Bored of plain old cork boards on your wall?
Whether you live in an apartment, a dorm or you need some organizing space for your office – pin boards are a pretty easy and visual way to keep notes, tickets, pictures or similar pieces of paper that have sentimental or organizational value.
Boring Boards to Bear
Plain cork pin boards are pretty cheap, too. You can get them at various stores around here, as well as on amazon (of course), for about ten bucks, depending on the size.
The thing is: These pin boards are super boring, with the frame usually being made from unfinished wood. Which does absolutely not match my black-and-white interior theme.
So naturally, I had to think of a way to glam this plain old cork pin board up. I already have one on my wall that I just painted white to match pretty much any room.
How Berlin Got Into the Picture
And then my cousin’s birthday came up. Around the same time, she moved into a new apartment, so I was looking for a gift that would be perfect for both occasions. Add to that her massive obsession with Berlin as a city, and – boom – I had an idea: A Berlin skyline cork board. The best part? I used chalkboard paint, so the colored parts can be used to scribble little notes.
Works with other cities as well, obviously. Or throw the city theme overboard altogether and paint something else. Whatever floats your boat (or board, in this case).
Here’s what you need:
- cork pin board (duh!)
- chalkboard paint
- paintbrushes in different sizes
Tattoo Pictures and Skylines
First, I tried outlining my design using a pencil, which didn’t work too well. Chalk didn’t work for me either, so I decided to just freehand it. I googled for a picture of the Berlin skyline on my laptop and used that for reference.
Bonus tip: If you want to paint a skyline, try looking for tattoos of said skyline. The outline is often much easier and clearer for you to draw.
Using a smaller paintbrush, I painted the outlines of my design, being extra careful not to get paint drops on the parts that I wanted to stay plain. If you do drip, don’t worry. Get creative and think of something to paint over the little blob. Guess where the birds on my board come from, ahem.
Paint Me Like One Of Your French Girls
After that, I used a bigger brush to fill in the skyline.
I also decided to paint the lower part of the frame black. It adds a more edgy look, don’t you think?
Add Finishing Touches
Let the whole thing dry overnight, then add a second coat to get the opaque look.
If you’re using chalkboard paint like I did, make sure to follow the instructions on the packaging after the paint is dry. Most of the time, you need to prepare the painted surface with chalk before you can actually draw on it.
Perfect for Beginners
This might take a little time to dry, but the actual process is super simple and pretty quick to make, also perfect for beginners.
Let me know what you think – and happy drawing!