With the coming summer break for our children, have you been thinking about ideas for projects to occupy their time? Here's an inexpensive project that is not only fun but functional! DIY message boards!

Not only are message boards functional for everything from leaving messages to displaying photos, but it also cuts down on the amount of damage to walls from nails, tacks or tape. DIY message boards are great for instant decor as well. You can design your message board to go with a theme or style in any room, not to mention very low cost.

Materials needed:

• Ceiling Tile
• Box Cutter
• Hot glue gun
• Fabric 
• Measuring tape

Optional materials:

• Buttons
• Ribbon
• Paint

To begin this project, you will want to go to your local hardware store. You can buy cork boards already pre-assembled but they are more expensive. To stay within a low cost DIY budget, home accustical ceiling tiles are very inexpensive, running from a couple of dollars up to twenty plus. You can find an idea of prices here.

You can choose to work with the existing size or cut down the tile to whatever size you desire. These tiles are great left as is, without material if you choose as well, as there are many decorative styles predesigned for purchase. Slap a coat of paint and a decorative frame on these and you have a decorator board already made for you. Otherwise, you can go frameless and find a nice decorative fabric to suit your needs or style.

If you choose to cover your message board with fabric, you can get by with choosing from the remnant pile at your local fabric store or cut your budget even more with going with a sheet or fabric you might already find in your home. Either way, you have a multitude of creative ideas to personalize your board.

Once you paint or cover your board, you can then embelish it with further creativity by adding ribbon in a crossharch pattern or just to add a little uniqueness to the board. To further decorate your board you can take an upholstry needle and thread buttons to the cross over points of your ribbon.

Another great idea is making your own thumb tacks. There are a multitude of ways you can do this. Buy yourself a cheap box of thumb tacks then take old buttons and hot glue them to the thumb tacks or get some craft clay that bakes in the oven and create little tack covers. Once baked you can hot glue them to the thumb tacks as well.

There are one hundred and one plus directions you can create with this lowcost project. I know it will be one of many projects I will be doing with my children to occupy their time this summer!