Bulletin Board Make-over

Recently at work, we went through one of our many inter-office moves, or game of "musical cubicles" as I like to call them... Working in a call center it can get really noisy and also very distracting. I wanted to find ways to decorate my workspace since I spend so much time there while simultaneously reducing extra noise and distractions. The solution I came up with was an extra-large bulletin board. Not just any bulletin board though, as I find plain cork boards to be a bit dull. My latest obsession has been chevron patterns. I used the tutorial I found on Live Creating Yourself and drew inspiration from Emily's Pinterest Challenge on Newly Wifes.

Live Creating Yourself's version

Emily's Creation

My steps worked out to be a little different than theirs, though the process was similar. I loved the fabric and results so much that I recovered a smaller board that I already had as well to match! Here's how I did it:

I first have to start off with a heads up for all of you iphone users/crafters. For those who may not be aware yet, Hobby Lobby now has an app you can download that includes the coupons you would otherwise have to find online and print. This has saved me a ton of money on projects such as this one since I always have my phone on my and it works great for last minute trips to the store. I got 40% off of my board and 40% off my fabric (on a separate shopping trip) for this project which always makes me smile. :)

  

I began by ironing and re-ironing my fabric. Doing this ahead of time made it much easier to get a smooth finish on the board instead of a wrinkled one. I then sprayed the surface of the board - excluding the frame - with spray adhesive and smoothed it down starting from the middle and working outward to the base of the frame make sure there were no wrinkles or bubbles.

 

Once the adhesive dried, I then added my nailhead trim. I decided to space my nailheads about a thumb's width apart for easy measuring. (Actually, for full disclosure I started with a pinky width and ran out of nailheads so I had to redo them... not so convenient. In hindsight, I would probably recommend either measuring out the perimeter and calculating the number of nailheads needed before beginning, or getting extra nailheads with the plan to just return any unopened packages after finishing). I found that I could just push them in with my fingers, but using a hammer to nail them in was actually much easier. 

  

   Here is where my tutorial differs from the rest... I discovered that my board must have been thinner than theirs; as when I turned the board over to attach the fabric over the frame, I found that the tips of all the nailheads stuck out. Ouch! Since I planned to carry it back to work and use my board by leaning it against the walls of my cubicle which faced another employee's workstation, that wouldn't do at all. I had to come up with a way to fix the problem. My solution: batting!

 

 

After a quick run to Walmart, I came home with some batting that I proceeded to cut into strips and glue on the backside of the frame. I overlapped them until I achieved the needed thickness that allowed me to hold the frame without stabbing myself. I then flipped over the board, sprayed the frame with adhesive, and stretched the fabric over it. Once this was done, I turned it to the back and sprayed the batting. After that I pulled the fabric taut over the batting and glued it down, folding over the edge of the fabric for a cleaner finish.

That was it! I repeated the same process for my smaller board. They are now decorating my new workspace. Next on my cubicle makeover agenda is refinishing my collage frame for photos. What are some of your favorite ways to decorate your workspace and make your day a little more comfortable and relaxing?

I love this board and fabric! Maybe I should make throw pillows with the fabric left over....