Clever Corkboards, by Jill Sharp Brinson
Clever Corkboards
by Jill Sharp Brinson
Creative Director
Ballard Designs
Corkboards have always been handy for keeping information available at a glance, but they can also act like a canvas for creating your own original art. Around here, we’re simply obsessed with pinning up collages and collections to fuel our inspiration.
You’ve probably noticed some of our corkboard collages in the pages of our catalog. Corkboard displays are easy to put up and easy to change – and anyone can do it. We’ve had plenty of practice over the years, so here are some of our favorite tips.
There are NO boundaries to what you can pin on. The more three-dimensional the object, the better. Try a cool composition of your favorite flowers hung upside down and tacked on with florist pins (see my example in the photo). Pin the stem of the flower right onto the board or tie a piece of twine or favorite ribbon scrap to the stem for hanging.
T-pins, sewing pins – the ones with colorful heads – and upholstery tacks are all great. Or, hot glue buttons onto T-pins for a totally original look. As your collection grows, store your pins in divided bins, so it’s easy to find just the right one.
Whether I’m styling a shoot at Ballard or creating a collage at home, I generally like to create balanced compositions, but with something a little off, a little tweaked. Don’t worry about perfection. Try to line up the edges of things and create pleasing spacing between the items. Do what looks good to you.
Try filling your corkboard with your latest favorite colors and design interests. Right now, I’m in love with all things fuchsia and orange and collect just about anything that unifies my color theme, mixing in different patterns, textures and dimensions for major impact.
Nothing is off limits. Use objects that are in some way meaningful or interesting to you, like a child’s drawing, a favorite painting, fabric swatches or something you’ve collected from your travels. Post cards, photos and party invitations are all wonderful items to pin up in a collage.
Love this… feeling inspired! Great ideas.
Beautiful boards Jill! At work we use cork boards in our offices and we paint them a variety of colors to decorate our space — fun!
Great ideas!
personal expression ROCKS.
I particularly love the seasonal collages, it brings the holiday to my apartment as I do not normally decorate traditionally to the chagrin of my partner when he visits, so perfect.
Love this Jill! Very clever!
Think I’ll take my stacks of treasures piled on my desk and creatively display them. Super ideas. Love, love, love it!
amazing amd beautiful compilation of all things meaningful and inspirational…..so freeing to be able to put it all out there and not tucked away somewhere!!….
What a great way to make something so “old” seem so “new”–and useful! It can be like a constantly changing art show depending on what “you” want to do with it. Terrific ideas!
Leave it to Jill to elevate a cork board into a work of art!!
Just adorable!!!!!
Love! How fabulous, I’m ready to start collecting!!
How fun! I’m going to have to give this a whirl. I’ve had cork boards in the past, but none have looked as fabulous as these! I love the fact that you can change these out and create a different look each time. Love the burlap looking back on the photos in the middle – super fab.
Jill..thanks for the inspiration. I changed mine this weekend for the season…seashells, navy, nautical, beach photo’s…I can’t wait to add to it over the summer. Love it!!
Jill… You never cease to amaze me! Much more than “good”! Now I have a place for my beads!!!!
I love the boards. As a creative person and savvy consumer, I spend time flipping through catalogues studying the details on the boards. It’s fun to see similar pieces and parts that inspire each of us in our creative work. (LOVE, the Tory Burch hang tag, so bold & graphic!)
Jill…These are awesome. I do this in my home with inspirations for future life endeavors…trips I want to take, the perfect cottage in Maine I’d like to buy one day, fashion ideas for the upcoming season. I keep them in my bedroom so they are the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night!
Really great advice and fun ideas! I love the flowers, 3-D objects, and textures. Just have to figure out which style of collage to go with first! That’s the joy of corkboards, more expression, less holes in the wall!!
WOW! Jill this changes the way I will look at cork boards for the rest of my life! You have given me so many ideas and inspiration on how to use them for decorative purposes throughout the year! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Clever, indeed!
That’s so cute! Fashionable and functional! I can really incorporate this with my new “woodland” theme!
Everything you do is inspiring to me. I have neglected my cork board since last year, and
suddenly I now have some great ideas! Thank you Jill – xo – christine
Going to pull my corkboard out of the storage closet and get busy. Thanks for passing ideas along!
I do not think Jill Sharp Brinson could be any more any more fabulous. I love this!
Jill, this is fabulous!! Very inspiring!
this past year has taught me how very precious memories are…what a perfect way to keep them close to heart..I’m starting my board tonight…
Such creativity! I have one cork board from Ballard for my kitchen and now want more for other rooms! Thanks for the great ideas!
Oh to see the world through those eyes! Suddenly everything has a new personality, meaning and perspective. A really valuable addition for our memory banks. Thank you!
Jill, and all the time I thought my grandaughter was messy w/ her cork board in her room. Jewely, tassels, pics etc. So clever. I have one in my pantry wall w/family, friends dogs, events etc/ amd chg. out w/seasons or fun times. Tks for sharing.
What an inspiration! The corkboard idea was great and inspired even more ideas for me. Thanks,Tavye
Excellent for creative but busy Mothers!
Very good ideas that even a old woman like me can do! Thanks..
Loved reading and looking at the pictures of the corboards – started my one last year and the theme was – all things French. My husband, who passed away 4 years ago loved France and we were fortunate enough to have made several trips there – so (in his memory) out came my collection of postcards, greeting cards, pictures of the two of us in France, French recipes, French magazine ads, etc. I even used brass Eiffel Tower and Fleurs-de-lis thumbtacks. I get so many compliments whenever someone sees the corkboard. It’s pretty cool. I know my husband would have loved it. Corkboards are the perfect way to preserve and bring back fond memories. Plus it was so much fun putting it all together. I can’t wait to get started on a new one for the guest bedroom. The ideas are endless – thanks for sharing great ideas!