How to Make a Detective Themed Display Board

I have a friend who loves mysteries, especially Nancy Drew, and I wanted to make her a detective themed display board for her collection of pins and buttons.

Today’s project is a variation on a ribbon board or memo board—you’ve probably seen pictures of them with the ribbons neatly crisscrossed. I have one above my desk and use it to display cards, photos, and other ephemera. This is a great way to upcycle an unused frame or plain bulletin board.

This would make a fun display board for fans of mysteries like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Sherlock, and Agatha Christie. And for anyone who likes to play Clue or throw murder mystery parties or themed escape rooms (like this cyberpunk escape room party I hosted.)

I was inspired by the suspect boards in crime shows…and this meme.

(It took me forever to remember the phrase “suspect board.” I was trying to explain my idea, and my mom was confused and a little concerned when I kept calling it a “murder board!”)

I planned to use red ribbon to look like the string connecting clues.

Here’s a quick tutorial on how I made this detective themed display board.

I found this fantastic Paris themed fabric, and I liked how it looked like a map. (Fabric makes the best backing because it doesn’t tear the way paper would.)

I cut the fabric down and folded it over a piece of cardboard like a present.

I laid the red ribbon out at random angles, to look like the strings connecting clues.

You could lay out the ribbons at more regular intervals if you like.

Here’s a tip for this step from my mom:
– Put a piece of cardstock on top of the loose ribbons before you flip it over.
– Hold it down with one hand and flip, the way you’d flip a cake using a sheet tray.
– Now your board-in-progress is face down so you can glue the ribbons in place on the back, and the ribbons are still right where you want them.

Then I put the boards into their frames.

I printed out some “clues” for my friend to tuck behind the buttons for a fun touch. Here’s what I printed (I found the images on Canva):
– A question mark
– A map
– A shoe print
– (You could also do a magnifying glass or cut out individual letters to create a ransom note!)

Ta-da! Here is what the displays look like with some of my friend’s buttons and pins!

I’m continuing my series of simple craft projects. Check out the first ones here. Picking easy projects like this allow me to continue to be creative despite chronic illness.

What have you been creating this summer? Let me know if you make a display board!
Do you have a favorite murder mystery show or book? (I’m a Sherlock fan myself!)

Pin it!