Dec 11
2010

French memo board Christmas card display

I love getting Christmas cards, but I never have been able to figure out how to display them all. I have this little wall that you see at the end of the entry way when you walk into my home, and I usually try to attach them there. I finally got the idea to make a French memo board. It’s attractive and allows you to stuff lots of cards in with relative ease. Plus, no permanent damage need be done to your wall.
This project is quite easy if you have a staple gun.

Supplies

(Click fabrics for direct links for purchase at Warehouse Fabrics Inc.)

Pixie red - PIERED	Buttons	Ribbon	Painter's canvas
I used 1 yard of the fabric, a little more than 2 spools of the 5/8″ ribbon (18 feet each) and 19 buttons. I used a 24″x36″ canvas from JoAnn Fabrics as my base. It was lightweight and inexpensive compared to the ones I found at Michael’s. You’ll also need a staple gun and staples and thread for the buttons.

The process

	Starting on one side, staple the fabric to the frame of the canvas. Some places recommend stapling one time on each side in the center to secure the fabric, then adding more staples. This didn’t work too well for me, so I put several in one side, then did the same thing on the opposite side. Then I did the other two sides. Then I filled in with even more staples. Make sure your fabric is pulled taut.
	I trimmed the fabric on each side after stapling.
	Stapled along each side.
	I experimented with several ways to do the corners and they all looked the same in the end. I recommend just pulling, smoothing, trimming and stapling when it looks pretty good!
	Finished canvas.
	Next, staple two strips of ribbon diagonally.
	Start running parallel strips of ribbon. I ran mine 5 inches apart. Just pin them in place; don’t do any stapling until they are all laid out and you are satisfied with the look.
	All the ribbons in one direction…
	And in the other, too. Now you can start stapling. I started with the top and then as I removed the pins, I pulled the ribbon nice and tight and stapled the other end.
	After attaching all of the ribbons, you need to sew buttons on at the intersections. This provides resting places for the cards. Otherwise, they would all just slip down to the bottom, wouldn’t they? The canvas is handy because you can sew all the way through. It was tricky in a few places where the wood of the frame was, but not hard.
	How you mount it depends on your setup. I doubt many people will have a wall like this, but what I did was attach hook screws on top and then used ribbon to tie the frame to the latillas in the wall. That way, there’s no permanent damage. I also tucked some decorative berry clusters along the top. You could also simply set this on a table top or mantle, or hang it like a piece of art. My husband suggested we’d look unpopular due to our entire two Christmas cards displayed here. But, hey, it was early December when this pictures was taken.