How to Make a Cork Board

A cork board is just what it sounds like; a board of cork that can be used to post information onto. Cork boards are usually used as wall-mounted message boards, serving as useful organizational tools for the home or the office, used to post chores, shopping lists, reminders and staff information. Using a couple of tacks or pins, messages can be attached to the soft, spongy material of the cork board with ease. A cork board can be an incredibly helpful tool, and doesn't take too much effort or expense to make yourself. Building a cork board requires very little in the way of professional experience or tools and is simple enough to do in the comfort of your own home.

Step One - Take Measures

The first step in building your own cork board is to determine the amount of cork you require. To do this, you'll first have to work out exactly where you're going to be placing your cork board; common places are in the office, the study or in the kitchen. Once you know which room you'll be placing the board, you need to measure out how much space you have to take up. Knowing where you'll be hanging the board, take a tape measure and record the size.

Step Two - Cut It Out

Once you have recorded the size of the area where you'll be hanging the cork board, take the plywood and, using the mitre saw, carefully cut the plywood to the required size, taking care to ensure that each side of the plywood is straight. After this, apply the glue to the plywood in an even layer around the edges and in the middle and firmly press the cork material on top of the plywood. Hold it there for five minutes until it sticks, and then cut any excess cork away from the sides of the plywood using scissors.

Step Three - Cover It With Molding

Once the cork has been applied, take a fresh set of measurements to determine the length and width of the board. Using these measurements as a guide, cut the molding to these sizes using the mitre saw, with two strips for the length and two strips for the width. Take care to cut the molding at the ends in a diagonal line so that it matches up with the next piece of molding. You should be able to place the molding together and form a box the same size as the plyboard.

Step Four - Box It In

Once all this is done, line the molding along the sides making sure the diagonal cuts line up with one another and nail it to the plywood taking care not to split either the molding or the board. Then, cut away any excess cork that is sticking out from the molding and hammer the nails down so the points aren't sticking out the back and you're finished.