Picture Board Tutorial

I promised you a tutorial to make the picture bulletin boards.  Here it is!

Here is everything you need to buy, find in your craft box, or if you're like me its usually
 a little of both:

Cork Boards (mine were 12 inches square)

Spray Adhesive

Ribbon

Fabric remnants

Measuring tape

Pinking shear scissors (or you can use regular ones)

Glue gun and a few extra glue sticks

Button cover kit

I really, really like feedsack fabric; whether it is the real deal vintage or the reproduction.  
 I used some reproduction feedsack fabric that I've had for awhile.  I also just used some of the ribbon that I had on hand. 

Step One:

Measure your cork boards and add about 1 inch all the way around; this is the size you
will want your fabric to be. 

Measure and cut your fabric.  I used pinking shears because I like the finish look they give.  (Not that you can see it as these will be on the wall, but oh well I still like the finished look!)

Iron your fabric nice and smooth.

Step Two:

Spray your cork board with spray adhesive.  (Be sure to do this outside - this stuff is a big mess if you get it on things you don't want it to be on!)

Lay your cork board on the wrong side of your ironed fabric.  Flip it over and smooth out any wrinkles.  The adhesive is pretty forgiving on the cork board.  You can pull your fabric off and put it back on if you have wrinkles you can't smooth out.   (Sorry I don't have a picture of this!)

Step Three:

Turn your cork board over, fabric side down, and using your glue gun proceed to bring the fabric to the back of the board and attach with the glue.  I did the sides first and then the corners.  Before gluing your corners, do a little experimenting on what way works best for you in folding and gluing the corners down.  You can hold it with your fingers and flip over the board to see how it looks.  Be prepared to burn your fingers a bit on this step!  (At least I always do!)

Step Four:

Now flip your board back over with your fabric side facing you.  You can experiment a bit here with the placement of your ribbon, how close you want them to be to each other.  You will also want to have at least an inch of overhang so be sure to cut your ribbon long enough.  Once I determined

my placement I actually measured with my measuring tape and made little marks with a

 pen for placement.  It helped a lot. 

I only used a tiny dab of glue right over my pen marks just to hold the ribbon in place.  I then flipped my board over and glued the ribbon piece securely to the back.  The goal here is not to use much glue on the front of the board, as you don't actually want your ribbon glued (so that you can slip pictures underneath when you are finished).   Be sure to place ribbon going both directions as you want to create a diagonal pattern  (you can see this in one of the pictures later in this post).

Step Five:

This is my very favorite part of the whole project!  Making the fabric covered buttons.  If you've never done this before you will be amazed at how easy and fun it is.   You can buy a simple little kit for just over a $1.00 at Walmart and that is for 5 buttons.  I used a total of 16 buttons on this project (4 for each board). 

I won't give you instructions for that process here as the package comes with great instructions.  Just follow them and you'll have the most darling buttons ever! 

It takes a bit of time to do this, so make yourself a nice cold drink and prepare to enjoy this step.  (See my cherry lime-aide in the background?!  You can find my recipe here!)

Don't you agree they are just so darling?  I think I would just like to have about 100 of them in a mason jar and set them on my counter top and look at them all day!  (If you didn't want to take the time to make the covered buttons, you could use regular buttons or if you have a stash of vintage buttons on hand this would be a great way to use and display them.)

Step Six:

Once your buttons are all covered, all you have to do now is glue them on at the points where the ribbon crosses.  I also put a dab of glue underneath the ribbon so that it really secures it to the fabric.  That way when you slip your pictures under the ribbon there is something to keep them in place. 

You are done!  Now you can attach to the wall and slide in all your special pictures.

I love having pictures of my favorite people as well as a little I LOVE YOU  note from

my precious grand-daughter!

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial and I look forward to hearing how yours turn out!

This week I'm linking to these fabulous parties:

Bloom Designs