Home / Camper Van - Elasticated Memo Board

Introduction 

I was recently asked about a project I worked on a long time ago, where I put together a elasticated memo board to store items in a camper van but this project can be adapted for use anywhere. The board worked well in the camper & was used primarily to display photo's, local maps, interesting items & retain tickets, to explain it clearly it was easier to just make another for the home. 

The design can be adapted / changed to suit anywhere & the style to suit your needs, I just went with a nautical theme this time around.

Below is a step by step guide on how to put together a elasticated memo board just like mine: 

Materials:

1x Backing Board 

8x 3.5mm Screw Cap Washers 

8x 3.5 20mm Screws 

2.5m of Elastic Cord

Guide 

Before you start I suggest you think out the way you want the finished product to look. 

1) Prepare your board

You can start with anything from a piece of MDF, an old picture frame or even drift wood. Make sure any rough edges are sanded down, & decide on the finish. I painted a distressed look on the wooden background but an easier option is covering it in a piece of material. 

2) Size your board

At this stage you can trim the wood down to the desired size & if you are covering it cut the fabric to the board size plus an additional 3 to 4 inches / 10cm of extra fabric beyond the board on all sides. Apply a spray adhesive (always useful when converting a camper van) to the front of the board and wrap the edges before stapling the edges at the back.

3) Pilot Holes

Pre drill 8x holes, one at each corner & then at the midpoint between each corner. 

4) Elastic Fitting - Stage 1

Trim a piece of elastic roughly 1 & 1/2 times the length of the top of the board. Tie a loop as shown in Step 1 - Step 3 & screw down at each corner as in step 4: 

Step 1

Step 2

Step 4

Step 3

5) Elastic Fitting - Stage 2

Cut a piece of elastic cord roughly 3 times the width of the board. Tie a Larks Head Knott by following Step 5 - Step 9 below then repeat once more: 

Step 5

Trim the elastic cord 

Step 6

Step 7

Step 8

Step 9

5) Mesh

Moving down the board tie parallel pieces together & repeat as you move down following steps 10 - Step 14, If you're struggling follow the video: 

Step 10

Step 11

Step 12

Step 13

6) Final Stage 

Connect the bottom of the cord to an additional piece running the bottom length. Screw the additional parts of the mesh at each side to form the layout shown below:  

Final Stage

Conclusion

You can organise and personalise any area with this Elasticated Memo Board, whether its a camper van, bedroom, kitchen or office space. The backing board can be covered in a material for aesthetics & you could use elastic ribbon instead of cord stapled at the back. 

Tips 

I used especially thick elasticated cord as that was the only resource available to me at the time. Using thinner cord would have been a benefit when tying the knots. If you cannot find elasticated cord try finding replacement tent pole cord or shock cord from Sports Direct for between £2-£3. Link