Cork for your Pin Books ?

[Eeyore's Pal]

For those of you who use thin layers of cork in your pin books......

Where do you buy the cork?

What size (thickness) do you buy?

Does it come precut, or do you custom cut it yourself?

I love the ease of pin rearrangement when people use the cork inside the book sleeves. I thought I'd give it a try. Any information or suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

We got some 12" x 12" sheets that came 4 to a pack and cut them to size. You should be able to find them at any craft store -- Michaels, Ben Franklin, or even WalMart.

I'm not sure how thick they are ... maybe 1/4" to 1/2"? It was just a standard thickness. I'll have to check when I get home.

And make sure you have a baggie or a small box to keep pin backs in.

 

[JudithM]

Originally posted by Obi-Wan Pinobi
And make sure you have a baggie or a small box to keep pin backs in.

One time I traded with a guest who used cork. He did not bring pin backs with him. Instead he just suggested I keep the back from the pin I was trading to him.

 

[perndwler]

Matt, forgive me for "going there" but, considering your new job.......... who would we tell??????

 

[Mickey7811]

I love the cork in my pin bags and even put it in my tiny pouch that I bought at the event.

It is so much easier then trying to dig into your bags and the pins look so much nicer because you can place them evenly.

I got my cork board at Michaels but the exact same thing is about $3 cheaper at Walmark.

Make sure you get the thicker board - it is about 1/4 of an inch think and it works perfect. Do not get the thin stuff - you will be sorry.


Good luck and have fun putting all your new pins in your bags iwth the cork.

Darlene

 

[3kids4me]

Robin...

That was funny!!

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

Wow!

All the right answers...right here from my pinpals!.

I tried one of the craft shops, but they only had 1/8" sheets. I sniffed in distain, because my pal Darlene warned me away from this flimsy stuff!

So I went on to Walmart. Three different employees told me they didn't carry cork, but I stared them down, because my pal Matt told me, yes they do! In then end, I found it myself...1/4" thick, 12 x 12 squares!

DH cut it for me last night, to fit the pages of my trader book.

I'm in <i>pintrading heaven!</i> The cork weighs hardly anything, and really doesn't add much bulk to the bag overall. I can rearrange my pins in a minute, and the stability of the pages is a dream.

I think DS#2 is going to try it too.

Thank you all so much for the great guidance!

 

[JudithM]

Just curious ... where in Walmart did you find the cork?

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I found the cork in the stationary section, near the bulletin boards. The pack of four squares actually comes with mounting squares and is intended to create a free form cork board wall arrangement. It was $6.97 for the pack of four 12 x 12 squares.

Now that I know the package is meant to be a cork board, I'm thinking that Staples or Office Depot may have it too.

You definitely can't use the 1/8" type. The standard Disney pin post is just about 9/16" long. (So you have to be a little careful when you poke the pins through the cork in your book.)

 

[JudithM]

Thanks, Robyn!

 

[suzanneb]

and YES, Walmart IS about $3 cheaper than Hobby Lobby!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I saw someone at the Pin Event using small pieces of cork to display some pins, but I was in line, and I knew better than to get out of line to check it out any further. So far everyone here mentions using them in a pin book, what about pin bags? Is anyone using cork in pin bags. Guess in the book you could 3-hole punch it--not coming up with a way to attach it in a bag.

Sounds like you just stick the pins into the cork and don't need the pinback. I like that idea. Would save wear and tear on the fingers when re-arranging.

You guys are so smart. Maybe it is worth it to go to a Pin Event just to see what you can learn from fellow pin addicts.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

Because we aren't smart enough to call a pin bag a pin bag.

I can't speak for everyone who has posted on this thread, but, for myself, I have been referring to cork in my pin bag. Just slip the cut piece inside the pocket-style pages.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

So, you are sliding the cork into the zippered portions of the pin bags? Am I on the right track, now? And the pins stay in with no problem without a back? How I would love to not to have to put those pins on those fabric pages anymore. What a great solution.

Sorry for so many questions, I am a much better visual person than taking instruction verbally.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

You just slide the cork piece in the zippered (or velcroed) pocket.
Then you can stick pins in from either side of the page, and no need for pin backs.

Just remember some of the tips mentioned above:

You have to use 1/2" cork.

Be careful....the pin posts (the pointy thingeys) are actually about 9/16" inches long. So if you try hard enough, you can stick youself from the other side!

 

[RweTHEREyet]

I get the picture now. I stopped at Michael's last night as there is one on the way home. I saw the packages of 4, but they didn't look 1/2" thick, price was around $10 or $10.99. Guess I will check out the office supply places before purchasing.

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I am so sorry.

The cork you're looking for is 1/4" thick.

The pin posts are not 9/16, they are 5/16".

Can we go metric? Fractions do not seem to be my friends today.

Didn't anyone else notice I was wrong on the post lengths? I'd love to share the blame with someone.....anyone....

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Not a problem. After seeing the posts that said other places were cheaper, I was gonna check there, too. Just gave me an excuse to stop at our newly opened Michael's on the way home. No apologies necessary. Besides, if I had thought about it a minute, it would have registered that the posts aren't that deep. Thanks for all your help.

 

[pins4nan]

I too love the idea of using the cork inserts. I've found that Wal-Mart has the best price in my area - $6.97 for four 12x12 pieces - although availability is scarce around here at this time (mmmm, pin collectors, I dare say). However, I'm more interested in what I observed at the recent EPCOT Pin Event. Namely, the cork was wrapped in felt and had the pins mounted on same. Then the sheet was inserted in a poly bag that had a side "zip-lock" like closure. I've had no luck in finding these bags (they sort of look like a portfolio). Can someone shed some light on where I can find these bags?

 

[Eeyore's Pal]

I believe the Walmart squares you mentioned are the exact same packages I bought.

I'm not sure about the poly bag you're describing; I don't know if I have ever seen that exact set up. Could the bags be the sort of accessory that is sold for large portfolios? Did it have three holes so it could be inserted in a binder?