Cute & Simple DIY Bulletin Board

Well, this post is looong overdue. But, I think this project turned out too cute {and too easy!} not to share.

I'd been looking for a bulletin board of some sort to hang in the pantry for notes, grocery lists, etc. I just could never find one that wasn't too plain or wasn't waaay overpriced. I just wanted simple.

I was at IKEA before the holidays and found cork bulletin boards for $5. Too plain and boring, I thought. And then it hit me -- just paint it! {Don't laugh. I'm sure you more creative folks are 10 steps ahead of me with this!} When I got home, I went through the paint samples I had bought when I was deciding on wall colors for the house. I tell ya, I have quite the collection as I'm so indecisive. One of my favorites is Organic Garden from Home Depot -- so I used a foamy paintbrush and it went from this ...

To this ...

I love how the color turned out! I tried to make the edges look like aged wood with different shades of brown acrylic paint.

I still thought it looked a bit plain, so I started painting swirls using a small brush and white acrylic paint.

I love how the little swirls came out! But, the bigger ones look a bit ... odd ...

Ohwell. It came with small metal rings that I sprayed bronze, then screwed in to the top. A little brown ribbon and a bow, and this project was done!

I hung it on the inside of the pantry door with one of those bronze removable hooks. Seriously, the project took no time once I figured out what I wanted to do. So, I made one for my mom, too. For her board, I used a spray paint from Hobby Lobby {color: Oregano}. Honestly, hand painting was waaay easier and surprisingly faster as I had to do several coats with the spray paint. But I think hers turned out cute, too.

I finished it off with a bow like mine, and it's now hanging on her pantry door. So simple ... yet so darn handy!

{Linked to the DIY Showoff Project Parade -- check out the other awesome DIY links too!}