How To Decorate Pegboard

How To Decorate Pegboard

Pegboards are great organizational tools for everything from tools and gardening supplies to sewing and home office supplies.

They can be cut into any shape and size to fit the location where you need them.  The only issue with them (especially if you are planning to use one inside) is that they aren’t very pretty to look at.

Wallpaper is my favorite way to decorate pegboard.  It comes in a variety of colors and patterns, and is very easy to install (even easier and less time than paint!).

Want to see where this pegboard was installed? Click here to see the post on converting a TV armoire to a desk.

Supplies

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Here are the things you need to complete this project.

Materials

Tools

How To Decorate Pegboard

Cut The Pegboard To Size

Peg board with a circular saw

Start by cutting the pegboard to fit the area you want to use it in.  (If you buy the pegboard from one of the big box stores, you could also get them to cut it for you.)

Measure both sides of the board and draw a pencil line using a ruler to join the points (or you can use a chalk line to draw the line between the two points).

One great thing about pegboard is that you can tell if your line is straight by making sure the line is evenly spaced between the holes.

Use a saw to cut along the line.  I like my cordless circular saw* for doing this kind of work…it’s easy to cut straight lines and no cords to worry about!

Peg board cut to fit inside the armoire doors

Wallpaper The Front Of the Pegboard

Wallpaper cut to cover the pegboard

Cut a piece of wallpaper (this pattern is Geo Teardrop by York Wallcoverings) to about an inch wider and longer than the pegboard.

Wallpaper paste was brushed onto the back of the wallpaper

Use a paint brush to brush wallpaper paste* onto the back of the wallpaper.

Then glue it onto the front of the peg board.

The wallpaper glue instructions may say to put the glue onto the wall/pegboard, but in this case you want to brush it onto the wallpaper.

Otherwise, you will end up with a lot of glue squishing out through the peg board holes.

You could also use fabric instead of wallpaper, but I think wallpaper is a little easier to work with.

Staple the Wallpaper Edges To The Back

Wallpaper folded over the back of the pegboard and stapled

Then turn the pegboard over so that the wallpaper is faced down.

Cut the corners of the wallpaper and then wrap the edges around the back of the pegboard.

Staple the edges down to secure them.

Wallpapered Pegboard

Here’s the finished wallpapered peg board.

Make Pegboard Holes In the Wallpaper

Wallpaper with pegboard holes

Use a nail to poke holes through the wallpaper where the pegboard holes are.  It’s easiest to do this from the back of the peg board.

I usually do every other row since most of the time you will not need all of the holes that are available on a pegboard.

Hang The Pegboard

Decorated pegboard hung on armoire door

Use screws or nails to attach the pegboard to the wall.

Make sure to use spacers between the board and the wall so that you can easily add and remove the pegs.

You can also add a frame if you want to make the board look more like art.

Pegboard Accessories

The Best Store-Bought Accessories

Pegboard Baskets

There are many types of pegboard hooks and accessories* that you can add to your board.

Kits that come with a variety of hooks are a good starting point.

I like the ones that come with little brackets that you install over the hooks to prevent them from pulling out of the pegboard.

You can also use wire baskets* that are made for pegboards.

DIY Pegboard Canisters

Wallpapered Aluminum Cans used as pen holders

If you want to go for a more economical approach, you can use aluminum cans (the kind that canned vegetables or soup come in).

Cut pieces of wallpaper that are a little wider than the height of the can and long to enough to wrap all the way around the can.

Brush wallpaper paste* onto the back of the paper and glue it onto the can.

Wallpapered Aluminum Can With Hole Drilled just below the rim

Use your drill to drill a hole in the can about half an inch from the top.

Check the size of the hooks to figure out what size of drill bit you need (My hooks were 3/16″ so that’s the size I made the hole…just big enough for the hook to go through but small enough to keep the can from moving around too much).

I drilled the hole on the side of the can where the wallpaper ends meet…that will make sure the seam is facing the board.

Hang the can from the board using a pegboard hook.

These are the perfect size for pens, pencils, paint brushes and other tall, thin items.

Re-purpose Tupperware Containers

Plastic containers used as pegboard accessories

I have also used plastic containers for more options on size, and in places where I wanted a lid on the container.

They aren’t quite as nice-looking as the wallpapered cans, but you can see through them. And the small ones are a perfect size for holding paper clips, memory cards, nails or screws and other small items.

Plus these small containers came with a set meant for food storage. I have never used them because they were too small to hold much.  Now they have a purpose, and they are no longer using up space in my “container drawer”…double bonus!

To hang them, drill a hole in the side of the plastic container just like the can.  If you want to use a lid with it, make sure the hole is far enough down the side of the container that the hook will fit through and the lid will still close.

The Finished Pegboard

Decorated pegboard on armoire door with pegboard accessories

The finished product is a functional and inexpensive way to organize your life!

Pegboard on armoire door with DIY pegboard accessories

Do you have comments or questions on how to decorate pegboard?  Tell us in the section below.


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decorate pegboard

This post was originally published on August 25, 2015 but was updated with new content on January 8, 2022.


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8 Comments

  1. I think your ideas are great, for what ever the use is. The only problem I see is everything goes through Amazon – Canada. I live in the USA. I’m afraid you will not get credit.

    1. Wanda Simone says:

      Hi Marianne…sorry for the late reply, I’m a little behind. I create the links on the American Amazon site, so I’m not sure why they’re sending you to the Canadian one (Amazon has some logic that will do that automatically). They’re pretty good at tracking which site you came from so hopefully the credit part will work out okay. Thanks for thinking of me!

  2. Margaret Kilbourne says:

    I bought a piece painted it red and hung it on my empty wall space. I use it to hang my pots and pans

    1. Hi Margaret…That sounds very cheerful and also a great way to make pegboard look better 🙂 Thanks for sharing!

    2. How did you hang the pegboard to the cabinet? I’m trying to put one in mine, but I think screws would be too big and poke through the other side. Do you think a ton of commqnd strips would hold, or would you recommend wood glue?

      1. Wanda Simone says:

        Hi Bree…I used short screws (3/4″ length) with a few washers between the board and the cabinet door so they wouldn’t go through. (The washers also help to keep the board away from the door so that you can get the hooks into the holes). But I think command strips would work, especially if you’re not hanging too many heavy things on it.

  3. What a creative idea for organization of the bits one needs conveniently handy. Where did you find the wire baskets? I like the ‘can’ and ‘plastic container’ innovation.

    1. Thanks! I bought the wire baskets from Home Depot, but you can also get them online. I will add them to the product list…