diy inspiration board

I have wanted to make two inspiration boards for my office for over a year now.  I bought the fabric ages ago (thank goodness I still like it!) but I never took the time to make them.  Last friday I decided it was time.  It is a simple project that requires an afternoon, a little fabric, some batting, ribbon and a staple or glue gun.  The photo above is what I came up with.  I think I may add some more ribbon but overall I am pleased with how they turned out.  My plan is to use one board for business cards, appointments, family photos, do-not-forget notes.  The other is for photos, tear sheets and random things I like for upcoming projects, websites to read, fun crafts, etc.  This has turned out to be a great way of getting all those piles of paper on my desk organized!

Making the board is easy.  The only skill it requires is being able to use a staple gun. I found these instructions from the www.diynetwork.com website.

1. Select fabric and cut it to size — four inches longer on each side than the plywood and batting. Buyer's guide: Look for bargain remnants of fabric for this project.
2. Lay the fabric on a sturdy worktable, wrong side up.
3. Cut the batting to the exact size of the plywood.
Working smarter: If you can't find the right size plywood board, have a hardware store or home store cut it to size.
4. Center the batting on the fabric and then place the board on top of the batting.
5. Pull the fabric to the back of the board and staple in place, finishing one side, then the side opposite. Pull the fabric tight before you staple each side, and leave the corners until the last. You can use an electric staple gun or a hand stapler.
Safety alert: Always wear safety glasses when you use a staple gun.
6. Pull the batting up over the corner, and staple the very corner to the back first. Then pleat the remaining material and staple it down too.
7. Turn the board over and mark where you want your ribbon to go, using a yardstick and a disappearing marker to draw parallel diagonal lines, about five inches apart. There are clear rulers made for this purpose, or use a sheet of colored paper with a line marked five inches from the straight edge. Set the straight edge on your first line, and then use the paper to make a dot where your next line should go.
8. Draw lines across one side first, then the other to create a crisscross pattern.
9. Cut ribbons that are a few inches longer than each of the lines.
10. Cover one set of parallel lines with ribbons by laying a piece of ribbon over each line, and then pulling the excess to the back and stapling it in place.
11. Cover the other set of parallel lines with ribbons the same way, first weaving them over and under the ribbons that are already attached, in a crisscross pattern.

To hang the board you can attach to d-rings with picture-hanging wire to the back and then hang it on the wall as you would any framed print.

**If you want to make a message board instead just replace the cork or plywood with thick foam core and use a hot glue gun instead of the stapler.

**I didn't attach the ribbons with the stapler instead using flat tacks.  This will make it easier for me to adjust them if I don't like the spacing, want to add more ribbon or need to tighten them over time.