DIY Bulletin Board

Creating a Visual Menu Bulletin Board

This guide outlines the process of creating a DIY bulletin board designed to visually display a weekly menu for children, particularly useful in settings like daycare centers. The goal is to allow children to easily identify and choose their meals by viewing photos of the dishes.

Background

Traditionally, a chalkboard was used for listing meals, but young children were unable to read the text. This led to constant inquiries about the daily offerings. A visual bulletin board with photographs of each meal and snack provides a clear and engaging alternative, enabling children to make selections independently.

Materials Required

• 1 Stretcher frame (70 x 100 cm)
• 1 meter of checkered cotton fabric (150 cm wide)
• 1 roll of matching clothing cord (4 mm wide, 8 m long)
• 1 package of small nails with wide heads

Tools Required

• Measuring tape
• Scissors
• Hammer
• Pushpins

Step-by-Step Assembly

1. Prepare the Fabric: Lay the fabric flat on a large table. Position the stretcher frame on the fabric, ensuring minimal excess fabric needs to be cut from one length and one width.
2. Attach the Fabric: Fold the fabric edges twice to create a clean finish. Secure the fabric tautly to the frame using nails placed at regular intervals. Trim excess fabric from the corners to facilitate neat folding and attachment.
3. Add the Cords: Cut five equal lengths of clothing cord. Using pushpins, temporarily fix these cords at regular intervals across the front of the bulletin board. Flip the board over. Tie a knot at each end of the cords on the back of the frame and secure these knots with nails driven into the frame.
4. Create a Hanger: Attach an additional piece of cord to one of the narrow sides of the frame using the same method as the other cords to serve as a hanger.

Usage

The completed bulletin board features the cords, each representing a day of the week. Photographs of meals (breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks) are attached to the cords using clothespins. This visual display allows children to easily see and choose their meals for the week. As each day passes, the relevant photos are removed, making way for the next day’s selection. At the start of a new week, the board is replenished with photos of the week’s offerings.