DIY Cork Bulletin Board


Recently I mentioned to a neighbor I wanted to make a cork bulletin board, but it would take me forever to collect all the corks needed to complete it. He drinks wine, so I joked he should save all his corks for me. Well, low and behold ... 4 months later he handed me a bag of corks. What a good boy he is!! He got me started.

I gathered the the first row of corks, myself, by attending 2 wine receptions. At each reception, I asked my waiter for a glass of Pinot and all his corks.😄 My benefactor's corks got the board 3/4 of the way done.

Next I visited a nearby wine shop and Mexican restaurant, where I picked up the balance of the corks to finish the bulletin board. 
Truthfully, I have no freaking idea what I'm doing, but when has that ever stopped me?😳 So far, I am using materials I have at home: 1) A trimmed side of a shipping box as a backing; 2) Elmer's glue; 3) and I don't know what to do for a frame yet. Do you like the cork board frameless? 

Someone set a clean, flawless block of wood out in the trash. It would be perfect, if I had tools and the skills to cut the wood into a frame. I do not. Alas, I have to let the wood go.

If you are inspired to make a cork bulletin board know: A sturdy card board box as a back and Elmer's glue work fine. Not only did I glue the corks to the card board backing, I glued the tops, bottoms and sides of the corks to one another for extra adhesive strength. I then laid a stack of books on the bulletin board for several days while the glue dried. After drying, those corks are staying put!

You will notice the corks are light and dark shades. I dispersed the different shades, as opposed to, gluing lights, or darks in a clump of sameness. Dispersing the shades look appealing! A few synthetic corks aren't spoilers. It also helps if the corks are mostly the same size, though they won't all be, and I suppose, the imperfections add to the charm of a DYI project.

Also, decide on a pattern before you start. I played with a few ideas, laying a couple of rows down unglued before I committed. Visualizing what you intend to do (i.e. having a plan) is a must. Next, have patience and fun in creating. If you are more crafty than I am, go for it ... design away!

It took an entire bottle of glue to finish the cork board. Luckily, I bought Elmer's glue when my local drugstore offered a 2 for 1 sale. So my new bulletin board cost me nothing in dollars and cents to make and very little time. Plus, the rows-of-corks as a bulletin board are lovely, right?
My 2nd cork board using an old frame. Got it for $2 at Housing Works,  a thrift store.
If you have an old frame at home, you could start with it. Toss the glass (or reverse it as a layer of support inside the frame). Glue your corks on the inside backing (usually it's card board), so the cork side looks out (like a photo would), minus the glass. Likely, fitting the corks to a ready-made-structure is easier than finding a frame after the work is done. Hey, my first effort ... I didn't know what I was doing. Am I Frank Lloyd Wright? Nooo.
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