When it comes to thrift store finds, painting can be a fantastic way to totally transform something old into something new. That being said, too much paint can be a bad thing. Sometimes the most refreshing way to refinish a solid piece of wood furniture is to totally strip it naked and start fresh. That's how I felt about this chair (and its amazing technicolored dream-coats of old paint). Thankfully, it wasn't a ton of work to remove paint from the entire thing. Here's how:
Do you use a body pillow? I can't sleep without one. I used to be able to, but over the years my joints have started to require that extra support as I snooze. While my wife fortunately doesn't mind me cuddling something else all night long, I am miffed at the lack of options when it comes to shopping for a body pillow cover. Because of this, I've always made my own. Usually I just make them from an old sheet, but decided to make a fancier one for this newest body pillow I bought (body pillows are on back-to-school sale right now, just FYI!). If you can sew a straight line on a sewing machine, then you can make a body pillow cover of your own.
I love a good before-and-after, don't you? There's so much satisfaction in taking a sad roadside find or cheap garage sale rescue and totally transforming it into something new and different. We've rounded up some of our favorite furniture makeovers to inspire you to either start that upholstery project, get out the spray paint, or hit up this weekend's local yard sale scene. From dressers to dining tables, here are some of our favorite furniture makeovers.
Now that the weather is getting cooler in most places, you may be pulling your sweaters from last year out of the back of your closet. And maybe there are a few that you decide won't be making it into your wardrobe rotation. Before you get rid of an unwanted sweater, consider whether it could have a new life as a sweater pillow. Here's how to add a bit of knit texture to your decor by sewing your own sweater pillow.
There are lots of reasons why you might not want to wear an old sweater any more. Maybe the fit, color, or style is off, or perhaps there are stains or holes that developed while it was sitting around unworn (thanks, moths!). Especially if the stains or holes are on the sleeves, you may be able to salvage the rest of the sweater by turning it into a pillow. And if you don't already have a suitable sweater, you should be able to find one at a thrift store.
I loved the stitch pattern on this dusty pink sweater, but the color and fit just didn't suit me. When I realized that it would look much better in my living room than on me, I started figuring out how to turn it into a sweater pillow. Here's how I did it:
Knit sweater - You want one with a fairly dense knit stitch.
Pillow form
Sewing machine
Machine sewing needle
Hand sewing needle
Thread
Fabric scissors
Pins
If you have a specific sweater you plan to use, be sure to take it with you when you buy the pillow form so that you can make sure you get one that will fit. If you're buying the pillow form online, carefully measure the sweater to make sure that the arm holes, neckline, or any other obstacles will leave you with enough material to cover the pillow.
Sew around the perimeter of the sweater on the lines you pinned. Be careful not to stretch the sweater as you sew, or you'll end up with wavy seams. I like to round off the corners and trim them, so that my finished pillow won't have pointy, empty corners. Be sure to leave an opening for inserting the pillow form! The exact size of the opening depends on your pillow size, but the one here would have been easier to deal with if it had been an inch or two larger.
I have a pillow problem. Anywhere I go, I instantly want to look at the pillow section and leave with an armful of pillows I DON'T NEED. It never stops me, and one of my favorite places to pillow shop is Urban Outfitters, which is where I stumbled upon these velvet flower pillows with tassels. Since velvet is my go-to fabric this time of year, I fell in love with the pillows and decided to practice self-restraint, telling myself I could make one and save a few bucks. Since I already had the supplies at home, my Urban Outfitters knock-off velvet flower pillow was FREE compared to the $50 version!
It may or may not feel like it yet where you live, but I'm sure you don't need to be told that summer is nearing its last days. After a long, hot season, many of us are ready for cooler weather, colorful leaves, hay mazes, and apple picking. It can be fun to bring some of that fall flair into your home decor, too. So whether you want just a touch of fall decor, or want to kick summer to the curb and go all in with your fall decorations, we have tons of ideas for ways to turn your home into a celebration of autumn.
If only because they're more difficult and expensive to change, home trends tend to move much more slowly than fashion trends. But even though you probably don't want to update your whole house every season, you might find yourself drawn to particular fall fashion trends, and there's no reason you can't incorporate touches of those trends into your home decor. Here are five 2018 fall fashion trends worth checking out for home decor inspiration.
