Yippee! A Design Wall!

I am now lucky enough to have a whole room to myself for quilting.  I know!  A whole room!  I still have not finished moving in and setting up the furniture, but I wanted to make a design wall.  Just because I have room for it.  I saw this tutorial from Oh, Fransson ages ago, so I used it as a guide.  Want to see how it was made?

We bought three sheets of polystyrene insulation that were about 2 ft by 3 ft.  They're nice and light, making it easy to hang.  Now, if I had a choice, I would choose a solid white board so the little speckles don't show through, but this was the one and only option we had.  We went with it.  It was really inexpensive, about 6 euro for the three.  Go splash out.

I laid them out, aligned the edges and used packing tape to keep them together.  I used that packing tape that we all hate - the tape with little strings running through it so you can't open it without a knife.  I hate that on a package, but loved it here!  One strip down the seams will do you.

For the back story...I wanted a design wall. My other half wanted me to make it by myself.  I, of course, wanted him to just make it and for it to magically appear on the wall.  So, I brought the materials into the living room to make on the only large-ish floor we have in the house that's semi-clear of boxes (oh, don't fake like you can't see the mess that is my living room!  We're still unpacking...) while he was watching TV....and then he couldn't resist getting up and helping out.  He left his little spot on the sofa and leaving my quilt in a little ball behind him!  No respect.

But here it he is!  Yippee!  The DIY master.

So, we taped up the seams and then taped along the edges to kind of protect the corners a bit in case I drop it.  And I will.  I'm a bit clumsy.

We found a bit of wood laminate that was maybe 1/8 inch thick and 2 inches wide, so we ran that along the top and bottom edge (the long sides) to support the seams and ensure the boards remain even.  We stapled them into place, then taped over them again to hold them down.

See his little Spiderman Band Aid?  Awww....

We put two more strips of this left over laminate on the back for hanging.  I want to be able to flip it from landscape to portrait (taking words from Microsoft Word, but you get the idea).  

And again, they were taped into place.

 We found the center of each side and marked it...

...to drill a little hole.

We then used the ottoman, but you could use a coffee table, to get it off of the floor.  I spread the Warm and White over the top, and then spread it evenly along the front of the board taking out the wrinkles.  We cut it so there was enough to cover the edge of the board, then wrap around by about 3 inches.

The Warm and White lightly sticks to the board, so once its there you can gently flip it over onto the ottoman.  Very very lightly pull it (without creating puckers) and pin it into place.

I used little plastic headed pins that are about 1 1/2 inch long to really secure it  in place.  They are about 3 inches apart, which might be overkill looking back.

And it went up really easily because it it so light.  I was just dying to get my star blocks up and arranged a bit, so B took the camera and started snapping away.  Here's me in my Sunday best - a Phillies sweatshirt.  At a whopping 5 ft 2, I can't reach the top of the board.  I will have to get a step stool :(

A 4 ft x 6ft quilt center will fit pretty well on there, but not boarders and binding.  So it goes.  I am already thinking of making a second for the other wall.  At 6 euro to get the three boards it is a steal.  I still have TONS of "left over" Warm and White that I could use, too.  You might see another in the near future!