Creating a Corkboard Collage

Moodboard
A moodboard is an assortment of pictures, photos, postcards clippings, cuttings, and other thing. There is usually a theme, such as "woodland" or "hollywood glamour" but this is not necessary. It can be very fun to compile a moodboard of all the things you love - photos of people you admire, yourself, your family, pets, art.

Photoboard
A photoboard is the term I use for a moodboard which is made up of personal photos. This could be used to document your family's life in photos and postcards and clippings, or it could simply be photos of you on your holiday to Spain.
A well-presented photoboard is a beautiful addition to any wall and can also be a good way to discover yourself or your family.

The first thing to do is find the base for your board. Ideally, this should be a corkboard- which you can buy in some stores, at a jumble sale or online.
The size of your corkboard is completely up to you. Larger ones will be more expensive, and it is your decision how large the board should be.
Corkboards can be bought plain, or decorative- however, it would be wise to consider the theme of the display before buying a decorative corkboard.
Below are some hand-picked eBay corkboards.

You may already have boxes of photos ready for your board, or you may have nothing but the vaguest idea. Items for your display can be recycled memories, or old photos, or you could print off inspirational pictures from the internet.

Memoirs
Photos from special events can be added to your board. If you are using the only copy, scan the picture or make another copy, just in case. You might have post-cards from a special event, which can be used too.

Art
Have a picture that has a special meaning to you, or are you inspired by an artist's work? You could get a picture of their work for your display, or if you have post-cards, you could use some.

Magazines
Models from glossy magazines might be the main theme of your display- they will add the touch of glamour and fantasy.

Inspired ....
Every day, you will see things that inspire you. It is a good idea to carry around a camera, so that when you notice the butterfly landing on the flower, you will be able to capture the moment - and use it on a display!

Your next job is to place down the items in a way that looks pleasing to you. However, there are some guidelines which can be helpful to follow.

1. Mix and match until things appeal to you. The display is to make you happy!
2. Arrange things in groups of odd numbers. Groups of three join the items together, and your eyes are drawn to groupings of odd numbers.
3. The Rule of Thirds - if you divide your board into sections of three (so there are nine squares) you should place the focus' where the lines meet.
5. Use repetition but make sure there is variety. Be bold and throw in things you wouldn't think matched, but keep repeating similar "themes" such as shapes, colours, textures.
6. Avoid blank space

When everything looks just right, pin down the pictures and stand back. See if there is any more adjusting to do...

Congratulations! You have created a beautiful corkboard display!