DIY Ballard Designs knockoff message board

I love the look of these burlap message boards from Ballard Designs:

Source

I could definitely use one in my office/guest room. But I didn’t want to pay $39-$169 for mine, so I decided to DIY one instead. I’m not the first blogger to attempt this project, but my Ballard Designs knockoff message board may be one of the cheapest!

I started with a piece of melamine board left over from our closet re-do. (You could use the back of an old picture frame, a mounted canvas, a piece of plywood or just a thick stack of cardboard for your message board back.)

Then I cut two pieces (the same size as the board) out of a cardboard box.

I applied some 3M Hi-Strength 90 Spray Adhesive to the melamine board and the cardboard pieces.

Then I stacked the cardboard pieces on top of the board.

(The cardboard pieces are what help the pushpins stick properly in the finished message board.)

Next I centered a piece of burlap over the whole piece and used spray adhesive to stick it to the cardboard. (My burlap came from the Online Fabric Store.)

I didn’t worry too much about how the back looked. But I am a stickler for crisp corners, so I cut a 45-degree-angle line in the fabric at each corner and folded down the fabric, making sure the corners were straight and tight before I stuck them down with adhesive.

After everything dried, I inserted upholstery tacks (aka furniture nails) about 2 inches apart around the border. You can get a pack of these at Walmart for $1 in either nickel, bronze or black finish. It took about a pack and a half to do my board.

Here’s my finished message board:

What do you think of my knockoff version? I think these would make great, inexpensive gifts. To hang mine on the wall, I’ll be using a few Command™ velcro strips. But a few saw-tooth hangers would work well, too.

By the way, can you spot our pooch in one of the pics?

I’m linking this up to My Repurposed Life, Craft Dictator, House of Rose, Be Different…Act Normal, Classy Clutter and Fluster Buster.