bspoke

This is an easy, quick and extremely budget-friendly craft that you can complete for under $15 in less than 15 minutes! And the results are extraordinary. Inspired by a stunning linen pinboard in a recent Pottery Barn catalog (priced at a whopping $129!), I set out to create my own version. Below are 8 simple steps that just about anyone can follow to make their own!

(1) Prep It | You will need 1 standard bulletin board ($7.99 at Target in the office supplies section), 1 staple gun, several staples, and 1.5 yards of linen fabric (Available at any craft/fabric store. I lucked out and got 5 yards of beautiful linen for $1 at a thrift shop!!) For mounting, you will need a drill, and a screw (I used a “Wall Dog” to mount into my plaster wall and it worked amazingly well).

(2) Cut It | Lay the bulletin board over your fabric on the floor and use scissors to trim around the edge, leaving a minimum of 4 inches all the way around the board. You don’t have to be precise and your cut doesn’t have to be perfect, all edges will be completely hidden!

(3) Iron It | Iron your linen with a hot iron and plenty of steam for a wrinkle-free finish.

(4) Staple It | Grab your staple gun, and let the fun begin! For my pinboard, I used the BACK of a bulletin board because the frame had a flatter edge (the front of the frame has rounded corners, and I wanted to have sharp edges). See inset picture. To staple fabric, start on one edge and wrap around the board, leaving excess below the wood frame. Use staple gun to secure. Now, go to town with the staples! I placed 1 staple every 2 – 3 inches and sunk them directly into the wood frame. Pull fabric taught as you move around the board, being sure to remove any wrinkles or puckers. Leave the corners until you have stapled all the way around.

(5) Corner It | This step can be tricky, but it is simple if you remember one rule – no one sees the back! “Fold” the fabric around the corners as if you were wrapping a present, then place a few staples in to hold it securely. No one will see this part, so as long as everything looks tidy from the front, you’re a-okay!

(6) Drill It | I wanted my pinboard to hang flat against the wall, so I drilled a hold in the middle of the top portion of the frame. I used a drill bit just a tad larger than the screw I put into the wall. The result… perfectly flush mounting against the wall!

(7) Hang It | Push the pinboard against the wall so the screw fits securely into the pre-drilled hole, then step back to admire your work!

(8) Dress It | This is the fun part! Fill your pinboard with snapshots, tack on to-do lists, or use it for an inspiration collage.

Here is the finished result of my second pinboard. This one is dedicated to a frequently changing collection of inspiring magazine clippings, scraps, and photos. The first pinboard I made sits right next to my desk, and is covered with lists (to-do lists, blog lists, project lists, etc).

You can see that the results look freakishly similar to this lovely number from Pottery Barn! At a fraction of the price, and with a little time and effort, you really can’t go wrong! Happy Crafting!