D I Y: Chevron Bulletin Board

My desk area is in need of a little sprucing up (to put it lightly). Our loft + my need for daylight doesn't give me my own studio space with doors, so this little corner will have to make do. I want to redesign this area with mostly with what I already have, but I have been wanting a big inspiration board on the wall beside my desk, and haven't found the right one.

So how about making my own bulletin board? Doesn't sound that hard, so let's give it a whirl!

(Make sure to hydrate up!)

Now, let's discuss the issue of cork. We went round and round about how to get the cork attached to the massive 40" x 58" piece of plywood we bought, but when it came to actually purchasing the material, we found ourselves a bit lost. The sheets of cork that we thought we'd roll on to the plywood were too thin, and the square and thicker pieces were too bulky. It started to add up, when we calculated how many cork squares we'd need to cover the whole piece of wood. As we were walking out of Michael's, Spencer found some ready-made bulletin boards. Just plain ones with a simple wood frame. They were cheaper then the rolls of cork, but I wasn't sure how we'd get the frames off. We bought both just in case, but once we got home, my handy husband pried (pry? pried? fried? pie?) the frames off with a hammer, no problem.

We then placed the cork boards over the plywood, and made any adjustments to the sizing with an exacto knife. Once that was done, they fit together like a puzzle and all we needed to do was glue them on!

This is what was going on outside while we were working! Look at all those people! Summer is in full swing, I guess.

That's a lot of people!

Once the glue was down and the pieces on top, we had to clamp it. Now, I'm sure you've realized that we are not working in a construction shop (is that what they're called?) or a fancy garage. No, we are in our living room. So we had to find whatever we could to work the clamping magic.

What do you spy?

We decided to leave it over night, and while that was setting, I went off in search of some fabric. Enter the stage, oh glorious chevron!

Iron out that bad boy. And prepare to staple!

Done! Badabing, badaboom. I love it, and am definitely playing around with what's pinned. It's been so long since I've had an inspiration board, and never have I had one of this size! It really ties my desk/psuedo-studio space together.



Materials needed:
-1 4'10" x 3'4" quarter-inch plywood. Any light-weight, sturdy plywood will work.
-3 plain 24" x 36" cork sheets, cut to size of plywood.
-Exacto knife
-Wood glue
-5'4" x 3'10" chevron fabric
-Staple gun
-Picture/frame wall hanging pack.

Step 1: Cut plywood to dimensions needed. The hardware store can do this for you before you purchase it.

Step 2: Lay down cork sheets on plywood, and adjust to fill entire board. If needed, use exacto knife to cut smaller pieces to completely fill the board size.

Step 3: Spread wood glue across plywood, and attach cork sheets. Press with heavy objects for at least 24 hours, or as wood glue directs to ensure that the glue is fully sealed.

Step 4: Iron fabric to remove creases.

Step 5: Once the glue has dried completely, spread out fabric face down flat against the floor. Place plywood with cork attached onto the fabric with the cork facing down. You should have an extra six inches of fabric on either side of the board's edge. This is so you can firmly secure fabric to board.

Step 6: Fold fabric over onto the back of the board, and secure with staple gun. Pull tightly against edges to make sure that fabric is smooth. Use several staples to ensure that it is fully secured.

Step 7: Hang on your wall, and enjoy!