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:

steph said...

ooooooo!i like this a lot!

steph said...

ooooooo!i like this a lot!

frequenwebseo said...

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

Jill said...

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

Candace & Nicole said...

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.

Anonymous said...

Cute and smart! Especially allowing room for the electricals.

Anonymous said...

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

Donna said...

OH! I like, I like!

Dawn said...

Looks great Candice! I want those baskets too.

Angela Lee said...

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!!

leesie said...

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.

Heather said...

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!

Candace & Nicole said...

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

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