DIY Corkboard Wall for Kids’ Rooms
Need a spot for your kid’s endless stream of artwork, photos, and random treasures? A corkboard wall gives them a giant blank canvas—and keeps your fridge from becoming that messy gallery. This project is budget-friendly, looks cute in any kids’ bedroom, and won’t destroy your walls.
If you’ve got kids, you know the art avalanche is real.
Every day, it’s “Mom, look what I made!”—and suddenly you’re out of magnets and fridge space. We even added a clipboard wall in the hallway for our kids’ art, but it is always full, too!
We decided to solve this problem in our daughter’s room by making a massive corkboard wall. It’s big enough for all her creations, easy to install, removable when she’s over it, and the scalloped painted border makes it look like an intentional piece of decor instead of just… well, cork.
Bonus: it was cheap, quick, and totally rental-friendly.
Before Picture
Here’s where we started—one big, blank wall in the corner of our daughter’s room just begging for some personality.
It was the perfect spot to create a corkboard wall where she could display all her artwork and keepsakes.
Cork Wall: YouTube Video
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This DIY corkboard wall tutorial contains affiliate links, but nothing that I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly. Read my full disclosure here.
DIY Corkboard Wall: Step-by-Step Instructions
Supplies & materials you’ll need
You can make a stylish, budget-friendly corkboard wall in your kid’s bedroom using removable cork tiles and a little paint.
Step 1 – Plan your wall & gather supplies
Decide how big you want your corkboard wall to be. Ours was four tiles across and five tiles tall (so roughly 4′ x 5′) and filled most of one wall.
Measure your space and figure out how many tiles you’ll need.
Also, don’t underestimate how many picture hanging strips you’ll need. We used one in each top corner of the tiles, plus one at the bottom in between each tile. So altogether we needed about 60 strips. We definitely had to run to the store in the middle of this project to get more because that was more than we thought.
Step 2 – Add Command strips to the cork tiles
Flip each cork tile over and attach the Command picture hanging strips to the back (one in each top corner), pressing in place for about 15-30 seconds.
The tiles we got actually had a peel-off liner on the back and were sticky, so I guess you could use that straight on your wall if you wanted. But we skipped the peel-and-stick adhesive that came with the tiles—anything super sticky makes me nervous for wall damage.
Meanwhile, the Command picture hanging strips are totally easy to remove without damaging your walls.
Step 3 – Attach the tiles to the wall
Start at one top corner and work across in rows. Press each tile firmly into place for 30 seconds.
If you run into trim, outlets, or other obstacles, you can trim the cork to fit. We ran into this on one corner around the curtain rod.
Our cork had a few gaps and didn’t line up absolutely perfectly on the edges because the walls weren’t straight in this old house. Imperfections aren’t a big deal—once the wall is full of art, no one will notice.
Step 4 – Trace your scallop border
For the fun decorative frame, we used a paper circle template folded in half and traced scallops around the outer edge of the corkboard wall with a pencil.
She has a scallop and flower theme going in her pink bedroom, so it fits perfectly with her look!
Step 5 – Paint the border
Using leftover paint from her bedroom walls, we hand-painted the scallops on the cork. One coat was plenty.
Having the right kind of paintbrush is crucial for this. I love this one that fits in your hand and has an angled brush with a dome shape on the bristles for holding the paint in the perfect spot while you carefully follow the line.
This part is pretty time-intensive, so just turn on a good audiobook, podcast, or music and take your time.
Step 6 – Decorate!
Let your kid go wild pinning up their artwork, notes, and keepsakes. The cork wall instantly becomes a personal gallery and creative zone.
Quick Tips for Corkboard Wall
- Skip the permanent adhesive that comes with most cork tiles—Command strips make it removable and rental-friendly.
- Don’t stress about perfect edges—the scallop border and artwork will hide small gaps or uneven walls.
- Use what you have for tracing scallops—a bowl, plate, or cardboard cutout works just fine.
And here’s the finished corkboard wall—complete with the painted scalloped border and already filling up with her favorite artwork and photos. It’s colorful, personal, and makes her room feel so much more her.
We decided that regular old push-pins weren’t going to do the trick, so we made these fun DIY push pins that add so much character to the cork wall!
This corkboard wall isn’t just practical—it’s a fun, budget-friendly way to give your kids a space that’s all theirs. With removable tiles and a cute painted border, you get style and function without committing to anything permanent. That’s the last thing you want to do in a kid’s bedroom because they are always want to change things up.
Turns out, a cork wall is the easiest way to keep the art, the memories, and the chaos all in one place.
Let me know if you have any questions!
