How to Make a Fabric Covered Pinboard

I recently did a thrift flip challenge with my friend Stacy from Peony Lane Designs, and my “challenge” was to transform an old, not particularly nice, hanging rack into… something.

If you’re interested in seeing our projects, you can catch my thrift flip video over on YouTube.

I definitely didn’t need a rack but I did think my daughter might like a pinboard to display all of her favorite pictures and magazine clippings.

In this post, I’m going to show you how to make a fabric-covered bulletin board, without cork.

Like it? Pin it!

Learn to make a fabric covered bulletin board in the easy tutorial. A DIY pinboard makes the perfect vision board, family command center, mood board, or large wall decor piece. This notice board is made without using cork!

What do you use to make a pin board?

Most bulletin boards that you buy in stores are primarily made of cork, however, you can easily DIY a fabric pin board using foam board (yes, the type used for school projects!). The lightweight material is easy to work with, inexpensive to buy in large sheets, and is simple to hang without the need for screws, wall anchors, and studs.

I used a thrifted wall rack as a base for my small version, but a widely accessible option would be to mount your wrapped foam board to a hardboard backer, inside a decorative frame, or even to simply mount the foam directly to the wall!

How to make a fabric push pin board

For this type of pinboard, you’ll simply wrap two layers of foam board in the fabric of your choice. I opted to potato stamp a drop cloth to create my fabric, but any sturdy fabric with texture will work. Then, mount it to a backer board or a frame.

potato stamped fabric

Step 1: Determine what size your board needs to be

If you plan to use a ready-made frame or backer like I did, measure the space where you plan to add the pinboard part. If you’re making a more custom size, decide how large you’d like your display board to be.

You can just make your board the exact size of your foam board sheets and make things super easy, or you could measure the space on the wall where you’d like the notice board to go and build the board to that dimension.

Step 2: Cut the foam board to size

cut your foam board to the size of your bulletin board

Once you’ve determined the size of your board, cut the foam board to size. This is incredibly easy!

Measure your board and mark where you need to cut with a pencil. Use a sharp craft knife and a straight edge to cut along the lines you marked.

Cut two boards to size because we’ll be stacking them in the next step.

Why? Because it’s better to have a deep pinning surface than one that’s too shallow. Otherwise, your pushpins will fall out and that’s annoying.

To make a large pin board, simply cut multiple pieces of foam to piece together to make the full board size.

Step 3: Glue foam together

stack and glue foam boards to create the pinboard

You’ll want an extra thick layer of foam to stick your pushpins into, so using a glue gun, stack your boards and glue them together.

Step 4: Wrap foam in fabric

wrap your pinboard in fabric and attach using hot glue

Cut a piece of fabric that is 3″ wider than your pinboard all around and lay it on your work surface, right side down. Place your foam board in the center of the fabric, taking care to ensure that if you have a pattern, it’s aligned to the board.

If your fabric bulletin board has a crooked pattern it’s going to drive you bananas.

Pull the fabric tightly around the board, and glue the edge to the back side, all the way around.

Step 5: Attach to your backing (optional)

attach pinboard to your backing

You could easily attach this fabric-covered pinboard directly to your wall using Command strips (which is what I would do), however, you might choose to attach this to a backing of some kind.

In this project, I used the wall rack because it was a thrift flip, but I think this would look far chicer on its own, at a much larger size.

To attach the pin portion of the board to my rack, I simply used a generous amount of hot glue and called it a day!

You could use hardboard as a backer if you wanted something frameless but with more rigidity. If you’re looking for something with a bit more glamour, you could fit the board into a vintage frame.

Completed DIY fabric covered bulletin board. This easy DIY craft is a good way to make a pinboard without using cork.

A DIY bulletin board adds much-needed organization to an office or a homeschool room above the desk (you can DIY a homeschool desk while you’re at it!).

If you need even more paper organization, try this clipboard wall! I included my surefire strategy for busting paper clutter in that post too.

Here are some more ideas for your new fabric-covered pinboard!

How can I use a pin board?

This DIY pinboard idea can be used for:

  • a vision board
  • a display board
  • a family command center
  • a notice board
  • a mood board
  • office organization
  • oversized wall decor

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