Suggestions for making up your Games Board:

These suggestions are valid for both our stitched games boards or our Fabric Games Board panels.

Once you have finished stitching your game board there are a number of ways to finish it ready for playing.

Picture Framing
Any good picture framer will be able to frame the stitched board, this protects it when it is being used. I have one customer who has framed her Snakes & Ladders and Ludo and has them hanging on the wall as pictures and then when her grandchildren come to see her she takes them down for them to play on.

Perspex
Another option would be to put the stitched board behind a piece of Perspex. I have a customer who has also stitched Snakes & Ladders and Ludo and who has stitched the boards back to back, inserted a piece of cardboard to give them some support and then enclosed both sides in Perspex so that the board can be turned over to play either game.

1. Place the two games boards, or if you only have one then place the game board and a piece of backing fabric together with the right sides facing each other.
2. Stitch the boards together around the edge of three sides. Now turn the whole thing inside out and press out the seams.
3. Insert a stiff piece of card in between the two boards,or the board and backing fabric. Now Stitch the open side together.
4. Put a piece of Perspex on either side of the board and seal the edges. Get some advice with regards sealing the Perspex together.

Leather or Fabric Backing
Backing the stitched board with leather or fabric means that it becomes more portable so can easily be taken on holiday or on camping trips, if you use leather this would protect the board if you plan to use it outdoors. I suggest that if you use this method you add a layer of iron on stiffening to give more structure to the finished board. You could also make a small bag from the backing fabric to hold the playing pieces.

1. Cut a piece of iron on stiffening the same size as the stitched board.Following the instructions for the stiffening, iron the stiffening to the back of the stitched game board.
2. With the right sides together stitch the board and backing fabric together around the edge of three sides. Now turn the whole thing inside out and press out the seams.
3. Now Stitch the open side together.

Bespoke Framing
You may want to make a feature of your stitched board and can do this either by having a bespoke frame or even a table made for it. I have found an old fire screen at an antiques market which can be flipped over to become a table, I am stitching a board to replace the embroidery inside the fire screen, then it can be used to play on.