6 Easy Steps for a DIY Artwork Display for Kids

Bymybloomcreative

Most of my project ideas come to me when I’m cleaning and straightening up. I think spending time in my space always shows me what it’s missing. In this case, our kitchen was begging for a memory pin board to display all the things that have been piling up. I don’t keep everything that the kids make, trust me, but anything that has their prints, is original art (not a color sheet) or obviously took lots of effort, gets put in a box in my office. I have a small display-shutter in the laundry room, but the older the kids get, the more interesting their work is, and I wanted to share it with any and every one that visits.

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Jamie Gremillion, Bloom Co.

The idea for a pin board was literally born in my head, and I talked it out with Adam. He thought a piece of foam board from the hardware store would work, and he was right! We wanted it to be dramatic and eye-catching, so we went with a 2″ thick sheet. (Step 1) We cut a 4’x8′ foamboard down to 32″x6′ with an adjustable razor knife. It was the perfect scale for our space. I loved the idea of it being sort of “larger than life” and not just another “something” on the wall.

Once we got started, the process was super easy and took less than an hour, start to finish! After the foam was cut, (I recommend doing it outside, foam gets messy!) I started to cover it with the duck canvas I chose as the fabric. Pinking shears work great to keep the raw edges from fraying. I used white canvas to give a monochromatic look with my walls, but you can choose any color you like.

There will likely be deep creases in your fabric, (Step 2) so I recommend steaming it first, before wrapping your foam. I didn’t do that and was stuck trying to gently steam the wrinkles out without melting the foamboard, it would’ve been easier to do it ahead. Also, don’t skip this step! Promise? You’ll be tempted to, thinking your fabric will pull tight enough, but you’ll still see the wrinkles and it will look less chic, and more diy, which we don’t want. Trust me.

(Step 3) Once the duck canvas is smooth, I wrapped the foam with it and secured it using my glue gun and hot glue on the back edge. The hot glue does compromise the foam and melts it a little, but still holds the fabric really well. You can add some regular thumb tacks along the back if you want to be sure the fabric is secure. (Step 4) Neatly fold the corners like a package and hot glue them down.

(Step 5) Mark off where you’ll put each decorative thumbtack on the edges using a light pencil mark. I placed mine 6″ apart which worked well with a 6-foot board. Gently insert tacks keeping them centered in the middle of the 2″ end.

(Step 6) Now comes the fun part! Dig out all those beautiful keepsakes and artwork pieces you’ve been holding onto and start pinning. I used simple wood tacks to keep them secure. The warmth this project has added to our kitchen is amazing! We plan to use it mostly to display current treasures, but I also have a few other ideas too!

Whatever you decide to display on your pin board, I know it will be meaningful to you and yours. Building a home is so much more than decor. I hope you feel inspired to create this easy conversation piece in your own home. Shop the full post here and let me know in the comments if you have any questions. Be sure to share with me once yours is done! Thanks for stopping by, Jamie xo

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Jamie

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