Fabric covered thumb tacks....

I have looked and looked and cannot find any decent pins or tacks for my inspiration boards.  It is a real gap in the market.   I was beginning to think maybe it was me, not the global market for ugly thumbtacks, when I found a couple of tutorials on how to cover them in fabric.

This felt a bit Christo-esque and weird, but I think they look pretty good.  

A quick trip to to buy self covering button at Lincraft later, here they are:

I am particularly pleased that I managed to get the babushka face on to one of them, 

The original idea came from here

An Australian adaptation is here.  I think on reflection I really need to make buttons bigger so the tack head fits inside.  Maybe next time.

I do wonder to what ends one would go to cover up ugliness in pretty fabric?  I may have reached my personal limit here. 

And the day after a Federal election in Australia where we probably have a hung Parliament and potentially months of political uncertainty, I think these little pointy tacks, enticing on one side and prickly on the other, are very apt for the times.