When your child reaches the stage of asking you to display nearly every painting, drawing, and stickered creation from school, you quickly realize you need more display space. We solved that by building a large cork board wall with a framed look that stretches between two windows, giving our daughter plenty of room to showcase her art.
The small fabric-covered bulletin board that had been in our office was useful, but getting crowded. Sherry suggested expanding the concept to cover the entire span between the windows, which would not only create far more display area but also define that corner of the room as Clara’s workspace (and eventually Teddy’s, too).
Creating a Base for the Cork Tiles
We began by installing a thin wood backing to attach the cork tiles to. Using a single backing made the tiles much more secure than relying on individual pins, and it prevents pushpins from piercing through into the wall. That way, if we ever remove the installation, we’ll only have a few screw holes to patch instead of a wall pockmarked with pinholes.
Our backing came from three 2 x 4 foot sheets of 5mm underlayment. Each sheet needed trimming to fit the 43-inch gap between the windows. I clamped the panels together and cut them at once with a circular saw for clean, identical edges.
Starting at the windowsill, I fastened each board with a few 2-inch wood screws, making sure to drive them into studs that I located with a stud finder. For a slightly more finished look, we trimmed the third board so it ended just below the window, creating a subtle stepped inset. I also cut two thin strips of wood to act as simple molding along the top and bottom, so the cork wouldn’t look like it abruptly stopped at the edges.
Gluing the Cork Tiles to the Wall
With the backing in place, we started adhering the cork squares. We used spray adhesive designed to bond cork to wood. Rather than spraying indoors, I sprayed the adhesive on the backs of the cork tiles outside, and Sherry brought them in for placement. That minimized overspray and worked well for us.
Tiling moved quickly because most of the wall used full squares and we worked as a team. After placing complete tiles, we measured and marked the partial pieces that fit around the edges. Scissors cut the cork easily; making small, controlled snips instead of long cuts helped prevent cracking and produced cleaner edges.
After finishing the installation, the seams between tiles are visible but subtle. We considered covering the board with fabric, painting it, or finishing it to match the wall, but liked the natural texture and warmth the cork adds. Once art is pinned up, the seams become far less noticeable.
Arranging Art on the Cork Wall
The moment the wall was finished, Sherry eagerly arranged Clara’s current pieces. Clara helped choose which works to display and enjoyed the process of curating the board. She quickly resumed creating more artwork to contribute, and she’s learned that even with larger display space, it’s important to rotate pieces to make room for new work. That challenge seems to delight her—she likes deciding what to remove to showcase a fresh creation.
We keep a box of older paintings, drawings, and crafts to save treasured pieces, and Sherry uses an app to photograph and archive the rest with the plan of making a photo book someday. It feels rewarding to document Clara’s artistic progress and have a way to look back on it.
The cork wall has added color and personality to the office, and Clara beams with pride with her mini gallery on display. One trade-off is that the installation takes up wall space that might have otherwise accommodated curtains, but we’re considering inside-mounted roman shades that won’t interfere with the board.
As a sweet addition, a reader sent felt name banners as a welcome and big-sister gift. They hint that Clara will eventually share the gallery space when Teddy is old enough. Family favorites on the board include a winter portrait Clara drew of our growing family after we shared the news of Sherry’s pregnancy, and a charming “bear-on-a-stick” craft that shows the progression in how she draws people and figures.
Some older DIY projects still serve as decor in the office, and overall the space now feels more lived-in and personal. We haven’t finished the double-desk setup for the room yet—Teddy keeps one of us busy most days—so for now Clara is our most productive and visible office-mate.
Update: When a project doesn’t go exactly as planned, we like to share what happened and how we fixed it—see our notes on troubleshooting issues that came up with the cork installation.
Note: This project was originally published in May 2014.