~Burlap Bulletin Board~

I have officially jumped on the burlap bandwagon. 

I have seen many posts where burlap is used as the cheap, chic and rustic fabric of choice. So I had a desire to recover something with burlap and having a project in mind I set off for the fabric store. While searching for the chiang mai fabric I so want, I asked the clerk if they sell burlap. 

 The clerk informed me that yes they did but the fabric needed to stay in its plastic wrap and had to be cut at a specific table.

Hmmm... 

I guess people are allergic to the stuff. Once cut it was to stay enclosed in the bag, I felt like I was carrying hazardous waste. Not ever possessing burlap I wasn't sure what she was talking about. No one ever mentions that on their blogs. 

 I soon found out as I brought home the burlap that I began to sneeze and itch. It smelled like a garden shed and I felt like I was duped. After prowling several blogs where the authors use it for various projects I finally had the guts to ask "How to you get rid of that dusty garden shed smell?" Jen from Tatertots and Jello was so kind to answer me. She washes it on the gentle cycle and then air dries it. 

Tried it and the dustiness and smell are not that noticeable anymore.

Yay - my project was not doomed.

So without further adieu here it is....

I recovered my son's bulletin board but never really liked it so I wanted to give it a more rustic manly appeal. Using burlap, black upholstery tacks and my trusty staple gun the bulletin board went from this:


to this:


This is how I did it:

1. Cut a piece of burlap larger than the bulletin board.



2. Staple the burlap to the back of the frame.



3. Turn the board over and press upholstery tacks just where the frame meets the board. I eyeballed the placement of the tacks.


4. Hang up and enjoy.


I am wanting to re-paint my son's room. When I mentioned that to him, he said "finally!

Apparently he has never like the colour I chose. I don't either. When I suggested a light khaki colour he was adamant that he did not want a colour on the wall that would remind him of diarrhea.

OK....
I guess not. He is a tween and has his own ideas about what is acceptable on the walls but that will be another post on another day AFTER I finish my other to-do projects.

Linking to:

24 comments

  1. Barbara- this is just a wonderful project! I just love that something you can do in a short period of time has such great impact on a room! The tacks make it so special! This is one I just have to do!

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  2. I found this so interesting, Barbara! All the precautions taken with the burlap cutting & purchasing... it makes complete sense (itchy, smelly, etc.), but it just never occured to me. And how terrific that you've shared that in your post for all those people who want to work with burlap themselves!! Your final results - that bulletin board looks fantastic!! Great project and post!!
    Victoria

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  3. I am so glad you told us the "truth about burlap" since I might have given it a whiff in the store and passed it off as a thumbs down material. I laughed at the "diarrhea" colour comment...I think I have that exact colour in my son's room but I love it anyways!
    Thanks for reminding me of home Lower mainland (BC) in your Canadian post yesterday...I miss Stanley Park, good sushi, and using a "u" in certain words haha. We've been in upstate NY for almost a year but I do miss home sometimes too :) They do have great antiques here though!
    Love the bulletin board too!
    Cynthia

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  4. Barbara - Thanks for the tips about burlap - I had no idea and no one ever mentions that part! Definitely good to know. Love the bulletin board too!

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  5. Also wanted to say that I really like yoyur new photo header. I'm working on one but I haven't gotten too far yet!

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  6. This looks great. I'm going to try this technique on my son's bulletin board.

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  7. Thank you for telling us what to do about the smell and itchiness of burlap. I grew up on a small farm and we had lots of burlap bags around, I sure wish I had them now. Your project turned out looking just amazing! I think that would look good in my husbands office. I will consider making that. Thanks. Cindy S

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  8. Hi Barbara! Thank you so much for visiting my blog :) I have really been enjoying searching your blog, it is beautiful! And I love all of your 'how to' posts, I wanna try the faux Roman blind now!!! I will definately be back regularly!

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  9. I love the Burlap craze...allergies or not! It would be kind of weird to be sniffing a bulletin board anyways, right?

    Very cute! I really like it!

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  10. oooooh...I love this!! What a great, simple idea! Thanks for sharing :) I need to find me some burlap!

    ps...thanks for entering my little giveaway!

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  11. Ok, so I bought a big bulletin board at the thrift store. It has that thin metal frame around it so I have been trying to figure out what to do with it. Thank YOU! This will be perfect. No need to beef up the frame. I love upholstery tacts! Great idea, thanks for sharing. I will be sure to metion where I found the idea:)

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  12. I, too, have jumped on the burlap bandwagon! I guess I'm a little late because in the blog world, burlap is a staple now in every craft room! I plan to use it to make a skirt under my craft tables to hide cords. I used it as a tablecloth for my granddaughter's cowgirl party (posted on my blog). I love what you did with it for the bulletin board. I am re-doing my craft room, as we speak. I plan to add a square of peg board on one wall for storage and jazz it up with big polkadots. I wanted a bulletin board but didn't want it to look like one. Your idea is perfect! It will also tie in to my burlap table skirts! Thank you!

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  13. I'm in love!!!! I love the buckets on the desk, too! Great!

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  14. Pottery Barn eat your heart out!

    Jeanine

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  15. Very pretty! I love the burlap and the tacks!

    XOXO
    Jen

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  16. You did a great job on that. It rocks! I have a bulletin board in my sons room. It has a wooden trim and a cork center. I spray painted the trim but the spray paint bled onto the edge of the cork. I have been staring at it for months; every time I go in there. I knew I wanted to cover it with fabric but, hadn't decided what yet. This is it. You hit upon the perfect idea to finish it off with the upholstery tacks. Too cute!

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  17. I had no idea that Burlap could pose an allergy problem. I guess I haven't worked with it enough. Maybe that fabric that they use for embroidery, Osnaburg (sp?), could be used instead of burlap for future projects. It has a bit of an open weave and has a similar color... and feels a lot softer.

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  18. I love this idea. Mind if I feature it on my blog?

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  19. that is GREAT looking! I remember my first apartment out of college I made my curtains out of red burlap. I had my mom cut bamboo out of her back yard and used those for the curtain rods and used leather rope for the curtain rings. It looked great. thanks for that memory! i haven't thought about that room in a long time until I saw your fab bulletin board! lucky son you got!

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  20. THat is really, really cute! I love the way it turned out. You had me at "burlap". Thanks for linking to my party! :)
    Blessings!

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  21. Hi,

    Thanks for sharing this link - but unfortunately it seems to be not working? Does anybody here at strictlysimplestyle.blogspot.com have a mirror or another source?


    Cheers,
    Oliver

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  22. love love LOVE this! I'm definitely going to be copying it tomorrow :) xox

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