Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Faux Concrete Message Boards


I have been doing a bit of organizing included
in my spring cleaning, and noticed that
my hallway message boards were in need 
of a make-over! 


This is what they looked like! 

Not very pretty! 

I took down everything posted and filed 
what I wanted to keep. 


Then I got to work! 

It was a beautiful spring day, 
so I brought my work outside.

Can you see Weenie Baby lying in the sun?

Old shower curtain liners make great 'drop cloths'. 

I sanded the wood frame lightly. 


I painted the cork board with Delta Ceramcoat acrylic paint, 
in 'Rain Grey'. 

The grey painted cork looks just like concrete! 

The cork soaks up the paint, so I needed more than one 
2 fl. oz bottle per board. 

Even if the cork board is slightly damaged, 
the paint will cover that up.

I used a 1 inch paint brush.

Whitey Bear lounges nearby :)


I let that dry completely, then used painter's tape
to protect the edges before painting the frame. 

I used the same brand of paint in 'North Sea'
and a smaller artist paintbrush. 

I also painted wooden tacks the same color. 

Sticking them into corrugated cardboard made that easy! 



I wanted to 'dress up' the tacks, so I used blue 
buttons that I had bought by the bagful at the craft store. 

I simply glued them to the top of the tacks with Krazy glue. 


Aren't they pretty?

My favorite colors. 


Here you can see the tacks and the faux concrete 
look to the message board. 



So much better! 



These message boards were both thrifty finds. 

I chose colors to compliment the colors
in my hallway. 

The walls are painted a very soft aqua. 

This hallway leads to the stairway and is
directly off my kitchen. 


I use it to store folding chairs for 
extra seating when my whole family
comes to visit. 

There are usually 10 of us, or more
with friends. 

The stair landing is a mini art gallery
for my 'Posie Paintings'. 


The octagonal window looks out onto the deck 
and gets late afternoon sunshine. 

The hydrangeas are from my garden. 

I painted the small chest years ago 
with kitchen sponges cut to the shape
of petals. 

I keep family photographs inside. 


The milk glass compote is a 'wedding jar' given 
to my Mother by my Father for a 10th wedding anniversary.

They were married 58 years. 


The painting of sweet peas 
in a blue canning jar was another gift
from my Father to my Mother. 

She saw it in an art gallery, fell in love
 and my Father surprised her with it. 


The doorstops were also hers. 

I love having these little remembrances
of them and their love. <3


Peanut follows me back....


I might paint these frames, 
what do you think? 

Shabby Chic white? 


Now I have a pretty place to keep all those 
lovely invitations, thank you cards, 
and other sweet things too pretty to hide away. 


I hope this inspires you to give your message 
boards a pretty upgrade. 

Just a little paint, a few tacks and buttons, 
and you can turn that Plain Jane cork board
into a stylish faux concrete message center. 



xoxo

(I receive no compensation for mentioning name brands on my blog xx)

30 comments:

  1. Hello, I like your message board makeover.. The colors of the paint and the buttons are beautiful. I would like these colors in some room of my house, they remind me of the beach and ocean. Your home and decorations are lovely..have a happy day!

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  2. Fun project - and I love the buttons! I have some gold frames that I'd like to paint, too. I'll be interested to see what you do with yours - I was kind of thinking shabby chic white, also.

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  3. I love this board; I've got something like that in my kitchen.
    xox

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  4. Oh my goodness, that is the cutest little hallway ever!!! That little staircase is lovely! So English cottage! If you have Netflix, you must try to watch the show Midsomer Murders, it takes place in little English towns and they have the sweetest cottages ever! I wouldn't paint those lovely frames if I were you, gold is also very shabby chic:) I'm intrigued with the folding chair I see in one of your pics, looks gorgeous. Love your message board makeover too!

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  5. What a nice idea. Your boards turned out great and I enjoyed the tour of your art gallery and the lovely sentiment you shared about your parents. I hope you have a great day! Heather

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  6. very nice. i really like your cute tacks. :)

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  7. I love your hallway! Makes me want to tackle mine. It's kinda plain jane at the moment.
    The cork board turned out awesome and my favorite part is the buttons onto the tacks! I must do this soon! I have tons of buttons!!
    -Lisa

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  8. Karen, what a clever idea. The board is wonderful, and you did a great job on it! It looks like a clean slate with all your special notes and cards on there. You used my favorite color too, the turquoise buttons add a special touch. The hydrangeas from your garden are so pretty. I really like that space with all your family photos. As for the gold frames, they are lovely. I'm not into the shabby chic look, I love more traditional things. I think they would look pretty in antique gold or even a cream color. I really like the turquoise framed picture above your chest. Your hallway looks so charming, Karen. I wish I could visit and stroll through your lovely home.

    ~Sheri

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  9. I like your made-over message boards. Great bowl of blue buttons! Most of all I like this little landing/hallway, which holds so many treasures. You've made it into a special little space, and I bet it looks so snug when the afternoon sun comes through that window!
    Wendy

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  10. Wonderful transformation, Karen...and it looks like it was fun and fast to do, too! The push pins are cute!

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  11. Wow Karen the boards came out so pretty and I love the colors and the tacks! Great job! Enjoy the rest of the week. P.S. Thanks for your kindness regarding my grandmother.

    Julie xo

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  12. They came out really pretty. I love your staircase! It's so charming: the art and the pieces. xoxo

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  13. Okay- Those are just SPECTACULAR!!!! I love how that turned out and the buttons were the perfect "dress up" for those tacks! Amazing ART at work! I like the frames "as is" around the cork-board.
    I love all the pieces your Dad gave your Mom over the years. How wonderful that you have those sweet remembrances of them.
    That back stairway is just so cute. I love how it looks.
    Thanks for popping by and leaving me the comment on my blog today about the stupid ovens. lol
    For some reason I don't have an email to connect with you directly. xo Diana

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  14. Your message boards look lovely, they are a good idea, I write things on a much smaller one or put them on the fridge.
    You have a wonderful home, I really like the doorstops.
    Merle.............

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  15. Karen, I really like how you freshened up your message boards. I wondered where one could buy bags of buttons. The aqua ones are pretty and a cute idea to attach to the push pins. Your stairway is so pretty with all the flower theme and that sweet cabinet. So many memories for you there. xx Pam

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  16. Love this!!! What you did with your cork boards is just awesome! And the buttons on the push pins are brilliant!!! It literally changes the whole space Karen! And your artwork is outstanding!!! I love the gold frames as they are but I know whatever you do will be beautiful! And how clever to hang your chairs there! Such a pretty spot in your home! Wishing you a lovely week my friend! Nicole xoxo

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  17. Oh my this is so ideal.. buttons on tacks never would have thought of that -- super ideas here even about the shower curtain. All the Photo images of your beautiful memories - so lovely..
    Thanks for inspiring me..
    Hugs

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  18. Dear Karen,
    your Message boards are georgeous! I like also the pins with the buttons, such a nice idea!
    I would leave them as they are, I think, it really looks wonderful on the walls with all the other treasures arround! and I like the colours!
    Sweet littel peanut ....so lovely he is followiung through the house :O)
    Wishing you a wonderful and blessed week, my dear friend,
    sending Love and hugs,
    Claudia xo

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  19. Dearest Karen,
    What a lovely post and even though the color of those message boards looked different outdoors from indoors; they match so beautiful with all your décor.
    Genial idea for using blue buttons; your favorite color, to glue onto the tacks!
    I was laughing, even your stairway to 'heaven' is blue...
    Is Peanut not falling off the stairs, or her sister. Mauzie once fell off the stairs in my first home in The Netherlands and I always carried her since than. That was even an open stair! My second home had a closed stairway (2) going all the way to the attic where I hung my laundry...
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  20. totally love your bulletin board project and your tacks are darling. Great post and your projects are always wonderful Karen!

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  21. This place has such personal charm,
    you know a lovely person lives here.
    yvonne

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  22. Dear Karen, I like the make-over that you gave your message boards! Their new color fits so much better with the color of your hallway. I think that gluing buttons on the tacks is a really cool ideal and makes the tacks much more charming. Well done!
    Nice that you have all these pieces that remind you of your parents and their marriage. Nurturing fond memories is so good for the soul, isn't it?
    Warm regards,
    Christina

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  23. The boards turned out so great, Karen, and I love the tacks with the super cute, color coordinated buttons!! The chest you painted is so pretty and I love the sweet reminders of your parents' love. I'm thinking the frames would be beautiful in a shabby chic white.

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  24. What a great idea Karen! They turned out beautifully!! And I'm in LOVE with the button tacks and may totally need to steal that idea!

    That hallway is beyond charming. I could just sit and hang out back there. I love all of the paintings and I absolutely love having family pictures everywhere, and the other reminders of family and lasting love. Speaks to my heart Lady!

    I also think shabbying up those frames is a great idea!! We'll need after photos. Lol
    xoxo

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  25. My dear Karen, did you know that you're amazing! :) I simply love your message boards. I have been wanting to put one in my kitchen, but have not gotten around to it and seeing yours has made me glad I waited. I never thought to paint the corkboard! And the buttons....adorable!

    Your home is so beautiful, my friend. It's a place FULL of love and charm. Thanks for sharing with Roses of Inspiration. Hugs!

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  26. Love the way you have updated these to go with your other items, those tacks are so cute with the buttons!

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  27. What you did with the pins is so cute! And your landing is full of charm, the octogonal window is very interesting.

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  28. So much better! It really does look like concrete and the pretty button pushpins are a perfect way to add interest. Love your hallway gallery and all your special treasures. Thanks so much for sharing at Vintage Inspiration Party.

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  29. Dear Karen,

    Love the makeover to your notice boards and the pins are a sweet touch.
    Your hallway gallery is lovely with all the wonderful paintings and special touches.
    Hope you are having a happy week
    hugs
    Carolyn

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Thank you for stopping by! Your comments are important to me and are very much appreciated. xx Karen

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