Unusual Cork Board Gifts You Make Yourself

Cork boards are popular with teens, you’ll find a cork board in most office spaces, and even many homes utilize the boards for family notes and more. Cork boards aren’t expensive, and most are purchased with a plain and ordinary look, but there are some decorating techniques you can use to make unusual and fabulous cork boards that will please any recipient.

Designing a cork board is easy to do; the main thing you need to decide is the style of cork board the intended recipient would like or need. Cork boards can be purchased in huge sizes or average ones for an ordinary room. The design you’ll do should be according to the recipient’s likes and dislikes. A woman or teen may prefer a cork board with beautiful fabric rather than cork and a plain wooden frame. There are a couple of different ways you can add fabric to the board:

Cut a piece of fabric that is large enough to wrap around and fasten to the back of the cork board. Add padding, if desired, to the frame itself. Use a staple gun to attach the fabric to the cork – around the perimeter – then use roping or ribbon to hide the staples. Now pull the fabric to the back of the board and secure with staples or glue. Another way is to cut fabric to the exact size of the cork, staple around the perimeter, then cover staples with ribbon or roping. Paint the wooden frame of the cork board then add decorative wooden pieces, like butterflies, birds, or puppies. You’ll find plenty of small wooden shapes at any craft store – painted or unpainted.

Now that you have the board covered with fabric – or maybe you’ve left yours uncovered – there are lots of other things you can do to make the cork board unique for the recipient. Purchase a small mirror to glue to the board. Teen girls will especially appreciate this design. Mirrors can be found in shapes of circles, squares or even diamond shapes. Also, the mirrors are sold in many different sizes making it easy for you to select just the right one for the size of the intended cork board.

A calendar is another great addition to the cork board. Ones that are small and square, or even ones shaped like bookmarks, are perfect. Tack the calendar on the board, off to one side, so the recipient can still hang notes, but can also check the date at any time.

Another design that a teen might like includes gluing on a small chalk board or dry-erase board. The boards are found in a child’s department, along with books and such, and are very inexpensive. The recipient of the gift can now jot down notes, and erase them, rather than write it on a piece of paper and tack it on the cork board.

Small picture frames really make the cork board look unique. You can align tiny frames across the top of the wooden frame, or place one larger one right on the board itself. Combine techniques to make the cork board unique. For instance, make a cork board that has no fabric, but a mirror and calendar. Or, make one that has the picture frames across the top and the mirror in the center. You can also eliminate the mirror and just make a nice fabric-covered cork board that will hold plenty of notes. The cork board designs you do will be different every time, making them the perfect gift to give to family members, friends, teachers, and business associates.