’m loving the color of your bedroom – care to share? Pllleeaaassseeee….
Emily- so cute!! You need to slow down– I can barely keep up & my friends generally want whatever I make of yours, so I am a busy mama! Book page wreaths, burlap wreaths, the pear/momgram t-shirts, flower pins, etc… I am currently painting my kitchen table and then planning to distress it– I am on a roll! Love the pin board! Next stop- thrift store for a board to use! THANKS!!
looks great. I’m always amazed how some minds can look at one object and then create something else. You must share more about your bedroom decor. I have a similar shade in ours and I have no idea how to decorate it
Very cool! Love the texture. You make everything look easy!
You Should really love it – it turned out so exquisite, Emily! O you creative girl! Do the wheels ever stop turning, I wonder? So fun – look forward to seeing the whole room.
this is fabulous! this is definately going on my to do list very soon. thanks for sharing!
Emily, you are such a creative lady. I love the personal touches. What a sweet love note from your hubby. I am loving your “L”. Did you make that too??
It turned out great. Thanks for sharing!
i love how it turned out, too.
love the board – awesome awesome awesome!!!
Also…would you mind sharing the colour of your bedroom walls? Its fabulous!
This is fabulous Emily~ bravo! Thanks for the detailed tutorial as well.
xo~
T
super cute, sister friend. now i need to find a ginormous cork board…
CUTE and so doable….what an awesome unique take on the bulletin board!
I love that! So creative!
This is a great idea! It turned out even better with the addition of your love notes. Thanks for sharing:)
“Your elegance is a treasure.” – The most beautiful thing I’ve heard in a while. God bless the two of you. xo
What a creative way to cover a message board, love it! Janell
So creative. I love it! And your wedding pics are gorgeous!
I LOVE this!!!! I have to make one. Your creativity is also a treasure! Thanks for sharing…
This is too cute! And looks super easy! I love it! Thanks for sharing!
very pretty.