Memo board tutorial

Search ebay and you will see there are a million people out there that make darling memo boards and sell them for a lot of money. Because they are so easy to make, if you have a need for one, there is no reason you should not make one yourself.

I made one for the kids’ hallway organization project I did. I also made one for my mom for Christmas and today made one for my office.  It isn’t rocket science and you could totally figure it out yourself but hey, I gotta blog about something right?

First you start with a cork board – actually you could use a piece of plywood if you want.

I found a cork board on clearance. Lately I’ve been picking them up when I see them cheap because I am finding there are millions of places in my house in I need a memo board. Apparently I have a lot of memos. They also make great gifts.

If you use a cork board, make sure it has a wood frame around it because this is what you will staple into.

These are the supplies you will need:

cork board

batting

fabric

scissors

ribbon

powerful stapler

Begin by cutting your batting about an inch to an inch and 1/2 bigger than your board. Wrap the batting tightly and put one staple in the middle of each of the 4 sides.

Then staple all around the board. Make sure to keep pulling the batting tight. You do not want any bunches on the front.

When that is complete, it will look like this:

Repeat those same steps with your fabric.

If you have a smaller cork board you will want to put your staples vertically not horizontally so you won’t run out of places to staple on your cork board frame.  When you come to the corners, wrap them like a present and pull them tight to staple them down in the back.

Next add your ribbon. Most people probably measure these things out to make them perfect. I’m not most people. I just eye things and my eyes are apparently crooked because they never line up. However my memo boards are so full of my many memos you would never notice.

Staple the ribbon to the back of one corner and pull it across diagonally to the bottom corner. It is up to you how many strips of ribbon you want to add.  No matter how tight you pull them they won’t be uber tight. In order to keep your memos from falling on the floor you can sew buttons onto the parts that the ribbon intersect with an X.  That will tighten it up.  I haven’t gotten to that part of this project yet because I am lazy and so far the things I put on are staying put.  Will revisit that if my office floor becomes littered with memos.

The back of your memo board won’t be pretty but that is okay. I can’t imagine people come to your house and pull all of your memo boards down to check out their back sides. That would just be weird.

Here is the final product.  Because it was small it took me no time at all. Not bad for 45 minutes of work!

You can get off the edge of your seat

I know all two of you who read this blog have been on pins and needles waiting for our first completed project.  Well, your agonizing wait is over!!

If your family is anything like mine they have never heard of hangers.  They are those triangle-shaped things used to hang items of clothing – their function is in their name so it really isn’t that confusing but apparently my kids and husband slept through that first day of basic training to be a normal human being.

After many eye rolls, really loud sighs and irritated snaps at them when they throw their coats on the back of chairs (or more often the floor), I decided if you can’t beat something into them, it is time to figure out another way.   So I use hooks, hooks and more hooks. They are everywhere in my house.  Don’t turn around too quickly or you might poke an eye out because they are protruding from every available space.

The following project stemmed from that frustration. We turned a formerly boring hallway into a message center/shoe storage/backpack & coat hanging area.  (FYI, I am not a photographer.  A skill I need to work on in 2012. I did get a 100% in Photography in high school – wonder where those skills went? Probably too much wine. Mr. Embree, come teach me again, PLEASE!).  Anyway, here is the hallway that leads to the kiddos’ bedrooms.

The chalkboard has come in very handy for reminders like “library books due tomorrow” or to write fun notes on kids’ birthdays, holidays, etc.

The memo board, which could not have been easier to make, is a great spot to hold party invitations, permission slips, etc.

And the bench, which I covered in the corresponding red fabric, has three little cubby holes where the kids throw their shoes (they also missed the day where basic human training explained that shoes belong in closets and not under the couch).

So there you have it. Hallway project complete.   I realize there is nothing earth shattering here, but our hallway is now cute and more importantly functional. As I have said, I have no training or skill whatsoever in design but maybe, if your family members are sloppy like mine, you will find a tip or two from me that will stop you from stabbing them.  I’m doing a public service really.