Do you remember the ‘Trapper Keeper’? I will never forget mine. It was purple with white stripes and in my world it was a symbol of cool-ness. Kind of like Guess jeans…and wearing two pairs of different colored socks which perfectly coordinated with my over-sized sweatshirt and the scrunchie holding my side ponytail.
I loved my Trapper Keeper with all of it’s built-in storage. Even back then it spoke to my little Type A heart.
I was thinking the other day about how Pinterest seems to be the modern day Trapper Keeper.
A virtual three ring binder with pockets and folders.
And I love it, really I do. I love being able to find just about anything I’m looking for and having those boards broken up by category. All neat and tidy and right there at my fingertips.
But sometimes, just sometimes, I miss those Trapper Keeper days. When I would see something in a magazine and tear it out and tuck it into a folder or tack it up onto a real bulletin board.
So, when I discovered a stack of unused canvases in a closet I decided that I would try and recapture my youth 😉 and make a bulletin board…but with a twist!
A burlap bulletin board is so easy to make that I decided to make 5 and turn it into a bulletin board gallery wall.
BURLAP BULLETIN BOARD
Supplies Needed: Stretched canvas, burlap and nail head thumb tacks.
Step 1: Using canvas as a guide, cut burlap allowing enough on each side to pull over the side and onto the back of the canvas.
Step 2: Use a staple gun to attach burlap to canvas.
Step 3: Attach nail head thumb tacks around border of board. This might require a hammer and some elbow grease!
Step 4: Start pinning!
Except if it’s your husbands MBA diploma.
He worked very hard for that piece of paper so don’t go putting holes in it! I used a tiny bit of easily removable mounting putty on the back and stuck it on the bulletin board.
My Trapper Keeper days may be over. And Pinterest might be handy to have right at my fingertips.
But, there is just nothing like the feeling of tacking up something onto an actual, real life board. It elevates it and gives it an air of importance.
Whether it’s something you’ve worked very hard on…or something you are hoping to accomplish…or simply the sweet paintings of one of your favorite little artists.
Every morning now, as I make my way into the office to turn on the computer, I pass this bulletin board gallery wall.
I don’t need a username or password to have access to the inspiration that is ‘pinned’ there. The things tacked to it don’t have numbers attached to them showing how popular they are and they don’t have to compete with each other.
They just simply reflect us…our dreams…our passions and accomplishments.
And that’s all that is required to be ‘pin-worthy’ in our house! 🙂
Very clever and so chic! I love the nailheads!!!! This is such an easy diy with a big punch of style!
Cute idea! I love the use of canvases for a bulletin board. I have an abundance of burlap, so this sounds like an idea to use. Thanks for sharing!
Great idea! I think we’ll try it in order to display the treasures from our “grandchildren.” Thinking of using them to decorate the stairs to the loft.
Super cute idea Vanessa…love how you added the nailheads!
Thanks Martina!
That is fabulous. I have all the supplies already and maybe your idea of pinterest boards might migle well with Burlap Bulletin Boards. Great Job!
I think they will mingle really well Peggy! 🙂 Thanks so much for coming by!
These are so cute – I saw them over on Google+ earlier tonight! And I had a Trapper Keeper too – mine had hot air balloons on it and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I carried it home from school some days just to feel ‘cool’ and not because I really had anything to take home for real! And I wore the mismatched slouchy socks and baggy sweatshirts too. And anything Guess was the in thing 🙂
I love this idea! So easy, yet so effective. And I love the last few sentences in the post…”They just simply reflect us…”
Debbie 🙂
Love this!
I’ve done a few of these using thrifted cork boards and LOVE the look. How cute to put several together in a gallery arrangement? Clever!
xo Heidi
What a super cute idea. I love the look, especially with the nail heads. Great job.
I LOVE this!! What a Cute and Fun idea. The nail heads really make them POP!!
xoxo
Pinning!
I love that idea! I remember the trapper keepers too. Gosh, I haven’t thought about those in a while. I still rip out pages from magazines and save them in a binder. I like to think of it as one huge home decor book with all my favorites. I get it out sometimes and flip through it and it’s a good feeling to have it all together. I know Pinterest is all the rage, and I do look at it too, but I like my magazine pages as well. I like your idea of making attractive bulletin boards for keepsakes etc. The nail head trim adds a great touch!
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I have a big bulletin board I use just the way you described your thoughts. Good post
Super cute! Love the gallery wall look! My 5th grade teacher banned Trapper Keepers from her classroom – can you even believe that?! She hated the sound they made when you opened them – ha!
Those are gorgeous. We just did our recent DIY blog post on cork square and photo gallery wall but love the idea of covering canvas’ with fabric-especially burlap. http://www.handmadesanctuary.com