How To Turn Drywall Into A Pin Board

So here’s a challenge for you: How do you go about repurposing a piece of drywall into something decorative? How can you turn it into, say, a work of art for your home? What would your creative conscience do to make the most of this building material’s inherent properties, yet make it presentable for your space?

Well, these were just the sorts of questions put to me by USG Corp. and since you know I can’t back down from a challenge, I dove headfirst into brainstorming mode. I thought about turning it into leaned and painted art work. I thought about turning it into a mini bookshelf by adding pieces of hobby wood to the surface. I thought about turning a bunch of them into paneling. But the ultimate solution that best fit my space and my needs? Transforming my square of drywall into a pin board for my studio.

• USG Corp. drywall square
• 1 yard of burlap
• Staple gun, staples
• Push pins

You also may want to add an iron and ironing board to that list, depending on the state of your burlap. I chose a burlap from the fabric store that came pre-printed with a mod pattern and after carting it home, realized that—first things first—it needed to be ironed.

Why burlap, you might ask? I thought through all kinds of fabric choices for my DIY drywall pin board (anything from sequined glitter to felt), but finally settled on burlap because of the loose texture of the woven fibers. The sharp ends of push pins can easily be wiggled in between the burlap threads without damaging the burlap itself. Using this material guarantees the longest life for my board.

With your own burlap ironed and ready to go, lay it face down on a flat, solid surface and then lay your drywall board on top, also front side down. Next, grab your staple gun, load it up with staples if needed and then work your way around the drywall board, stapling the fabric into place from behind. The process is exactly like reupholstering a seat cushion.

Make sure to pull the fabric as taut as possible as you complete this step to avoid bubbles of fabric or an uneven pattern on the front. You’ll also want to go heavy on the staples—as you can see pictured above, I put a staple nearly every inch or so to ensure the tightest finish.

Finally, use a pair of scissors to cut away the excess material from the back of your drywall and then flip it over. If there are any areas where the fabric didn’t get quite tight enough, you can easily flip the board back over and add a few more staples. Or, if you need to fix any areas more heavily, it’s easy to remove specific staples using a flat head screwdriver (or even a butter knife if you’re in a pinch!). Restaple as needed.

Now for the fun part! Grab an assortment of push pins (most of mine have come from the dollar section of Target—my favorite place in town) and pin away. From Thank You notes and business cards, to pretty prints and fabric swatches—anything goes.

The best part is that, unlike regular cork material pin boards, drywall will last essentially forever. The material will take much, much longer to break down (if ever) because of the pricks from push pins, so your inspiration can keep changing from season to season and you’ll always have a place to display it.

So, now I have to ask. What would you have done with your drywall board? Feeling extra inspired? Visit USG Corp. to learn where to purchase materials and then put that creative idea to the very best of uses!