D. I. Why?! (Cheap & Easy Memo Board)

I've always hearted DIY projects. Sometimes they're winners, sometimes notsomuch. I'm completely addicted to home reno/redecorating programs --- at any given moment, there's a TV somewhere in the house explaining the intricacies of crown moulding or harping about the latest trends in paint.

I'm also HUGE on doing things myself (in most cases - we won't discuss the plumbing in our master bathroom). You just can't beat that instant gratification when you finish a project - ESPECIALLY when it cost nearly nothing.

So, with this D.I.Why?! series, I'll do the best I can to lay out the costs involved in each project, as well as whether the project was easy-peasy or made you say 'WHY???'

Our first project is a memo board. The 2-year-old has been dragging around a couple pieces of foam board that I bought from the dollar store four months ago. I was going to use them for a signage project at a craft fair, but changed my mind. I needed a new memo board in my office because the old one was just gross and didn't match the decor.



First, I started with two foam boards from the dollar store:

I taped them together to create a thicker board:

I placed fabric over the whole assembly for measuring (came out to about 3-ish feet, by about 2 feet. Depends on how big your boards are. I left about 3 inches of extra fabric on each side, but you probably only really need 2") Oh, and iron your fabric before you get started. (.....duh, Carol)

I stapled the fabric into the foam board because I was in a hurry and wanted to get this done as fast as possible, but I would suggest a more permanent form of adhesive. (Glue gun? Might melt the foam....)

Say 'hello' to the baby on the floor:


This is what it looked like after the stapling extravaganza (again, a quick press with an iron prior to assembly would've helped, but in the end, it didn't matter):

I took thin, chocolate-brown ribbon and stretched 9 lengths across the whole piece securing each one to the back with straight pins.

Then, I placed a dab of glue over each crossover of ribbon and inserted a pushpin to assist in adhesion. A better alternative would have been to use a brad of some sort, or maye even an upholstery nail, but I really wanted this particular color/design combination:



The Divoga pins came in a pack of 30 from OfficeMax and had all of the colors that I wanted to have in my new office layout:


The finished product:


I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. I might have to make some adjustments later on in the pins work themselves loose, but all-in-all, a worthwhile little project.

Time: about 30 minutes (including several stops to entertain the above baby)

2 foam boards: $2.00

4 pieces of packing tape: negligible

Ribbon: .17 (used half of a roll that was originally purchased for about .33 as part of a '3 for $1.00' deal at Michael's)

5 push pins: .65 (5 pins out of a package of 30 that cost $3.99)

Fabric: $0.00 (I used fabric that I found around the house, but depending on whether you have to purchase your own, costs will vary)

Total cost: $2.82 and 30 frenzied minutes out of my life.

Definitely an easy afternoon project.