Tips for Jazzing Up Your Cork Board

Cork boards are wonderfully useful things, allowing the owner to better organize the day to day routine of their life, whether it is in the home or the office. On top of this, cork boards are very simple to build yourself, allowing for a great deal of customization regarding size and shape depending on the needs of the builder. Despite this, cork boards are, at the end of the day, simply boards of cork; not especially interesting to look at. However, whether it was bought pre-made or constructed by you, it is very easy to spice up the appearance of a cork board with a few simple steps.

1. Re-frame The Board

For the most part, a cork board is constructed of a layer of cork, glued on top of a sheet of plywood with a molding frame around the sides. However, by attaching a new frame to the cork board, you can give it a much classier appearance. To do this, either find a picture frame that fits the cork board, or find a supply of wood that can be cut to fit the board. If you have a frame, it's easy enough to simply nail the new frame onto the board to give it a fresh appearance. If you have the wood, measure four planks of it out so that two cover the length of the board and two cover the width. Cut the wood into these sizes using a mitre saw, taking care to cut out a diagonal piece in the corners of the planks to match the pieces together. After this, make the wood into a frame around the cork board and nail them together.

2. Paint It Black

Cork boards tend to only come in one colour; the tan-brown of the cork and molding. However, with a little touch of paint you can alter the appearance of the board to make it more interesting. Whether you have used molding to frame the board, or have built a frame out of sturdier pieces of wood, a simple coat of black paint over the frame provides a great contrast to the cork color. This is the same with white paint; both provide an interesting new look to the board. If you're feeling more adventurous, you can mix and match the paints to create different color combinations.

3. Dress it Up Nicely

If you have an old but colorful bed sheet lying around the house, you could use it as a new cover for your corkboard, adding a dash of color to the board as well as laying an interesting pattern across the top of it. To do this, simply lay the sheet over the front of the board, then cut the sheet around the cork board, leaving about an inch of sheet on all four sides. After doing this, fold the extra pieces of sheet behind the board and attach it to the frame using a few short nails or staples.