Make your own canvas memory board

We often seem to acquire lots of random pieces and slips of paper that seem to litter either the computer desk or the coffee table. Most of these bits are coupons or tickets that would be better being kept somewhere separate so I've been meaning to create a memory board to keep them together. I wanted to create something visually pleasing and decorative rather then buying a cork pin board and have it for organisation as well as providing a space for the odd photograph of us or ticket from an outing and so on. As you can see from my list of items below this can be a really cheap project, I brought all my items from Jo Ann [they seem to be the best for price and offers], it could be an even cheaper project if you wanted to use old buttons or fabric remnants and the choice of canvas is entirely up to you. If your under 16 make sure your under adult supervision as well as using your common sense because some of the equipment we're using gets very hot.

What I used -

• Ribbon $2.99
• Fat quarter of fabric $1.29
• Mixture of black and white buttons $1 per strip
• 12 x 16" art canvas $5.99 
• Glue gun [you could use a staple gun if you have one] 
• Scissors 
• Iron

Total cost: $12.27 before tax [£7.96]

Firstly if you need to, give your fabric a quick iron, merely to ease out any ceases and to make sure what your working with is nice and flat.

Cut your fabric to size by measuring at least a two inch allowance around all sides of the canvas so you have plenty of material to work with on the reverse.

Working with your fabric underneath your canvas and with one edge at a time, work carefully with the glue gun *remember glue guns get really warm* or if you have one, use a staple gun. Then glue [or staple] along the edge but leave the corners unglued for now. Stretch and hold the fabric in place until it's firmly glued. Then do the same on the other sides working from one side then it's opposite.

After leaving the corners of your fabric till last carefully fold the material until you get a nice smooth and tidy edge as if you were wrapping a present. Glue the material in place then flip your canvas over.

Next it's time to attach your ribbons which work to keep what your adding onto your board in place, so they need to be fairy tight when your gluing them. Firstly work diagonally from corner to corner, gluing firmly at each edge on the reverse of the canvas. Then add more ribbons from the middle of the canvas diagonally across so you create diamonds.
 

Using the glue gun again, glue the two ribbons where they cross, first to the fabric directly underneath, then to each other. Finish off by gluing the reverse of a complimentary coloured button and sticking it over the top of the adjoining ribbons.

Then your finished - you can make and attach ribbons from the reverse of the canvas to make a hanger for hanging your board if you want, then add whatever you fancy to your board.