Spring cleaning always wins!

For some reason (and I think a lot of you can relate) each spring I start tossing things into boxes, cleaning out drawers, and going through everything trying to figure out how to get my house organized better. Each year I try to fight it – but the “bug” of spring cleaning always wins!
This Spring I am determined to find a better way to organize my life. Since I serve as the volunteer coordinator at my kids' school – I get a lot of calls. While I tell my kids and hubby to “just let the machine pick up the messages” they always seem to be caught off guard when the calls start rolling in – and let’s just say they are not the best at remembering who called, or where they placed that message they know I will need – awh I love them ;)
So – in the spirit of getting more organized this spring I designed a little phone message board that will be sure to make remembering who I need to call back that much easier.
For this project you will need the following:

1. GCD Pattern Paper (I chose to use the Homespun Chic collection by Melody Ross)
2. GCD Brads (Again I chose to use the Homespun Chic collection by Melody Ross)
3. 6x6 cork board
4. Ribbon
5. A Stapler
6. A 6x6 Shadow Box
7. Scissors
8. Crackle or white paint
9. Sand Paper or a Paper File
10. A Ruler
11. Pen or Pencil
12. Pins
Step 1:
Prep your shadow box. My shadow box came with a hard plastic pane – so the first thing I did was remove it. I then slightly sanded off any imperfections in the wood to prep for painting. I then painted my shadow box and set it aside to dry.
Step 2:Using your ruler find the center point on your cork board – mark it. Cut off 6 pieces of ribbon large enough to cover the front and wrap around the back of your cork board. Then take your first ribbon starting in the upper left hand corner and stretch it across your center point to the lower right hand corner. Now using your pins – pin it to each corner so it doesn’t move. Next, take 2 ribbons and place them to each side of the middle – you can either eye ball this or measure it – but you are going to pin these ribbons so that you have even space from the edge and the middle ribbon. Pin and secure. Turn your cork board and repeat the process for the last 3 ribbons (finding center) and then placing the remaining two.
Now take your brads and place them over the top of the 2 intersecting ribbons (see picture) secure these to the back by flatting them out.


Take another piece of cork board and place it on the back side of the first cork board. Pull up each ribbon tightly and staple each strain to the back. Trim off the excess ribbon.
Step 3:
After your box is dried – place your cork board inside and decorate the outside with pattern paper. There you have it – a phone message center that will keep you organized this spring!

Jennifer W