Today was my kid’s first day of school and I was a mixed bag of emotions. On one hand I’m super excited for them to head back to school and for all of the adventures, growth and learning they will do this year. On the other hand I am going to miss the carefree days of summer and all the laughter and memories we made. One thing is certain I’m not quite ready for all the paperwork, schedules and homework! In an attempt to start the school year off organized I created this colorful ombre painted corkboard to keep all the important documents, schedules and to-do lists organized.
I spotted these square cordboards in the Target Dollar Spot for $3 and immediately knew it would be the perfect size for my office. But, it was a little too plain and boring for me. Nothing a little DecoArt Multi-Surface paint and the new Reusable Stencils can’t fix. This fun little project took me less than 30 minutes from start to finish and I love the results…now let’s just hope it helps keep me organized this year!
What You Will Need:
- Corkboard
- Multi-Surface Paint
- Waterfront
- Coastal Waters
- Deep Turquoise
- Flamingo
- Pink Tropics
- Reusable Globe Stencil
- Painter’s Tape
- Paint Brushes
- Foam Pouncers
First, use the painters tape and tape off the frame of your corkboard. Once your board is ready to paint use the darkest color, in my case this was the DecoArt Multi-Surface Deep Turquoise paint. Paint the top third of the board with this color.
Next, take the next darkest color in your color pallet and paint the next section of your corkboard. You will want to make sure you blend the color with the previous color you painted. Repeat with your final color so that the colors blend together from darkest to lightest.
At this point you can choose to leave the corkboard as is, or you can take it one step further and add an inspiration quote to keep you motivated throughout the school year. I used the new reusable globe stencil and love the results! But, first let me tell you why these stencils are so amazing. These soft and flexible stencils are designed to work on curved as well as flat surfaces. They are self-adhesive and re-usable, making them ideal for painting projects, especially on surfaces that aren’t perfectly flat or smooth. I was so impressed with how well the stencil adhered to the bumpy corkboard and the finished results.
I love starting a new school year, to me it’s the beginning of a new journey and adventure. I thought this inspirational quote was the perfect addition to keep me motivated when the “new” wears off in a few weeks.
I used my favorite sponge pouncers from Martha Stewart to dab the paint on the stencil. The great thing about using a porous surface is the paint dries quickly so you can move on to the next section without lots of waiting time in between. I trimmed my stencil down to make it easier for each piece to fit on my corkboard.
Once I was finished painting each element of the globe I carefully removed the stencils and then cleaned them with a mild soap and water, patted them dry with a paper towel and returned them to the original plastic sheet for future use.
This fun little corkboard is the perfect place to store inspirational quotes, family photos, to-do lists and those important papers that need to be turned in throughout the school year. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for not only kid’s this school year, but for the new adventures we will have together!
