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DIY Framed Personalized Fabric-Covered Bulletin Board

Hello there! Well, after a very rough start to this new year, 2017 continues to kick my butt and now includes an ambulance ride to the emergency room and a hospital stay for Matt. He went to the emergency room for one issue, and then they admitted him for UTI and pneumonia — the very things my step-father was admitted for just about nine months ago. When we were sitting in the emergency room with the nurse explaining that they’d have to run blood tests to see if the infection had spread to the blood, it took every ounce of strength not to panic at the thought that that was the exact thing that took my step-father’s life just a few short months ago. Anyway, everything turned out fine. Matt is home, and he’s almost back to (his) normal. But I don’t know how much more of 2017 I can take. Can we just skip this year and move on to 2018? I need a fresh start. A do-over.

I’m really anxious to get started on projects here at the house, but I’m determined to get my niece’s bedroom finished first. She’s been patiently waiting for my mom and me to finish up, and we’re so close. One thing that was on her wish list for her room was a big bulletin board where she should hang her pictures and artwork that she makes, so I came up with this design for a huge personalized fabric-covered bulletin board to go over her dresser.

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Here’s how I made it…

Materials & Supplies:

— 1/2 inch plywood, cut to to the size of the bulletin board you want
panel moulding with a flat back
panel moulding with a rabbet back
— lattice
— 3/4″ 16-gauge finish nails
— wood glue
— wood filler
— caulk
— quality paint brush (this one is my favorite)
— primer
— paint (I used Behr Polar Bear in a satin finish)
7″ wood letters
— craft paints to paint the letters
12-inch cork board squares
— high tack spray adhesive (this is the only one I use)
crib size cotton batting
— fabric of choice (I used this burlap in the Idaho Potato color)
— scissors
— painters tape
Ook Hangman French cleat hanger
— 1/2-inch wood screws
— 150-grit sandpaper
— utility knife

Tools:

— miter saw
— air compressor (I have this set and highly recommend it)
— 16-gauge nail gun
— staple gun
— caulk gun

The Process:

I had my plywood cut to size (48″ x 56″) at Home Depot. Then I cut some pieces of panel moulding (with the flat back) mitered on the corners, and glued and nailed them to the face of the plywood to create a frame around the edge of the plywood.

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Of course, that left the raw edges exposed, which isn’t pretty at all…

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So I covered those edges with strips of lattice, mitered on the corners, and attached with wood glue and 3/4″ finish nails.

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After filling all of the nail holes with wood filler, I measured and marked the area where I wanted the actual bulletin board to go, leaving enough space at the top for the wood letters. I attached these cork tiles with high tack spray adhesive (this Loctite 300 is the best one I’ve found). For a permanent bond, be sure to spray both the plywood and the backs of the cork tiles, then wait a few minutes before pressing the cork tiles into place. The cork tiles can be trimmed to size very easily with a utility knife.

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And then on top of the cork, I applied a layer of cotton batting. I attached this with the spray adhesive also, and then trimmed the excess around the edges of the cork.

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And then on top of that, I attached the burlap by stapling it around the edges of the cork, and then I trimmed the excess.

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Here’s a close up of the stapled edges…

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To cover the unfinished edges of the cork and burlap, I cut pieces of panel moulding (with the rabbet back), mitered on the corners, to create a frame around the bulletin board. The rabbet sat on top of the burlap just enough to cover the staples, and I nailed that moulding into place.

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After wood filling and sanding all of the nail holes, and then caulking all of the corners and joints, I taped off the burlap with painters tape…

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…and then gave it one coat of primer and two coats of paint.

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My mom very tediously painted these amazing striped letters using the same colors in the wall mural that she painted on the other side of the room, and I glued those on with wood glue.

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And after a couple of hours of dry time, it was finished!

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We hung it on the wall with an Ook Hangman French cleat, but since the plywood that I used was only 1/2″ thick, I had to use different screws from the too-long screws that came in the package.

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My niece was thrilled with her bulletin board. She loves to draw, so she’s so excited to have a place where she can display her artwork now.

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My mom and I just have a handful of finishing touches to complete, and my niece’s bedroom will finally be finished!

And when I finally get to work on my office, I’m considering adapting this design to make a big calendar. Instead of cork and burlap, I’d use either a chalkboard or white board with squares marked off like a calendar. And instead of the letters at the top forming a name, I’d use magnetic paint on the plywood and removable, magnetic letters to create the names of the months. Those 7″ wood letters would be too heavy for magnetic paint to hold them, but other much lighter materials could be used for the letters. Just a thought. 🙂

 

 

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27 Comments

  1. Sorry to hear that you & Matt have had such a difficult time. Very glad to hear that he’s doing better. We’ll all keep the prayers going that the rest of 2017 will be a joyful and peaceful time for you. You are amazing! The work on your niece’s room by you and your talented mom is fabulous! Thanks for sharing it all with us.

    1. Christi, do you have an affiliate link to Amazon? I looked but I can’t find it.
      When your posts stopped happening on schedule, I was worried something was wrong with Matt, and I’d like to support you and your blog when times are though and you have less time for posts. I know that this is your source of income, and I really really want it to continue to be. I didn’t realize how addicted I am to this blog until you -through no fault of your own- came out with less frequent posts the last month.
      Shopping through your site to Amazon seems the perfect way to support you while you’ve got more important things to worry about than blogging.

