Bulletin Board a la Ballard Design

I love Ballard Design.  When the latest catalog arrives in my mailbox, it's a happy day.  I ordered a couple of sisal rugs recently since I'm still exorcising the 90s jewel tones from my house.  And I wanted to ensure I stayed on their mailing list.  :-)

I fell for these classy bulletin boards.  Yes, a classy bulletin board.  Sounds like an oxymoron, but they are so cute.

The price tag for the smallest (28" x 24") bulletin board?  $99!

Um, yeah...

I had this frame that I purchased at Hobby Lobby.  Their open-back frames are frequently on sale for half price.  It's 12 x 24 inches.

I set it on some blocks so I could hit all sides with semi-gloss black spray paint.  It took about four layers to make sure I hit all the nooks and crannies.

Next, I cut ordinary foam core board and lined one side with cork Con-Tact Paper.  It's tricky stuff to work with since the cork layer is thin and can break easily.  I recommend getting it as flat as possible before adhering to the foam board and then peel the backing just a few inches at a time.

I tapped points into the frame to hold the cork-covered foam board into place.  I found an upholstery tack hammer and a large flathead screwdriver worked well for this.

And the end result...

Here's my running total:
$12.50 for the frame (half price at Hobby Lobby)
$7.50 for the cork Con-Tact Paper (I bought it at Michaels with a 40% off coupon).
$2 for the foam core board.
(I already had the spray paint and the frame points.)

My Grand total = $22
Ballard Design = $99

But, I still love ya, Ballard Design!


I'm linkin' up...