15th January, 2008
How to make a cheap and sturdy bulletin board
If you ever checked into purchasing a large, classroom size bulletin board, then you know they aren’t cheap! Woah Nelly! We’re talking a hundred dollars and up for about a 4′x8′ size. I had hoped to get one second hand from a school sale, but never figured out how to get in on those.
So hubby came up with this fantastic idea (that was actually his bosses idea) that’s both SUPER inexpensive and works great!
First he got some drywall. Drywall is very cheap and easy to push tacks into. The only drawback is the weight – it is heavier than cork, but unless you have aluminum siding walls, it shouldn’t be a problem. We actually had two small pieces leftover from a bathroom remodel my husband did! When put side by side (see pics below) they are approximately 2 1/3′ H x 3 3/4′ L.You can buy drywall at Home Depot or any other building supplies store. They come in a few different sizes and can be cut to the specs you desire (which is another plus of the do-it-yourself board!).
Next we bought a few yards of burlap to cover it. You could really use any light cotton type fabric, but burlap is godd because it hides tack holes and doesn’t “fray” like other fabrics. In fact, when I was googling for price comparisons of homemade to store bought boards, I ran across this site that sells burlap covered bulletin boards! HA!
To secure the burlap to the drywall, hubby cut it to the size we needed and stretched it over tightly. Then he stapled it (with a staple gun, not a desk stapler) securely to the back, being careful not to allow bunching so that the panel will hang flush.
Then he screwed it into the wall at four points (you can see them in the pics) in order to secure it, along with the second panel alongside it, and wala! Bulletin board!
A good, sturdy bulletin board similar in size can cost as much as $200. That doesn’t include tax or shipping costs! The one we made was approximately $15 for the drywall and another $5 for the burlap.
Isn’t that cool?!
O.K. here’s how it looks with nothing on it (forgive me for the poor picture quality).
I had just taken our easy, peasy and somewhat cheesy Jesse Trees and winter “decor”.
Closer up (ahhh….burlap…..such a “modest” board…..hehehe).
And size perspective.
Please let me know if you make one – I’d love to see pictures of it!
For other great ideas, head on over to Rocks in My Dryer!
Posted at 10:10 pm | Comments (5)
On January 16, 2008 at 5:31 am Kendra Neal said:
January 16, 2008 at 5:31 am
Oh my gosh!!! What an awesome idea. I have been pricing bulletin boards and they are very expensive. Thank You for sharing this idea. I will be making this very soon!
On January 16, 2008 at 7:35 am Troye said:
January 16, 2008 at 7:35 am
That is a great idea. You could also attach ribbons diagonally across the board to play up the “cuteness” factor. Love it!
On January 16, 2008 at 9:03 am phyllis said:
January 16, 2008 at 9:03 am
this is a great idea. i know just where i want to put it…
On January 16, 2008 at 5:15 pm razorbackmama said:
January 16, 2008 at 5:15 pm
THANK YOU, MA’AM!!!!!
On January 17, 2008 at 7:14 pm Dot said:
January 17, 2008 at 7:14 pm
I have made my own bulletins boards as well. We used ceiling tiles….the large ones…and I covered them with batting and then fabric. They are lighter than drywall and usually are just the right size with no cutting required.