Seven Steps Up: The crafts never end...

I recently read someone's opinion on people doing crafts just to blog about something... It stopped me in my tracks for just a moment, but I had to laugh it off because I have been doing crafts since I was 6 (probably even a little younger). Over the years I have made many, many things. But, blogging just began in my life a couple of years ago... I like to blog because it helps me focus on what I have and it helps me appreciate the blessings in my life. Like this one:

Now, besides blogging, I really do enjoy crafts. A couple of days ago I took some leftover material from making things for Jayden's nursery and made a wall hanging/bulletin board. I rarely (I mean it... rarely...) take pictures of things that I do in steps, but this day I did. I did that because I know how easy this is if you have a few things on hand and by sharing this others might make one up for someone, too. And it's way cheaper than what they are sold for in the stores.

I took two matching pieces of cardboard (you can make this any size!).

Then I hot glued down some leftover batting. I used minimal hot glue.

I flipped this over on top of the wrong side of a piece of material that was cut to be a couple inches larger on each side than the cardboard. I tried keeping the lines of my material straight and folded the material over to the back, hot gluing in place.

Next I took the second piece of cardboard and covered it with coordinating fabric, without batting.

Then I got excited about the next step and didn't take photos! I had a pattern for laying out the ribbon on top of the padded side of cardboard. I pinned the ribbon according to the lines on the pattern, then flipped it over and hot glued the ends on the opposite side. I think I could have eye-balled it myself, but I liked using the pattern since I had one...

I found a lonely key ring and hand stitched it to the top middle of the right side of the "back" (the other piece of cardboard covered in coordinating material).

Then I matched up the front and back with their wrong sides together and carefully hot glued them together...

The next time I am out and about, I might look for some jungle buttons to hot glue where the ribbon criss-crosses. Since this will hang on one of Jayden's walls without something under it where he can climb up to get to this, it should be safe... And I will put a couple of Jayden's jungle photos in it, too... like these...