Directions to Make a French Memo Board

Choose a fabric that complements your decor.

All busy families need a place to post notes or save memorabilia. You can often find a chalkboard or bulletin board in their homes, prominently displayed near the door. Add an elegant touch of class to the decor, by making a French memo board. A fabric background can be chosen to coordinate with the room's decor, and the matching ribbon creates a lattice design that allows you to tuck your notes under the ribbon without needing pins or thumbtacks.

Things You'll Need

• 1/2-inch plywood (desired size of memo board will determine dimensions)
• Measuring tape
• Jigsaw
• High-loft quilt batting, amount determined by size of board
• Scissors
• Spray adhesive
• Fabric, amount determined by size of board
• Iron
• Staple gun with 1/2-inch staples
• 1/2-inch ribbon, amount determined by size of board
• Straight pins
• Decorative brass upholstery tacks
• Hammer
• Picture hanger

Instructions

1. Measure and mark a piece of 1/2-inch plywood to the desired dimensions of your French memo board, then use a jigsaw to cut the wood to size.

2. Place the board on a layer of high-loft quilt batting. Cut the batting to the same size as the board. Apply spray adhesive to one side of the board. Place the batting in the adhesive and smooth out any wrinkles. This will be the front of the memo board.

3. Cut the fabric 6 inches wider and longer than the memo board. Iron the fabric to remove any creases or wrinkles.

4. Lay the fabric wrong-side up on your work surface. Center the memo board on the fabric with the front of the memo board face down. Fold one edge of the fabric to the back of the memo board, then staple the center of the fabric edge to secure. Fold the opposite fabric edge of the board to the back of the memo board, and staple the center of the edge. Repeat on the two remaining edges.

5. Continue to staple the fabric all the way around the edges of the memo board. Miter fold each corner to the back of the memo board and staple. Turn the memo board face up on your work surface.

6. Lay lengths of ribbon diagonally across the memo board in one direction, spacing the lengths 4 inches apart. Cut each ribbon 2 inches longer than the edges of the memo board.

7. Pin the ribbon to the fabric on the edge of the memo board. Carefully turn the board over. Lay the ends of the ribbon on the back of the board, and staple to secure. Remove the pins.

8. Turn the memo board face up. Lay lengths of ribbon diagonally across the memo board, in the opposite direction. Again, space the ribbons 4 inches apart and cut each one 2 inches longer than the edges of the memo board. Pin the ribbon and staple the ends to the back of the board. Remove the pins.

9. Turn the memo board face up on your work surface. Place a decorative brass upholstery tack over the ribbon at each intersection and hammer them in place.

10. Attach a picture hanger to the top edge of the back of the memo board.