Cork Board Alternate?

[Jenniferdawn]

I'm going to be setting up my preschool and my hubby is not wanting me to put a bunch of holes in the walls with poster etc. Does anyone have a creative (and cheap) alternative to a cork board. they are so brown and ugly, I don't really want that up on my wall.

[sharlan]

I use a lot of the 3M Command strips. I use that for things I want to stay for a long time. For things that are only going to be up for a week or so, I use the little sticky tabs that teachers use for bulletin boards.

My DH has a fit when I put any hole in the wall.

[Blackcat31]

We have 6x8 ft sheets of homasote on the walls. It is basically thick bulletin board type sheets that are paintable and function exactly as corkboard. My DH hung a couple sheets in the daycare main room. He didnt want tons of holes in the wall either. I will post a picture in the morning after I get to work so you can see what I mean.

[tbutler]

I use a lot of the 3M Command strips. I use that for things I want to stay for a long time. For things that are only going to be up for a week or so, I use the little sticky tabs that teachers use for bulletin boards.

My DH has a fit when I put any hole in the wall.

I use the 3M strips too for heavier things. Otherwise I use the blue painters tape.

[Jenniferdawn]

I'd love a picture of that blackcat. I just read about it. where do you find it?

[Oneluckymom]

We have 6x8 ft sheets of homasote on the walls. It is basically thick bulletin board type sheets that are paintable and function exactly as corkboard. My DH hung a couple sheets in the daycare main room. He didnt want tons of holes in the wall either. I will post a picture in the morning after I get to work so you can see what I mean.

Did you have to put holes in the wall to hang it or how did you hang it with putting in holes? Also how much is homasote to buy? I would love to use this also.

[Rachel]

I use bluetack for posters and things. I do have a corkboard for parent notices, etc. Everything else goes up with bluetack.

[Cat Herder]

I lined one wall with floral wire attached in the middle and corners with picture hangers (bunting style).

I then use paper clips to hang art and posters.

[Blackcat31]

I'd love a picture of that blackcat. I just read about it. where do you find it?

In this thread it shows a picture (3rd one down in my post) of the sheets on the wall. https://www.daycare.com/forum/showthread.php?t=24391 I did paint them the color of a cork board but they come gray. You can paint them any color you want and cut the sheets to whatever size you want. My DD chose to paint hers hot pink and my DS's is bright blue. My DH said we bought them for about $14 per 6x8 ft sheet at Home Depot. They are generally sold for sound proofing purposes. They are recycled paper fiberboards.

The BEST thing about them is that if you have used a million and one tacks or staples in them you can just repaint them and start anew.
The ones in my kids' rooms at home, my DH framed with regular window like trim and now they look like giant store bought bulletin boards. I haven't gotten around to framing the ones I use at daycare yet but will eventually.

Here are a couple links to making a homasote bulletin board.

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/diy-china-hutch-makeover.html

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/ny/diy-bulletin-board-with-homasote-108243

http://shisomama.wordpress.com/2007/05/22/how-to-homasote-bulletin-board/

http://high-heelfootinthedoor.blogspot.com/2010/02/diyhomasote-bulletin-board.html

http://blog.effortless-style.com/2010/02/diyhomasote-bulletin-board/

I noticed that in a few of the links the people covered theirs in fabric which would be a cool idea also.

Did you have to put holes in the wall to hang it or how did you hang it with putting in holes? Also how much is homasote to buy? I would love to use this also.

Yes, I did have to put screws in the wall to attach the panel to the wall but my DH says filling a few screw holes is nothing compared to filling a million little holes from tack or staples. The screws used are placed in the wall where studs are (and will eventually be coverd up by trim boards) so it is firmly attached. This leaves the entire face of the panel available to place tacks and/or staples to be used anywhere on the surface without worries of it being secure.

[Country Kids]

I either use masking tape, blue paint tape, or staple it up with an ordinary stapler.

[Jenniferdawn]

Some great ideas you all. thanks. Black cat, your picts are amazing. i almost don't like looking at them becasue my set-up doesn't even come close to comparing to yours. I'm glad you aren't my competition!

[sharlan]

This weekend, I'm going to paint my butler's pantry wall (long hallway) with a magnetic paint that you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot. You paint on 3 thin coats of the magnetic paint, then paint whatever color you want over it. I'm going to paint over it with chalkboard paint.

[Blackcat31]

This weekend, I'm going to paint my butler's pantry wall (long hallway) with a magnetic paint that you can buy at Lowe's or Home Depot. You paint on 3 thin coats of the magnetic paint, then paint whatever color you want over it. I'm going to paint over it with chalkboard paint.

Totally cool stuff but the magnetic paint is not nearly as magnetic as I hoped it would be. and the chalk board paint we bought was really neat until we used it a few weeks and found nothing erased completely anymore.

This was a few years ago so hopefully the product quality has improved. It is a super cool idea!! (We bought ours at Home Depot.)

[AnythingsPossible]

i cover my corkboards wth fabric. much prettier then the brown, still cheap and effective.

[sharlan]

Totally cool stuff but the magnetic paint is not nearly as magnetic as I hoped it would be. and the chalk board paint we bought was really neat until we used it a few weeks and found nothing erased completely anymore.

This was a few years ago so hopefully the product quality has improved. It is a super cool idea!! (We bought ours at Home Depot.)

Thanks for the heads up. How many coats of the magnetic paint did you use? Did you completely cover the chalkboard with chalk before using it? I may just try the magnetic paint and forget the chalkboard paint.