Still on the hunt for some inexpensive display solutions, I decided to make myself some fabric covered display boards to sit bracelets on.  They are not perfect – the corners could be a bit neater – but they are cute, simple to make, and will fit well with my planned studio theme.

 

Here’s what I did:

 

You will need:

a cork tile or sheet

pretty fabric

lining fabric (optional – if your fabric is thin like mine you don’t want the cork to show through)

felt

double sided tape

Mod Podge or similar

Stanley knife

cutting board

scissors

metal ruler

pencil

 

Mark out the shape on the cork and cut to size.  I used a 12″ square tile which cuts into 2 8×6″ pieces, 1 8×4″ piece and leaves a 4″ square waste piece (until I find something to use it for!).

 

Put strips of double sided tape all around the edge, both front and back.

 

If you are using a lining fabric, stick this to the front, keeping it taut, and trim to the same size as the cork.

 

Cut a piece of the pretty fabric about an inch larger all around the edge than the cork and place it right side down on your work surface.  Place the lined side of the cork on top, making sure that it is straight, and trim the corners as shown.

 

Fold the corners of the fabric over and stick to the edging tape.

 

Make a neat fold in the fabric as fold each edge over and stick to the tape.  Again, you need to make sure that the fabric is straight and taut.

 

If necessary, trim the excess fabric from the back.

 

Cut a piece of felt about 1/4″ smaller than the cork (mine was 7 3/4″ x 5 3/4″).  Spread the Mod Podge over the back of the cork and stick the felt in place.  Place under a heavy book or similar to keep it flat while it dries.

 

I may stitch around the edge of the felt at a later date.  Or maybe cover the back with card and a layer of ultrasuede rather than the felt.  I’d also like to find a way to neaten the corners or maybe cover the edges completely to give it a framed look.  For now though, I have some pretty boards for my bracelets – and lots of tiles to make more with – all for about £10 (the cost of the pack of 9 cork tiles) as I already had the fabric and other materials in my stash.