I am extremely indecisive, I am constantly changing up my decor all over my house. Since setting up my "classroom" at home I have missed the ability to change things around quickly and display work without ruining my walls! I had a tiny bulletin board but it just wasn't doing it for me. Enter the GIANT bulletin board. Way too expensive to buy, very easy to make!
After creating my own, I wanted to share how it went and to document for anyone else who wants to try.
*Spoiler ALERT*
I LOVE IT!!
#0 - if you got the same corkboard as me (the roll-up kind) you will need to flatten it. Tips at the end.
#1 - Create some sort of a protective backing
This could be a piece of plywood or other thin wood, I ended up using some hardboard that was easy to fit in my car and inexpensive. My hardboard is 2 x 4 so I had to buy 4 of them to create a 4 x 8 board. This is what you will screw into the wall, I found the studs and used my absolutely amazing, game changing leveler and screwed it in. I actually did this all by myself 👏. Would have been so much easier with another hand but I was impatient.👏
#2 - Glue the Cork to the backboard
Once the cork has been flattened and it is pliable, it's time to glue it on. I had help with this step, i'm not sure how you could do it alone! First, be super careful with the cork, it can easily tear or crumble. Second, we spread the glue out on the foam board, we used this glue, and pressed it on. We held it as long as humanly possible and then put four small nails in the corners then stuck tacks all over the cork board to hold it steady while it dried overnight.
#3 - Add Trim
I cut the 45 degree angles and then used trim nails to attach to the board. We had just loaned out our table saw so we had to do it by hand, excuse the bad cuts! Next I filled in the terrible cuts and any nail holes with wood filler, I waited for it to dry and then painted over with white. I didn't realize that the board was very shiny and my paint was matte, so I had to do a quick coat over everything.
#4 - Decorate!
This was my favorite part! Also wow this is a huge space, my mind is going 100 different directions as to how to use it. Stay tuned for updates as I try different designs. I am going to do a few bulletin board sets, Taylor Swift themed of course. Subscribe for updates!
ALL DONE!
Didn't it turn out so good? I am so happy to have this space to play with this year. Let me know if you try out this DIY, and also some cute things to add!
SUPPLIES / Links
Roll of Cork Board (4x8 6mm)
Construction Glue (Grab 2 just in case!)
Lights - I got 32ft.
Check out these amazing bulletin board finds from amazon! I will post a review soon!
#0 How to Flatten the Corkboard
If you bought your corkboard in a tight roll like I did, it has mixed reviews because people didn't read how to flatten it. To be fair, the only instructions I could find were in the reviews!
This is what I did, I unpacked the roll and removed all plastic. I immediately put it in the bathtub and ran hot water over it for a few minutes and left it to sit in the steam. I rotated it and repeated a few times. Once it seemed to be pretty wet all the way through the roll, I pulled it out and let it sit outside in the shade and then slowly unrolled it, taking breaks when it seemed to be tight. The whole thing took maybe an hour from unwrapping to a flat lay. I let it sit overnight with something heavy in each corner and it was good to go! No problems at all, even when lifting it.
Coming Soon... A styled bulletin board (hint: It's shiny!), my favorite tips for creating simple bulletin boards to use all year.
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