How To Make The DIY Message Board {As Seen on Page 66 in HOF}

I had a lot of fun taking Pauline's advice to heart, creating a message center in my home. It has certainly helped me keep track of all my family's varied schedules and activities! If you haven't already done so, you can read her article here, in House of Fifty. Also, I just have to share, Max is one smart businessman in the making. He came up with the idea to charge me to model for the title cover picture! So...of course I paid up.

To make this message board you'll need the following supplies and materials:

23” x 35” framed corkboard

7/8 yard of fabric

7/8 yard of batting

150 pieces nail head trim

paint to coordinate with room decor

small paint brush

temporary fabric pen

scissors

Step 1. Gather Supplies

Find a basic framed corkboard to transform with fabric, paint and nail head trim. (The corkboards can be found for just a few dollars at Target and consider using a printed fabric as an alternative to the linen I used.)

Step 2. Sand the Frame

Using a fine grit sanding pad or paper, lightly sand any existing finish off the frame.

3. Paint the Frame

Apply a coat of paint to the frame and let dry.

4. Cover the Corkboard with Batting

Place batting over the corkboard. Trace a cutting guide along the inside edge of the frame using a fabric pen and cut along line.

5. Cut the Fabric

Lay fabric over the frame and cut along the outer frame edges, leaving approximately 3/4 inch fabric to turn under on all sides.

6. Cover the Corkboard With Fabric

After the fabric has been cut, trace a line on fabric along inner edges of frame with a fabric pen. Turn fabric under along this line and press with an iron. Wrap the pressed fabric around the batting and square the layered fabric edges with the frame.

7. Attach the Fabric Using Nail Head Trim

Push the nail head trim through fabric and into corkboard at each corner. Position the remaining nails 1/2 inch apart (nail head center to nail head center) along the frame sides to secure the fabric.

And you are done. A great message board to hang a calender, invitations, notes, reminders, the baseball practice schedule, outgoing mail...you name it!

A fun touch was personalizing our message board. I ordered two pretty notepads from Letter Love Designs, a favorite resource of mine from Australia. Visit Susannah's Etsy shop here. The 'Oriental' pad reads Isabella & Max...

...while the 'Chinoiserie' pad I had printed with House of Fifty!

I also found this great wire hanging basket at Ballard Designs. It provides a place to store the notepads, our binder with household information and this is also where one can usually find the dog leash. (It's great not to have to go searching for it as we race to the bus in the morning!)

And the favorite find for this message board? These beyond adorable bee push pins found by Cristin, see her article on page 73 in House of Fifty. They make me want to find notes to hang, just to be able to use the pins!