Cork Boards: Make Blank Walls Useful and Fun!

Once reserved for posting “wanted” posters and for tacking pictures in dorm rooms, cork boards have come a long way in recent years. Along with chalkboards and whiteboards, cork boards are a great way to make empty wall space useful, artistic, or a combination of both, depending on your preferences.

If you’re picturing the same cork board you had in your dorm room in college, you’ve likely missed the many creative ways people now use cork boards to decorate. Here are some great ideas for spicing up your walls using cork boards.

Cover It in Fabric

Who says your cork board has to look like corks? Inventive people have found a way to turn cork boards into artistic statements using colorful fabric. Using spray adhesive and twine, you can turn your cork board into a colorful bulletin board, ready for pinning photos or mementos. If you prefer, you can refrain from pinning anything to it and simply enjoy the design.

Interlacing Ribbon

One of the most often-seen cork board enhancements is the interlacing ribbons. Usually these are put on after the cork board has been wrapped in fabric. One of the best things about ribbon cork boards is that instead of pinning photos and cards to the board, they can be slid into the ribbon and held there. You can purchase ribbon-covered corkboards or you can make your own.

Paint It

With a can of paint and a little imagination, you can turn a cork board into an eye-catching enhancement to your décor. You don’t have to stop with one. This designer grouped multiple cork boards on one wall in an office to add to the space. Like fabric-covered boards, you can also use painted boards to hang items as you’d hang them to a regular cork board.

Make a Frame

In addition to covering a cork board in fabric, this enterprising DIY-er combined a fabric-covered cork board and picture frame. Add a little spray paint and you have a unique cork board that will add a splash of color to any room. To make it even more interesting, pin a couple of accents to the cork board.

Spice Up Your Thumbtacks

If your goal is to hang items on your cork board, don’t settle for the same thumbtacks and pushpins everyone uses. Tacks are available in a wide variety of designs from seashells to flowers. Your array of fun thumbtacks will draw guests over to your board to get a better look at the designs up close.

Cover It in Glitter

For a young girl’s room, glitter adds a little magic to a cork board. You can cover it in her favorite colors and pin items to it as you would any other cork board. Instead of covering it completely, you may prefer instead to add splashes of glitter as accents.

Cork boards are a great way to spice up the walls of your house. They offer plenty of options, allowing you to bring out your creative side. If you have kids in the house, you may even make your cork board project one you can do together. Whether you choose to paint it, cover it in fabric, add glitter, or use fun, unique thumbtacks, your cork board will be one of a kind.