DIY Framed Cork Moodboard

Welcome to today's tutorial.  Sorry for the lateness on this one, but with Easter going on and a two year old who is just coming to understand the wonders of chocolate, well it's been a busy weekend to say the least!  Hopefully your holiday has been peaceful and fun-filled in equal measure!  Given that we're all now recovering from chocolate comas, I thought I'd keep today's tutorial quick and easy.  Today we're making moodboards using just a frame and some cork roll, easily found at any big craft shop!  It features my rolled roses, click here to visit that post (opens in another window, so you won't lose this one!) to learn how to make simple rolled roses from fabric scraps and ribbon.

For this tutorial, you will need the following:

• A roll of craft cork
• a picture frame (mine is for and 8X10 and was from a discount shop, but any frame will do)
• lace or ribbon (enough for two 20cm lengths)
• velvet ribbon 1.5cm (I made 6 strips of 10cm each in pink and blue.  Make as many as you would like for the amount of thumb tacks you wish to use).
• thumb tacks (brass tacks with a nice large flat face for good adherence to your roses are best)
• double sided tape
• scissors
• craft glue and skewer
• marker
• extra strong glue (E6000 or similar)

Start by unrolling your cork, and lay it down as flat as possible.  Dismantle your frame and use the glass as a template for cutting your cork.  Use the marker to draw around the glass then cut the cork with scissors.  Depending on the thickness of your cork and the length of the points on your tacks you will probably need a few layers.  I stuck with 3 layers, which still left the tacks slightly proud of the cork, but any more than that and I wouldn't have been able to close the frame again.
To keep your cork layers together, put a strip of double sided tape along the top and bottom, and a strip down the middle of two of the layers and sandwich them all together, making sure to keep the edges as even as possible.  By putting the tape down the middle, you prevent the top layer of cork from bowing out of the frame.
Cut your lace or ribbon to two 20cm lengths and position them diagonally across two of the corners of your cork.  Pin them in place and turn the whole thing over.  Use double sided tape to secure the ends of the lace or ribbon to the back of the cork.  Remove the pins.

Now it's time to reassemble the frame.  Set the glass aside, as you won't need it (I do these sort of things a lot, stay tuned for a tutorial for what to do with that glass!).  Sit your cork in your frame and replace the back, being careful if the cork is a bit thick for your frame.  It may need some gentle persuasion.

Follow my Rolled Rose tutorial for turning the strips of velvet ribbon into pretty little roses.  Glue the roses onto your tacks with strong glue (not just craft glue, as it won't bond properly to the metal of the tacks).  Let them dry thoroughly before using.

Here's the result so far:

Now, at this point its perfect for a few different uses; to organise the mail or notes as part of your household command centre or office, or as somewhere to keep reminders, invitations or keepsakes.  I used mine to create a little shabby moodboard.

Ribbon, felt flowers, eyelet lace, a vintage-look label, some silk flowers, paint chips and a cute little souvenir Mum picked up in Singapore or Malaysia.  It's a great way to draw a few different things together, get them out of the drawers and up where they can be seen and give inspiration for decor or a craft project.  An option would be to replace the lace in the bottom corner with a strip of pretty fabric to make a pocket for larger items or envelopes.

So there you are, a nice easy one for the Easter recovery!  Let me know what you used your board for by leaving a pic in the comments, or on my Facebook page.

Take care,
Emma