  2. When I saw you hadn’t posted anything new in a few days, I thought of Matt. I’m so glad to hear he’s doing better.
    You and your mom are a great team! I like the way she angled the stripes on the A’s and N.

  3. I am so sorry to hear about Matt, but happy to learn that he is better. Don’t forget to take care of yourself too. Your niece’s room is adorable.

  4. I was already thinking that something cannot be right with you/your family and I’m sorry to hear that it was true. I’m very relieved that Matt is already better and will keep my fingers crossed for his health and that the year can finally start in a good way for you!
    Many thanks for your thoughts on the calendar version of that bulletin board, that might just be what I need in my office 🙂
    all the best to you both!

  5. Well, this IS a rough start for you and Matt for 2017. I haven’t been too impressed with 2017 yet but nothing like what you’ve experienced. Hopefully all the rough bumps are now over and done with and the rest of the year will be much better. Great job on the bulletin board.

  6. So sorry to hear about Matt’s illness, I’m glad he’s back home! We missed you. I hope 2017 gets a lot better from here on out for you both. 🙂

  7. I worried there was an issue with Matt when you weren’t posting. I’m so glad he’s doing better. What a blessing medicine and technology are! And I love the room for your niece. It made me teary when I thought how loved she must feel to have her aunt and grandma put so much work into a space just for her. Lucky girl.

  8. Like the folks above, I was worried about you and Matt, too! So glad that he is on the mend.

    I love what you’ve done so far for your niece! It’s so great that your family is so close and works together like you do.

    Now it’s time for you to kick 2017’s tail! 🙂

  9. I’ve always heard that what starts off badly ends up great! And I certainly hope that is true for you and Matt. Wishing you both the best of health from here on out.

  10. I became concerned about you guys when the days kept passing and you didn’t post anything. I am so glad Matt is much better and you can now breathe. I can’t imagine how difficult this was for you. I pray 2017 gets MUCH better from here on.

    That bulletin board is beautiful!

  11. Ditto on what the other comments said. So glad Matt is getting better. Hopefully, this will be it for bumps this year!
    Awesome bulletin board, I’m sure she loves it.
    Take a breath, relax and calm your mind for a moment, then soldier on girl! You show 2017 who’s in charge here! 😉 Have a great rest of the week!

  12. I was also getting concerned, hoping everything was ok. Happy to hear Matt is on the mend. Btw, love the bulletin board!!

  13. Our thoughts and prayers are with Matt right now. I cannot even think how hard it would be to have not only MS but Pneumonia. I hope his year gets better and he gets stronger each day.

  14. Thank God that Matt is better and I hope he continues to heal. That bulletin board is really great! What kid wouldn’t love that. I may try to make a couple of my granddaughters for birthday gifts. You and your Mom have worked hard on that room and I’m sure your niece will love the finished product for many years to come.

  15. I can only imagine how that diagnosis felt, and I’m so glad everything turned out OK. Hopefully you’ve filled your quota of scary/dramatic things for 2017 and the rest of the year will be smooth sailing!

    The bulletin board turned out great, and I like how you made it mostly neutral to not compete with the other projects, but with a bit of the bright colors to tie it in. The room has a fun vibrant feel 🙂

  16. I’m so glad Matt is home and healing. That must have been so scary!

    Just a note on your idea to make the calendar for your office. We made a large chalkboard calendar for my mom and I used a minimum of three coats of magnetic primer and it was a total waste of money. I bought the strongest magnets I could find, and they still wouldn’t stick. We ended up having to glue strips of magnet to the top of each day. So this year, when we redid the kitchen and decided to have a chalkboard backsplash over the desk area, I used a piece of sheet metal, sanded it, and painted it with chalkboard paint. So far we haven’t had any problems with it, though we don’t write on it very much. I love the bulletin board you did! I am sure she feels so special. My daughter feels extra special when anything has her name on it.

      1. Sheet metal, used for HVAC ducts, is magnetic, comes in large flat sheets, and is much much cheaper than magnetic paint.

        With a good primer, all you have to do is go over it with the paint you want, and you’ve got a much better result than messing around with magnetic paint.

  17. So glad your back and everything is good! I’ve been anxiously awaiting on your post about your woven wood shades you bought and your plans to line them. Hopefully you will do a post on it.

  18. Good to hear from you and glad things are now on the mend with Matt. It may be good to slow your pace a tad-enjoy the rest of 2017!

  19. I am happy to hear that Matt is on the mend. How scary that must have been!
    I hope that your 2017 takes a sharp turn for the better.
    Your nieces room is looking great. I look forward to the reveal!

  20. So sorry to hear that Matt was unwell. Trust he is recovering nicely. The board is great. Look after yourself.

  21. Oh no! Thank God he is doing much better. Great job as usual on the bulletin board. Here’s to a better and much blessed 2017!!!

  22. I think Chinese New Year is on January 28th. You can start your year over then!
    I am happy to see more of your niece’s room 🙂 She’s one lucky girl.