DIY Guide: Creating a Stunning Padded Memo Board

Create this handy memo board for your sewing room to keep ideas organised or as a display of inspiring images. It can be used to display photos, reminders, or even shopping lists by tucking them behind the elastic or with pins. A lovely addition to any workspace.

Fabric used: Simplicity Vintage collection – Underestimate Me by The Craft Cotton Company

What you’ll need:

66cm x 52cm thick cardboard, if using corrugated cardboard, use two or three pieces and cut in opposite directions to prevent bending.

95cm x 78cm Fabric

66cm x 54xm Backing fabric

90cm x 73cm thick wadding, polyester is ideal, you may want to add more depending on the thickness of your wadding

3.5m of 6mm wide elastic

15cm cord or ribbon to hang

Embroidery thread

Doll needle

Basting spray (I’ve used Odif 505)

Drawing pins and strong tape to hold the elastic in place (I’ve used Gorilla tape)

Needle and strong thread, such as denim thread

Hot glue gun (strong wet fabric glue would work, but will take longer to dry)

20cm cord to hang

Instructions:

1. Wrap the wadding around the cardboard, and here with basting spray.

2. Layer pieces of wadding cut to the same size as the board. I’ve used 3 layers to make the board extra padded.

3. Wrap your fabric over the top, again using basting spray to adhere.

4. With a needle and strong thread, sew from one side of the raw edge of the fabric to the other and pull tightly until the fabric is smoothly pulled over the cardboard. This will help to make sure that the fabric is secure when in use. You could also use a staple gun for this.

5. Cut two pieces of elastic slightly shorter than the diagonal measurement of the board. Stretch from corner to corner pinning at the back. If your drawing pins tend to pop out, use strong tape to hold them in place.

6. Repeat with four pieces of elastic, taking them halfway between the centre and the corners.

7. Pin/tape the ends of the elastic to make them secure. Don’t worry about this looking messy, it will all be covered later!

8. Take your doll needle and embroidery thread and sew straight through all layers over the crossing elastic, then back again, pull tightly and knot. If the thread starts to cut through the cardboard, take it through a strip of strong tape at the back of the board.

9. Repeat in all places where the elastic crosses apart from the crossings at the very edge.

10. Turn all four of the edges of the backing fabric over once by 1cm and sew to hem.

11. Make a loop from the hanging cord and hot glue to the centre top of the back of the board. You can use tape as well if you wish.

12. Use the hot glue around the edge of the backing fabric to stick the back of the board.

See how to make the matching mannequin pincushion here

Fabric commissioned from The Craft Cotton Company for these projects