DIY Decorative Framed Bulletin Boards

Dress up your bulletin board to match your room.

A decorative framed bulletin board can be a wonderful addition to your kitchen, dorm room door or craft room. The board can be as large or small as you desire and will create a lovely place to display photographs, artwork or messages. Painting the frame and covering the board with fabric allows you to customize the bulletin board to match with any decor or reflect your personality and style.

Things You'll Need

• Framed cork board
• Precision craft knife
• Paints
• Paintbrush
• Fabric 6 inches wider and longer than cork board
• Iron
• Fabric glue
• Heavy duty hot glue gun with glue sticks
• Picture hook hardware set
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Pop the cork board out of the frame carefully . This should be done with the board laying on a flat surface such as a table.

2. Lift up one corner of the board, and gently hold the frame while using your thumbs to push the board out of the frame, starting in the corner. If the board has a plywood or cardboard backing, use the precision craft knife to cut the backing and cork board out of the frame, as close to the frame as possible.

3. Paint the frame of the bulletin board in one solid color or by painting small flowers or designs onto the frame. If you paint a solid color, and then add designs, be sure to leave at least 12 hours for the first coat of paint to dry before you paint decorative touches on top of it.

4. Iron the fabric until it is crisp and smooth. Fold the fabric over the exposed cork board, and use the fabric glue to glue the edges down on the back side of the board.

5. Take care as you are laying the fabric over the board to pull the fabric taut and to ensure a smooth surface. You will want a tight coverage without creases or any loose fabric. Use your hands to smooth the fabric before you fold the final two edges over to ensure that it is pulled tightly.

6. Leave the cork board face down, and allow the fabric glue to dry.

7. Glue the cork board back into the frame when the frame paint and fabric glue are completely dry. The fit will be tighter this time due to the added bulk of the fabric. Apply a strip of glue from the hot glue gun on all four inside edges of the frame, and then push the cork board back in, holding it in place while the glue dries.

8. Attach hanging hardware to the underside of the frame top with the hammer.

Tips & Warnings

• Keep the precision craft knife and hot glue gun out of the reach of children.

References

• "Storage Solutions (Do It Yourself)"; Fine Homebuilding Editors; 2004.
• "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-to-Z Guide with Detailed Instructions and Endless Inspiration"; Martha Stewart Living Magazine; 2009.