I decided to make something today as an experiment to see if I could produce something inspiring that didn’t require going out to buy materials or advance-planning. I like to set myself little pointless challenges because I’m easily excited by that type of thing.
So, here is how I set about making a very unprofessional ideas board 🙂 (the point of this exercise isn’t to have a flawless finished product, but to relax and make something personal to you.)
I used a large piece of thick cardboard: the ribbed kind. You can use whatever size you like.
I took a piece of fabric that I had left over from a dress I made for my daughter. I placed it under the piece of cardboard and cut around it, making the fabric 1 to 2 inches larger than the cardboard so that it could be folded over the back of the board. The piece of material I had wasn’t large enough to cover the full piece of cardboard so I sewed two smaller pieces together. I used a sewing machine, but you could do this by hand, or leave it out entirely if the idea fills you with horror.
You could also sew together different patterned fabrics to create more interest. Depending on your sewing skills, patchwork squares could be used, or a pocket could be added to the fabric.
After sewing the two sides together I opened it out and flattened the seam in one direction so that it would sit smoothly against the board.
I pinned the corners around the back of the board, folding them in like on an envelope. I then sewed these to secure them in place. (You could also use tape, glue or tack them.)
I taped down the edges of the fabric and pulled them back tautly so the fabric would sit flatly against the front of the board.
Next, I took a piece of ribbon and stitched the ends of it to the back of the board. (Again, you could use tape or glue.) Don’t worry about being too perfectionistic about the back of the board as, unless my wonderful method fails and it collapses off the wall, no one will ever have to see it.
After attaching the ribbon, the board was ready for ideas to be pinned to it. I used some pastel coloured push pins. You can use any colour you like, or just use plain drawing pins. If the cardboard isn’t very thick just be careful you don’t stab yourself when you have pushed them through, or push them in at an angle to avoid this!
You can add anything you like to your board. It is supposed to be inspiring to look at and it’s designed to remind you of positive ideas and things you want to experiment with. Avoid putting work-related information on it. Its purpose is to encourage creativity and allow you to daydream; not to act as a reminder of your incomplete to-do list. You can update it as frequently as you like, or tailor it to what you find inspiring in a particular month.
Here are some ideas of items you can add to it:
- A list of books you plan to read.
- A word that prompts ideas in you or reminds you of a quality of yours would like to focus on more.
- Uplifting quotes.
- Recipes to try and pictures of the end results.
- Home décor you admire that gives you inspiration for ways to change your home.
- A list of music you would like to learn more about.
- Any topic to research for fun.
- A list of kind acts that you have recently witnessed.
- Clothing styles you would like to try/an item that you would like to add to your wardrobe this month.
- A photograph that reminds you of the future memories you’d like to create.
- A relaxing project you plan to complete this month.
- A list of things you would like to buy.
- A drink recipe.
- A place you want to dream about visiting/a nearby place you can visit now.
You don’t just have to add notes or pictures to it, you can also pin fabrics, mementoes, tickets, embellishments, etc. It is something that you can constantly add to and that should evolve with you, as your interests and plans change.
The Funky Thrifter 