How to make a simple autumn ribbon board

Years ago I made a large ribbon board to display my vintage Christmas card collection. I made a very, very simple one, and it has worked well for quite a few holiday seasons now. It worked out so well, in fact, that I decided to make a more neutral one that could be used in other seasons and for other holidays.   I thought others might be interested in displaying autumn treasures on a ribbon board.  Here's what you will need:

 • A full sheet of foam core board
• A piece of fabric that will cover the front of the board and overlap to the back
• Scissors
• Hot-glue gun and glue sticks
• Jute or yarn for hanging the board
• Non-wired ribbon of your choice to coordinate with your fabric
• Thumbtacks
• Autumn treasures to display on your board

You could use a fall-themed or a fall-colored solid fabric, but I felt that a solid color would be the best background for the colorful variety of my cards, so for my Christmas board  I chose a plain dark green fabric.  For my neutral board, I used unbleached muslin.

 You will want to cut the fabric a couple of inches larger than the board all around,  so you will have a couple inches of overlap to the back of the board.  It won't need to look super neat on the back, because no one will ever see the back of it.  Lay your fabric out wrong-side up on a table or the floor.

Now place the board face down on the fabric, neatly wrap the excess fabric to the back of the board, and hot-glue it in place.

 To make a hanger for the board, make a loop of jute or coordinating yarn, and hot-glue that to the back as well.

Next, take lengths of ribbon and tack them diagonally across the front of the board in one direction,  gluing the ends of the ribbon to the back of the board as you go. Then use more ribbons and tack them diagonally across the board in the other direction, again gluing the ribbon ends to the back of the board. 

At the places on the front where the ribbons intersect, use thumbtacks to hold the ribbons in place. All those ribbons make nice secure spaces in which to tuck your cards and other treasures.

What might you put on a fall ribbon board if you don't have antique postcards or whatever?  Anything and everything  fall-themed of an appropriate size and weight for your board!  I have used Thanksgiving cards, fall postcards old and new, fall tags and other paper crafted items, and other fun objects.  For my fall ribbon board, I tuck lots of red and orange silk leaves in among the other treasures.  In the top photo, at the top right of the board you see some tiny beaded Indian corn, and a bit lower down on the board is one of my little fall ornaments.

Here are a few different ways my autumn ribbon board has looked over the years, displayed in my tiny front hallway, where it adds some fun color to a small space.   Enjoy and be inspired!