Ballerina Memo Board

Help your tiny dancer keep track of dance practice and recitals with this tutully unique memo board. Let her choose the colors she likes best.

Materials:

• STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
  • Sheet, 36" x 12" x 1"
• Fabric, 45" color of choice, 1/2 yd. each: crepe satin; tulle
• Coordinating felt, 36" color of choice, 1/2 yd. (optional)
• Coordinating ribbon: satin, 1/2" x 1 yd.; sheer, 3/8" x 1/2 yd.; grosgrain, 1" x 2/3 yd.
• Coordinating satin ribbon roses, four
• Coordinating ruffled lace, 3/4" x 1 yd.
• Serrated knife
• Candle stub or paraffin
• Fine-line black permanent marker
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors
• Sewing needle
• Coordinating thread
• Craft pins
• Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
• Thick, white craft glue

Steps:

1. Wax serrated knife with candle stub or paraffin. Trace bodice and two sleeve patterns onto foam sheet; cut out.
    
2. Temporarily pin satin fabric across front of foam bodice, allowing at least 2" border all around; fabric should be smooth. Trim excess fabric, leaving border.
    
3. Turn bodice fabric side down on work surface and firmly pull excess fabric around side and bottom foam edges to back; pleat edges along curves as necessary. Glue fabric edges to foam to secure.
    
4. Turn bodice fabric side up on work surface. Trim excess fabric along neckline only, not shoulders, leaving 1" border. Cut slits in excess fabric at neckline every 1-1/2", cutting from fabric edge to foam edge.
    
5. Fold fabric down against neckline; glue to secure. Pull excess fabric at shoulders around to back side of bodice and glue. Glue 1"-wide ribbon along neckline edge, over fabric, to cover cuts; trim excess.
    
6. Cover foam sleeves with remaining satin fabric in same way as bodice, being sure there is a right and a left sleeve as shown. Use glue gun to glue sleeves to bodice.
    
7. If desired, trace complete bodice onto felt; cut out. Glue felt backing to back side of foam.
    
8. Cut tulle in half lengthwise, creating two 9"-wide strips. Sew tulle strips, end to end, to 1/2"-wide satin ribbon length using a gathering stitch; do not clip threads. Pull threads to tightly gather ribbon, adjusting gathers to fit bottom edge of bodice; glue ribbon to bodice to secure.
    
9. Glue lace over top of skirt, along sleeves and around neckline, trimming excess. Tie ribbon bows as desired and glue to dress as shown. Glue ribbon roses to bow centers.
    
10. For hanger, cut sheer ribbon length in half. Tie two ends together in a bow; glue free ends to top back edge of bodice as show.

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For more project ideas, please see styrofoamstyle.com.