The end of the year is just a day away now and I'm itching to finish up some things that should have been done months ago. I always have a bunch of little things on my todo list that tend to get shoved aside for more pressing matters. Hanging photos, cleaning up the mess of cords under my desk and other stuff that will help me feel less cluttered and more organized without much effort. I have been focusing on clearing these sorts of things off my list this week to start the new year off feeling accomplished and ready for what's next.
Right after I moved into my current house I started a DIY project on some cork boards I had set aside for my office. I was less than impressed with the outcome of this project and never hung them up. Last night I decided to just try something new to cover the DIY don't and turn it into something I'd be excited about. I'll start backwards and share the finished product first. Here's my brand new inspiration board:

Not only am I really excited about how much I love the finished product, but I also have a new blank canvas to fill up. I'm thinking wedding inspiration, ideas for new Vivi Dot designs, keepsakes from the year that has past and new ideas for the year ahead!
This project was super easy! All you need is a cork board (or three if you want to do it just like me), black duct tape, Elmer's spray adhesive, and an old, beat up paperback book (mine was left over from
this project). If you want to connect multiple boards together then you'll also need some screws and a power screw driver.

To start, simply spray the adhesive on individual pages and cover the cork on the board. I alternated horizontal and vertical, overlapping at different widths so nothing looked too uniform. Once the entire board was covered I ripped a few pages on the diagonal and glued those over the top every once and while to create some more interesting patterns. Next I simply covered the frame with black duct tape to give it a nice bold, finished edge.

I tried a ton of different layouts on the floor before deciding on this vertical option with one diagonally in the middle (on top of the others).

My handman, Duncan, drilled the screws in to attach the boards together and then I attached them to the wall as he used a level to make sure everything lined up just right.

I bought some thumbtacks that have magnets on the end of them which are perfect for special prints like the fashionable ladies that are on the board now (by
Danny Brito). I think I'll make some pretty thumbtacks out of Vivi Dot buttons as well for things I don't mind putting holes in.
Do you have an inspiration board? If not, are there other ways you like to visually get inspired for what's to come in 2011?
If you prefer to compile your inspiration online via
Pinterest make sure to
follow my boards there!