I accidently got creative....French Ribbon board tutorial

In the last few weeks I've moved my office from the kitchen to the living room. Russ and I each have one end of the dining table where we gaze adoringly at each other across the table...Actually, we gaze at our laptops, but we could gaze at one another if we wanted to. That was the reason for the move. :o) When we have company, we move our stuff off the table so it can be used for it's intended purpose, to dine. My only complaint about my new office is the poor lighting. I haven't fully solved that issue yet. 

Along with the lighting the other thing I really miss is the kitchen cupboard door where I taped pictures of friends, family and my darling granddaughter. I used it like a bulletin board or a giant picture frame. Since moving the kitchen cupboard door into the living room was not an option, it appeared I wouldn't have somewhere to place those type of things in my new office....That is, until Kelly asked a question on the Swap about storing her bookmarks and a Swappie suggested a French bulletin board. Not being 100% sure what a French bulletin board was, I did a Google search. Eureka!!! That would be perfect for my new office area!! It didn't take long to realize that this was something very simple to make, even for a not-so-crafty-person like me and making it myself meant I could personalize it anyway I wanted!! 

Once I get an idea in my head, I tend to act on it right away, which can be bad at times, but we won't go there...Russ was willing to go with me to Menards to buy the homasote board, but when I invited him to go to JoAnn's Fabric store, his face turned white. That was my clue that going to a fabric store on a Sunday afternoon was not his idea of fun. I spared him from the torture and dropped him off at home before I headed on over to JoAnn's. I spent a long time looking for just the right material and ribbon to make my French bulletin board. I wanted a sheep print material, but the only sheep material they had was baby material and that would not do. I decided to go simple. I settled on beige denim material and tan grosgrain ribbon that's slightly darker than the denim. Instead of using decorative upholstery tacks to secure the ribbons where they crossed, I found some sheep buttons by Debbie Mumm that I am going to hot glue to tacks. I can't wait to get started!! 

~*~The next day~*~

List of supplies:

2 spools of ribbon

1/2" thick batting ~optional, but I like it better with it. 

material ~ I chose beige denim. 

Buttons ~optional, you can use decorative upholstery tacks instead.

Upholstery tacks ~ shown in another picture

Homasote board ~ purchased at Menards

Frame ~ I've been storing it for years in my basement. I finally found a use for it. :o) 

Total cost: $25 ~ not counting my new glue gun and hand stapler. 

I trimmed the batting and material a few inches bigger than the 16" x 20"x 1/2" homasote board. 

I pulled the batting and material around the edge of the board as taut as possible and stapled it down with the staple gun. The denim material make it a bit hard to make nice folded corners due to it's thickness. 

Here is the finished side. As you can see, you don't have to use a frame. The only reason I did was because I had one already.

I laid out the ribbons cross way and pinned the ends to the edge of the board. I ended up moving the ribbons farther apart. They were too close together the first time.  

Next row of ribbons being placed on top of the first rows.

All the ends of the ribbons are pinned to the edge. Leave enough extra ribbon to staple them to the back of the board. 

It doesn't have to look pretty. *wink* Pull the ribbon taut when you staple them. If I were giving this away as a gift, I would finish off the back with paper or something.

I used flat head upholstery pins so I could glue my wood and sheep buttons to them. I just pushed them into the ribbons where they crossed. I like how the batting makes the diamonds puff up a bit. 

I used a hot glue gun to glue my buttons on. Only real crafters own glue guns, so I must be real now! 

Close up of my sheep button. :o)

All done!!! 

In the last few weeks I've moved my office from the kitchen to the living room. Russ and I each have one end of the dining table where we gaze adoringly at each other across the table...Actually, we gaze at our laptops, but we could gaze at one another if we wanted to. That was the reason for the move. :o) When we have company, we move our stuff off the table so it can be used for it's intended purpose, to dine. My only complaint about my new office is the poor lighting. I haven't fully solved that issue yet. 

Along with the lighting the other thing I really miss is the kitchen cupboard door where I taped pictures of friends, family and my darling granddaughter. I used it like a bulletin board or a giant picture frame. Since moving the kitchen cupboard door into the living room was not an option, it appeared I wouldn't have somewhere to place those type of things in my new office....That is, until Kelly asked a question on the Swap about storing her bookmarks and a Swappie suggested a French bulletin board. Not being 100% sure what a French bulletin board was, I did a Google search. Eureka!!! That would be perfect for my new office area!! It didn't take long to realize that this was something very simple to make, even for a not-so-crafty-person like me and making it myself meant I could personalize it anyway I wanted!! 

Once I get an idea in my head, I tend to act on it right away, which can be bad at times, but we won't go there...Russ was willing to go with me to Menards to buy the homasote board, but when I invited him to go to JoAnn's Fabric store, his face turned white. That was my clue that going to a fabric store on a Sunday afternoon was not his idea of fun. I spared him from the torture and dropped him off at home before I headed on over to JoAnn's. I spent a long time looking for just the right material and ribbon to make my French bulletin board. I wanted a sheep print material, but the only sheep material they had was baby material and that would not do. I decided to go simple. I settled on beige denim material and tan grosgrain ribbon that's slightly darker than the denim. Instead of using decorative upholstery tacks to secure the ribbons where they crossed, I found some sheep buttons by Debbie Mumm that I am going to hot glue to tacks. I can't wait to get started!! 

~*~The next day~*~

List of supplies:

2 spools of ribbon

1/2" thick batting ~optional, but I like it better with it. 

material ~ I chose beige denim. 

Buttons ~optional, you can use decorative upholstery tacks instead.

Upholstery tacks ~ shown in another picture

Homasote board ~ purchased at Menards

Frame ~ I've been storing it for years in my basement. I finally found a use for it. :o) 

Total cost: $25 ~ not counting my new glue gun and hand stapler. 

I trimmed the batting and material a few inches bigger than the 16" x 20"x 1/2" homasote board. 

I pulled the batting and material around the edge of the board as taut as possible and stapled it down with the staple gun. The denim material make it a bit hard to make nice folded corners due to it's thickness. 

Here is the finished side. As you can see, you don't have to use a frame. The only reason I did was because I had one already.

I laid out the ribbons cross way and pinned the ends to the edge of the board. I ended up moving the ribbons farther apart. They were too close together the first time.  

Next row of ribbons being placed on top of the first rows.

All the ends of the ribbons are pinned to the edge. Leave enough extra ribbon to staple them to the back of the board. 

It doesn't have to look pretty. *wink* Pull the ribbon taut when you staple them. If I were giving this away as a gift, I would finish off the back with paper or something.

I used flat head upholstery pins so I could glue my wood and sheep buttons to them. I just pushed them into the ribbons where they crossed. I like how the batting makes the diamonds puff up a bit. 

I used a hot glue gun to glue my buttons on. Only real crafters own glue guns, so I must be real now! 

Close up of my sheep button. :o)

All done!!!