L is for Letter

I'm busy with work this week, but I thought I would pop in and share another tutorial with you. This one is for a catch-all message center. It's quite simple to make really, the biggest tool you'll need that you might not have is a staple gun. Absolutely worth the money to have around, so invest if you can. There are a lot available for about 20 dollars or so at your local hardware store. I usually think of these ideas {off of other inspiration I see} and start doodling something so I don't forget my train of thought, like so:



To begin, here are some of the supplies you'll need for step one: a canvas, piece of fabric {i've used linen here}, a staple gun.



Now, iron your fabric into folded sections, so you can pop in business cards or postcards or mail. The sizes of the pockets are totally up to you, so you can customize it. Keep everything pinned for safe keeping.



Wrap the fabric and pockets around the canvas and staple onto the back. It's not pretty, but luckily no one will see that part. Do the sides first and pull tight, so your pockets won't sag.





Alright, you should have a board that now looks like this:



The next step is optional, step two. For step two you'll need some new supplies, like an xacto knife, some fabric paint, freezer paper and a printed letter/design of your choice.



Trace your letter onto a sheet of freezer paper, wax side down.



Now cut it out carefully using an xacto knife {another quality investment if you don't own one}. Iron your design where you want it on your board, wax side down:



Fill in the stencil using a sponge and your fabric paint. And that's about it! Hang once it's dry and admire your handywork, ahhh: