Introduction: Cork-board Picture Frame

Trendy cork boards can be expensive! I decided to make my own.

Step 1: What You Will Need

Since I was in a rush for this project I didn't have time to shop around for the best deals. If you have the time and patience you could definitely do this project for much cheaper than I did.

Materials: 
-Picture frame
-Plywood
-A roll of cork-board
-Glue
-Staple-gun
-Sheet of fabric
-Spray paint 
-Finishing nails
-Hammer

Step 2: The Frame

The first thing you will need is an old picture frame. I went for the biggest one with the most details because I thought it would look great painted. You can re-purpose one that you already own, or shop around at local thrift stores, yard sales, online classifieds, etc..

The inside dimensions of my picture frame were 2' X 4' which worked out perfect for buying materials since you can buy the plywood, and the roll of cork-board in that size.

I took the picture out of the frame and gave it to a friend who was decorating a nursery for her soon to be born baby girl. It looked terrible in the brown frame but looks great in the nursery.

After you've chosen your frame, you may want to paint it like I did. I chose white because my girlfriends furniture in her room is white, and I  was going for a trendy antique look. If its an old frame it will most likely be covered in dust so make sure you clean it off and if its wooden you could even give it some light sanding.

When I was loading it into my car I accidentally scraped some of the paint off but it actually made it look more antique so I was happy. I'd recommend it if you want the vintage look. 

Step 3: The Cork

You'll need something to attach the cork to. I found a sheet of plywood for pretty cheap at home depot that was the exact dimensions I needed which was awesome. 

Try to look for something that pins will go through easily, but that is thick enough that it doesn't bend easily.

My first attempt at attaching the cork to the wood I just sprayed it with glue, put something heavy on top of it overnight and hoped it would stay on... It didn't really work, the cork was lifting on the edges so I glued it again but this time put staples around the edges to hold it down. If I would have bought a stronger glue I'm sure it would have been fine without the staples, but plan B worked great.

Step 4: The Fabric

Choosing the right pattern for the fabric can be tricky. Remember that it will be covered in photos and papers so you don't want it to stand out and draw a lot of attention, but instead provide a nice background for whatever you'll be pinning. I went with a light teal and white to match the bedroom walls and the picture frame.

Make sure you get fabric that is bigger than your wood since it needs to wrap around the back so you can staple it. Also make sure you pull it tight when stapling, you want it to stretch so you don't get any weird bumps. You may need to iron it when you're finished to get all the wrinkles out.

Step 5: The Final Product

Now comes the best part: putting it all together. I used finishing nails to attach the board to the frame and it worked fine, just make sure you angle them enough so that they don't come out the front of the frame.

Now its time to hang it on the wall and start adding pins to it.

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