3.11.2011

DIY French Memo Board

Rivaling the basket liner for fun projects I did in preparation for Kim's shower, I made this great French memo board. Of course, these have become easy to find in all sorts of stores, but I wanted to do one in the same fabric as the baby's nursery bedding.

I started with a simple picture frame that my mom had in her basement which she bought for 50 cents in a yard sale (the tag was still on it).  Hubby took on the job of spray painting the frame pink which is a story unto itself but the short form is that it had gold leaf on it at some point under some old paint and stain so it had to be stripped with a heat gun before it could be primed... a second time. Good thing hubby is such a good sport!

For my part, I started preparing the memo board part by cutting a piece of foam board to fit the frame, leaving a small gap around the sides to accommodate the fabric wrapped around the board.  

  
 I then laid some basic batting on the table and cut it to fit the board leaving a few inches around the sides.
 
 I then glued it down tightly with small strips of hot glue. I then did the same with the fabric and glued it all down. For the corners, trim out a small square from the corner and the fabric will lay flatter.
I added the strips of ribbon across the board and pulled them tightly. I didn't think the glue was going to necessarily hold the ribbon so I added some staples through the back.

Finally, Hubby attached it to the foam board into the frame with staples (sorry, forgot the pics on this part). He added a picture hanger at the top.

I think it came out so well -


I hope they'll be able to use it for keepsakes, cards, pictures, and other mementos of their little girl's life.