Stay organized with a French message board

I use my French message board every day. I glance at it for all my important phone numbers, a list of my hundred user names and passwords, special humorous comics that make me feel better and some photos of the people who mean a lot in my life.

So who doesn’t need a message board? Sure, cork and dry erase boards can work. They are great in the kitchen, shop and office, but I wanted mine to be a little bit prettier. You know what I mean — it’s all in the details, right? If you are as crazy about the details as I am, have I got the message board for you!

Materials list:

Homasote board

Utility knife

Straight edge

Quilt batting

Fabric of your choice

Buttons

Thread

Ribbon

Scissors

Staple gun

Hot glue gun

Tip:

We have found that Homasote board is a very handy material to use for the base of our memo board. It can be easily cut using a utility knife and a straight edge for a custom size or shape. Or, contact a local lumberyard to find it and ask if they will cut it to your dimensions. What’s nice about it is it is rigid enough to stay straight and flat when hung on the wall but pliant enough to accept tacks.

Instructions:

1. Cut the Homasote board to the required size if you couldn’t have it professionally cut. And remember, a memo board can be any size you like. Just so it fits the space well and offers plenty of room for notes!

2. Cut a layer of quilt batting larger than the size of the board so you can wrap it around the edges and staple it tightly to the back of the board.

3. Cover the board using a decorative fabric of your choice. Any large fabric store will have a selection of suitable fabrics in a fairly wide range of colors and prints. You may be able to find a remnant, or piece of cloth on sale to make your project even more economical.

You’ll need a large enough piece to cover one face of the board, plus about three additional inches on all four sides. A 24-inch square memo board, for example, would require a 30-inch square piece of fabric.

Lay the fabric on a hard surface, a table or the floor, and carefully place the memo board with the batting side down onto the center of the fabric. Make sure you’ve positioned it so you have an even amount of fabric overhang on all four sides. Pull the fabric up and over the memo board on one side, and staple it to the back of the memo board. Move to the opposite side and repeat, gently pulling the fabric taught. Smooth it and stretch it slightly, but not so much that you distort the fabric’s weave.

Once all four sides are done, work the corners, easing in the folds so the front looks flawless. Cut away the excess at the corners and along the sides.

4. Like I said, it’s all in the details! Stretch coordinating satin ribbons on the diagonal and attach them with staples to the back of the board. On the front of the board where the ribbons intersect, staple the intersection down tight through the ribbons and the front of the board.

5. The finishing touch is the buttons. Start by wrapping thread through the button holes to make it look like you’ve stitched the buttons directly on the memo board.

6. Using your hot glue gun, attach buttons over the stapled intersections of the ribbons. If you like, use brown mailing paper or wrapping paper to finish the back.

7. Attach a substantial hook along the top edge in the center, or add two evenly spaced along the top edge so the message board doesn’t end up crooked on the wall.

If you’re anything like me, this memo board might be just what you need to help you remember all those telephone calls and appointments. Make sure to hang it somewhere extremely visible just so you remember to use it!