Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Burlap Message Board (Ballard Designs Knock-Off)



The kids are back in school and the paperwork is flooding in.  I have four in school this year and I'm afraid I might be buried alive in paper!  I found a cute wire basket at TJ Maxx to help cut the paper clutter,  it is somewhat similar to wire baskets that I spotted in the Ballard Designs Catalog.  I only wish it had one more basket!

While I was peeking through the catalog, I thought a Burlap Message Board would be great to go along with the new baskets.  (A knock-off, of course.)  I love a good knock-off challenge, it makes me happy to make something nice for less.



I was lucky enough to spot some great burlap in Home Fabrics last week that is almost identical to what is on Ballard's boards.  The burlap is thick and sturdy with a nice weave.  Perfect for a cork board.  I didn't know there were so many varieties of burlap beyond a potato sack!



I put the Message board in my kitchen area, where the clutter tends to pile up.  I wanted the entire under cabinet area filled with cork board, so I started by building a custom size wood frame.


Here are the supplies I used:

pine 1x2's
Foam Board (Hobby Lobby)
Cork Roll (Hobby Lobby w/coupon)
Burlap
Glue
wood screws
upholstery nails

tools:

staple gun
screw driver
drill
saw to cut 1x2's
rubber mallet


One of the reasons I like the wood frame so much is that I could "frame" around my phone jack and electrical outlets.  I built the frame deep enough to allow the cords to fit behind.  


After measuring my space, I started with the wood frame.  I made a rectangle with 1x2's and braced the center with two more 1x2's.  The braces are important to support the foam board and cork.  I used long screws and wood glue to attach everything, making sure to pre-drill to avoid split wood.

Next, I glued the foam board (cut to size with a box knife) to the wood frame with wood glue.  For extra hold I attached the foam board with staples.  Then I cut the cork roll to fit the frame and used spray adhesive to attach the cork to the foam board.  I then cut the burlap fabric to fit and stapled it to the back.  The corners are tricky, I folded mine on the top and bottom where I knew they would not be seen.
There's nothing worse to me than crooked nail head, it can ruin all of your hard work.  I made an "easy to follow" template to help me get the nail head on nice and straight.  First, I marked how far in I wanted the nail head. (About 1 inch.) I drew lines on each side of the paper one inch in. My nail head is about 4 inches apart (this depends on the measurement of your board) and marked dots on the line where the nail will go. 

Next, I cut a line on the paper with scissors on each nail mark.  Then I lined my template up on the corner of the board, pushed the nails in part way on the dots, then pulled the paper away.  It's super easy, then I moved on down the board with the template.  Before permanently hammering the nails in, I used my straight edge to double check that the nails were straight.  I finished hammering the nails in with a rubber mallet to avoid damaging the nails.

I used sawtooth picture hangers to hang the board on the wall. The open frame and foam board keep the board light!

Now I have a burlap message board that rivals a high ticket board from Ballard Designs for a fraction of the cost!  I am one happy and "semi-organized" gal!  


13 comments:

  1. This Work is really great i wondered about this wood work using adhesive. simply great work. nice to see this.

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  2. I love it! Looks great, and such a fun organization space. Plus, I want those baskets!

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  3. Thanks all for the nice words. (frequenwebseo)- I'm not sure if adhesive only would be strong enough to support the wood frame? Maybe for a small board? The cork and foam board are pretty light so it might work with very strong adhesive.

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  4. Cute and smart! Especially allowing room for the electricals.

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  5. Its really easy way to create the clip board. I'm starting to create by my own.
    custom stickers

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  6. Looks great Candice! I want those baskets too.

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  7. I am so going to make one of these for my desk area!! Thanks for doing all the hard work for me. lol Fantastic idea!!

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  8. It looks great! Does it hold tacks well? I'm having trouble finding a material that really holds them but is also easy to push them into.

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  9. Great tutorial!! Just made this. Used a cardboard box for foam board and hot glue worked to glue the cardboard to the cork. Cost about $30. Love it!

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  10. Heather-That is great to hear! Cardboard is another easy and inexpensive option. Thanks for letting us know! -Candace

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