Gone are the days when the bare, brownish, cork-made bulletin board checkered with holes from years of pinning was the item of choice used to remember important meetings, tack necessary documents, and make lists of "to-do's."

And the replacement hasn't only been Pinterest.

Now, no one is saying that bulletin boards or cork boards are dead, mind you, but they can be so standard and commonplace that no one will even glance at them (which is their whole function) or choose to utilize them.

But no worries!

The internet is brimming with creative bulletin board ideas to help make them more aesthetic, better organized, and functional, and to garner not only a first look but a second look.

Here are some of the coolest ideas.

1. Bulletin Boards with Dimension:

Textured Backgrounds:

• You can easily cover the cork-type backing on your board by pinning up a uniquely colored fabric, a textile with texture, or something as simple as wallpaper. This will help add color to your bulletin board and make it a bit less 2D. It's also an easy way to add your own personal style to your bulletin board.

  

3D Elements:

• Speaking of 2D, why not add items to your board that stand out, literally? Flowers, fabric, or paint swatches, cut-outs, or decorative streamers. This will make for an engaging display that's actually in your face.

Interactive Features:

• Moving elements like magnets, trackers, and lists that need to be marked off, as well as cards that could be flipped daily, can help ensure that team members visit the board regularly and are making use of the tack board more fun. Decorate bulletin boards with these elements, but mix them with some form of productive or organized activity.

  Fabric Bulletin Board with White Frame - 48" x 48" $815.00

  Rubber Bulletin Board - 120" x 48" $440.00

  Cork Bulletin Board with Wood Frame - 120" x 48" $395.00

  Fabric Bulletin Board with White Frame - 12" x 36" $430.00

  

2. Bulletin Boards with a Theme:

Seasonal Delights:

• A cool and unique way to celebrate the holidays around the office is to decorate or have competitions for decorating the shared peg boards. Use festive decorations and holiday-themed odds and ends to get creative (especially useful on a classroom bulletin board). Think pumpkins for fall, snowflakes for winter, or hearts for Valentine's Day.

  

Company Culture:

• As a business, another bulletin board idea is to display awards and team milestones in an interesting way. Create a sense of community and engagement with regularly posted questions and prizes while also showcasing top performers.

  

3. Interactive Peg Boards:

Idea Exchange:

• Oftentimes, it can be hard to share ideas among employees. To help ensure employees feel heard, valued, and included in the trajectory of the company, use a peg board as an interactive space to leave anonymous suggestions, concerns, or ideas. They can then be read aloud or discussed at team meetings. Sticky notes, magnets, or a whiteboard would also work well for this.

Quote Corner:

• Create a tack board that adds daily motivation and goal-setting with quotes and inspirational stories that can give you or your office team a mid-week boost. This simple bulletin board idea makes written information easy to change out regularly and helps to keep morale going and your team engaged.

  

4. Technology-Integrated Tack Boards:

Digital Displays:

• You can easily combine technology to create interactive bulletin boards by adding a simple screen display by way of a tablet or picture frame fastened to the cork board. This can be used for funny videos and comics, pictures from the latest events, or happenings from around the office. To make it even more interesting, anyone on the team is allowed to upload images.

  

QR Codes:

• QR codes are a simple way to connect people with new information or sites. Use it to link to online whiteboards, employee benefits, and enrollments,  or as a way for coworkers to challenge each other to online games during their lunch breaks. Have a running scoreboard of the highest scorer so that the whole office participates.

  Enclosed Bulletin Board with Vinyl Surface - 28" x 42" $580.00

  Cork Bulletin Board - 36" x 24" $55.00

  Enclosed Bulletin Board - 30" x 36" $415.00

  Rubber Bulletin Board with Wood Frame - 60" x 36" $230.00

  Cork Bulletin Board with Wood Frame $105.00

  Enclosed Bulletin Board with Vinyl Surface - 28" x 42" $580.00

  Enclosed Bulletin Board - 72" x 36" $890.00

  Cork Bulletin Board with Wood Frame - 60" x 48" $195.00

  

Conclusion

Creativity can hide in a lot of places, but it can seem especially hidden in stuffy offices. With all of these unique bulletin board ideas, the key is to be unique, think outside the box, and use your peg boards to add personality, functionality, and visual interest to your space.

Whether you're a teacher, a manager responsible for a team, or the regular guy in the cubicle, a corkboard is perfect for learning, and regular doses of inspiration are coupled with resources that can be easily posted.

Social media may be the number one way to post, but if you correctly utilize your bulletin board, I'm sure you'll find it to be the perfect conduit for productivity, fun, and collaboration.