Keep Photos & Notes Organized With A DIY Ribbon Bulletin Board

If you prefer old school photos over digital images, you might want some organizational options outside of the traditional photo albums. Instead of using magnets to display photographs on the front of your refrigerator or gluing them into scrapbooks, a ribbon bulletin board is a chic choice. Better yet, DIYing it gives you full creative control over the project. It's a quick craft, and you can probably create your own in a single afternoon simply by stapling some batting and fabric over a canvas and arranging strips of ribbon overtop. All you need for this project is fabric, batting, buttons, a staple gun, ribbon, sewing needle and thread, and an artist canvas.

One of the advantages of a ribbon bulletin board (versus a scrapbook) is the ease with which you can swap out photos. You don't have to nail picture frames to your walls if you don't want to, or make mistakes when hanging family photos around the house. A cork board, while fun to decorate, requires tacks to hold pictures in place — and what if you don't want those holes in your photographs? A ribbon bulletin board is also useful for leaving notes or sweet messages for the people you live with, as well as placing kids' drawings. You can place your DIY board in your home's entryway, kitchen, bedrooms, or office.

Before starting, ensure that the fabric and batting are both at least 3 inches longer than the canvas on all sides so that the material can easily fold over the canvas edges. The batting, fabric, and ribbons are all stapled into place and the excess is then cut away. Be sure the ribbon is taut, because that's what holds your photos or notes in place. Then the buttons are sewn into place where the ribbons intersect. While the finished project in the video by Gluetopia features a "Star Wars" theme, you can customize the various elements to match your personal aesthetic.

Making your own ribbon bulletin board is a budget-friendly craft, since buying a pre-made one could run you around $20 and up. A 12x16 artist canvas (like the one shown in the video) costs about $12 at Michaels (less if you use a coupon) and much less at Dollar Tree. Fabric at Michaels may start at $1.99 per yard. If you already have crafting supplies like spare ribbons, buttons, and batting, you don't have to spend any extra money. And rather than buying a pre-made bulletin board that's not your preferred color, you're able to create a unique piece with your choice of materials. You might want a satiny fabric and ribbon for a luxe look, or match your shabby chic decor with a soft floral background and lacy ribbon. Your options are nearly endless.