How to Make a Decorative Pegboard

Pegboards are large boards constructed of pressed wood fibers. They have rows and columns of punched holes. You hang the pegboard on the wall of your garage, shed or workroom. You can insert hooks into the holes from which you hang your tools. They are functional, but not decorative. But you can turn a plain piece of pegboard into a decorative work of art.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pegboard
• White paint
• Green paint
• Paintbrushes
• Paint tape
• Picture wire
• Ribbon
• Christmas ornaments
• Christmas cards or drawings
• Clips
• Pegboard hangers

1. 
    

   Start with a pegboard that measures 24 by 48 inches. Sandpaper the surface lightly with fine grit sandpaper. Using a piece of chalk, draw an outline of a basic Christmas tree shape. Allow 6 inches from the top and 8 inches from the bottom. You can make your tree wider, taller or draw a more detailed outline. You need to leave some space around the tree for other decorative items.

2. 
    

   Tape off the Christmas tree shape, taping on the inside of the lines. Paint the rest of the pegboard white.

3. 
    

   Remove the tape once the white paint is dry. Carefully paint the Christmas tree shape using green paint. Don’t tape the white paint. Because pegboard is a composite material, the paint will come up with the tape. Instead, paint the interior of the Christmas tree with a small paintbrush. Cut in along the edge using a small artist brush. Use a putty knife or other straight edge as you cut in to avoid getting green paint on the white paint.

4. Install the wire for hanging your decorative pegboard once the paint is dry. At 11 inches from the top, loop one end of the wire through two of the holes in the last column. Twist the end of the wire. Loop the other end through two holes at the opposite side. You will be able to hang your Christmas board just as you would a picture.

5. 
    

   Decorate your tree with your favorite ornaments. To hang the ornaments on the tree, cut 6-inch lengths of 1/8-inch ribbon. For each ornament, slip one length of ribbon through the hook and attach to the pegboard. Do this by looping each end of the ribbon through a hole, and tying the ends together in the back. You can decorate your tree any way you want. Don’t overcrowd the tree, but be sure to fill in enough of the space to emphasize the shape of the tree. Add a ribbon or star at the top, just as you would on a real tree.

6. 
    

   Show off your favorite Christmas cards or your children’s Christmas drawings. Hang colored clips from the pegboard using ribbon. Install several clips, and hang some of your favorite cards from last year, leaving a few clips empty so you can add to the board after it is hung.

7. 
    

   Add a ribbon or garland along the top of the pegboard to hide the edge. Attach with double sided tape or ribbon. Along the bottom, insert three pegboard hooks. From these you can hang Christmas stockings or small decorative bags for extra Christmas cards or candy.

8. Hang your decorative Christmas board just as you would a picture. The Christmas Board works well in small spaces such as apartments or office lunchrooms, anywhere a full sized tree isn’t practical. Every year, your board can take on a new look. After the holiday, simply snip the ribbons to remove the ornaments and take off the drawings, cards, stockings and bags. You can leave the clips attached. Next holiday, you can create a new board without having to do the painting.

Tips & Warnings

• For a Halloween board, draw a ghost in the center and paint the outer part black. Hang small bags of candy from colored clips for party favors.
• Always paint in a well-ventilated area.