DIY Antique Framed Memo Board

A lot of great creative projects start with a challenge. And my challenge — how to hide that hideous phone jack on my kitchen wall?

Due to the limitations of living in a rental, I couldn't tear the jack out, so I resorted to hide and seek. What do you think of my solution? The phone jack hasn't been found since!
I decided a memory board would be perfect for that spot in the kitchen, where wedding invitations, birth announcements, random notes, and photos fly through on a regular basis. I have made a memory board before, so where was the challenge in doing another one exactly the same?

I found great inspiration from the Grower's Daughter, who used an antique frame to set around her memo board. How lovely and instantly classy is that?

So, I found a shopping buddy and went off to the antique shop...and the thrift shop...and a kind of front porch junk shop. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Until I stopped at a used book shop, of all places! The York Emporium, that gem curator of curiosities, oddities, and lava lamps happened to have a half dozen antique mirrors hiding behind the front desk for me to pick through.

Voila! My frame was found!

Not only was the hand-carved details unique, but the crackly yellow finish really told the story of its years. In fact, I later saw a stained version of my frame at an antique shop dated 1880.

I shopped around for a colorful fabric pattern with a touch of classic 50's fun, like a Lilly Pulitzer, plus a touch of modern with the bold outlines.

Now, obviously, your antique frame does not have to look like this. Your frame may not even be antique, but the principles will be the same.

Supplies:
Frame
Board (foamboard or cardboard)
Cork roll (like so)
Fabric
Ribbon
Push pins or brads
Hot glue gun
Stapler
Scissors
Ruler
Exacto knife (optional)

How To Make Your Own Memo Board

First, remove the back of the frame by pulling out the nails or clips. Toss the mirror (very gently!) to one corner of the garage, perhaps to one day be used for another project.

Measure the inside of the frame (length, width, and thickness of indented groove if your frame has one). Cut a piece of board to fit inside the frame and slide into the groove. Measure twice, cut once and then make sure the cardboard fits before proceeding to the next step.

Measure and cut a piece of cork roll to the exact same dimensions as the board and secure with hot glue. You may have to press the two together with a pile of books to make sure the cork dries on flat and doesn't roll up on the ends.

Measure and cut fabric (cotton in this case) to the same size of your board insert, plus a two-inch margin on all four sides.

Lay fabric flat over top the cork side and flip to the back of the board.  Fold the margin over and hot glue the fabric tautly into place. Double check that the fabric is lying flat on the front. Then staple the back fabric into place for extra support.

Measure even intervals along the top and sides of the board and sketch a draft or lay out the ribbon in advance to see how it will look.

This part is tricky for those of us that are bad at guessing or math. I knew I wanted a row perfectly centered and I wanted the pins/brads to be 8 inches apart from top to bottom and side to side, so I would have space for full-sized photos. If you want to display a lot of wallet photos, invitations, or nicknacks, then you may want to space your rows closer together. The rest of the measurements worked outward from the center row to the edges.

Once you're sure the rows are spaced just the way you want them, cut the ribbons to the final length across the board, plus an inch or two margin. Hot glue the extra margin to the back of the board. Do not glue the ribbon on the front of the board. To up the pretty factor, weave the ribbon rows as they overlap.

Secure the overlapping ribbons with fashionable push pins or brads with a dollop of hot glue to secure permanently. I like when the pin matches the ribbon's color, so I painted my brads a yellow gold to match. If your pin or brad has trouble piercing through the two layers of ribbon and fabric, use a small exacto knife to cut a very very small hole.

Pop the fabric-wrapped board back into the frame and secure the back of the frame with tack nails or clips.

As for that phone jack? One final step solves that problem by attaching wooden or cardboard shims to the back of the frame to the same thickness as the phone jack. The frame will now hug the wall around either side of the jack and lay flush against the wall, while hiding the unneeded outlet.

If this were permanent, I'd stain the wood shims to match. But I only plan to keep those shims there as long as we're living in the rental. Once we move out, those shims will be gone and no one will ever know they were there. 

ProTip: If your antique frame is heavy, secure your nails with anchors to make sure the frame doesn't pull down the drywall. 

Rating of Difficulty: 2 out of 5. This is a project that can easily be done after a quick trip to the fabric store. The tools are items probably already sitting around your house and, while measuring the ribbon placement might be a little tricky, it is something that can easily be figured with graph paper and a ruler. The frame and fabric are the biggest expenses, but if you find a cheap or free frame this could easily be done for under $20 in just 30 minutes to 1 hour.

Linking at: 
{ditto} DIY challenge, Lilly Pulitzer Style Soiree, Give Me the Goods, Brag About It Link Party, I Gotta Try That, The Pin Junkie, Wildly Original Link Party, Whatever Goes Wednesday, Homemade By You,  Flaunt It Friday,  No Rules Weekend Party,  Wildly Original,  Fluster Creative Muster, Natasha in Oz,  TGIF Link Party, Weekend Wrap Up Party, Frugal Crafty Home,