Usually during this time of year, I'm sad to say good-bye to summer. It's hard to let go of the long nights and sunny days. This year, however, I'm pretty excited about the start of the fall season. Don't get me wrong - I love summer, but there's just something so enthralling about the onset of chilly weather. I love the smells, the colors, and the textures - specifically textures like furs and leathers. To start the transition from summer to autumn, I decided to make a DIY fur pillow out of my favorite fall feels.... except this pillow is animal-friendly!
My inspiration for this DIY fur pillow came from a cushion I found on Pinterest. It's not available for sale anymore, and since it was Ralph Lauren, it was probably out of my price range, anyway. I love the way my pillow turned out though - and faux fur makes everything a thousand times better!
I put together a little video if you want to see how this pillow was made - otherwise, keep scrolling for all the details!
Materials
Pillow form
Fabric A - This will be the front-facing fabric; I'm using faux fur
Fabric B - This will be the backing for the pillow, and should be a non-stretch fabric, like cotton
Faux leather or vinyl fabric
Sewing machine and notions
Step
First, to cut the shapes. This is an envelope pillowcase, so it's made from a front square piece and two overlapping rectangles in the back. There are also four triangles and strips of vinyl fabric for detail.
Start by determining how large your pillow form is. Next, cut a square from Fabric A that measures one inch larger on each side. For instance, my pillow is 21 inches across, so my Fabric A is 22 inches wide, and 22 inches long.
Fabric B should be cut to measure the width of the pillow plus one inch, and the length of the pillowdivided by two, plus six inches. For example, with my 21" pillow form, my Fabric B piece is 22 inches wide, and the length is 21 divided by two, plus six - which is 16.5. Cut two Fabric B pieces.
For the vinyl details, cut four right triangles that are 7 inches on each side. For the piping detail, cut strips of vinyl that are at least 1.5 inches wide.
Step
First, hem the two pieces cut from Fabric B. Sew a 1/2 inch hem across the length of each piece. You only need a hem across the top of each piece, not the sides or bottom.
Step
Now to prep the piping. For this pillow, we won't be making true piping, since we won't be stuffing the fabric with cotton rope. Simply fold the vinyl strips in half, then sew* shut along the raw edge.
*Pro tip: When sewing vinyl, you might notice the vinyl sticking to your sewing machine. Keep things running smoothly by covering the foot and plate with strips of masking tape.
You'll need to make enough piping to cover the radius of the pillowcase. If your strip of vinyl is not long enough, you can add to it by folding a new piece inside the old piece, and continuing to sew.
Step
Next, sew the detail triangles to the face of the pillow. Pin each triangle to each corner of Fabric A, lining up the raw edges, with both fabrics facing right side up. Stitch along the two outer edges - not across the diagonal portion of the triangle.
Step
This step is optional, but just adds a little extra dynamic to the DIY fur pillow. Fold Fabric A in half, and cut. Fold each half in half again, and cut. You'll be left with four smaller squares.
Mix up the direction of the fur by rearranging the squares. Once you're happy with your arrangement, stitch the squares back together.
Step
Now to create a pillowcase sandwich, and stitch it all together. Grab your sewing pins, and start by laying Fabric A face up.
Pin the piping along the border of Fabric A, with the raw edges meeting. When you get to a corner, fold the piping at a right angle.
Once you've covered the radius of the pillow with piping, cut the piping long by an inch or so, overlapping with the start of the piping.
Step
The last layer of this pillowcase sandwich is the envelope pieces cut from Fabric B. Lay each one face side down, with the raw edges meeting with Fabric A's raw edges, and the hemmed edges in the middle of the pillowcase. Pin in place.
Sew along all four sides of the pillowcase. Caution! Be mindful of the pins you have holding everything together!
Turn the pillowcase inside out, stuff with your pillow form through the back, and presto, your DIY fur pillow is done!
Share this project on Pinterest!
Are you ready for fall? Or are you desperately trying to soak up every last bit of summer sunshine? It's a bittersweet farewell, but I am really looking forward to wearing sweaters again.
I don't know about you, but I'm guilty of forgetting to take the time to chill out every now and then... I'm constantly trying to chip away at my to-do list, which doesn't leave much time for self-care. But lately I've been taking a few minutes every day to heat up and put on my new aromatherapy eye pillow, and it's been working wonders for my stress levels. Other eye pillow benefits? It's fantastic for headaches, and it's also a great solution for insomnia sufferers. Keep reading to find out how to make your own!
Every time I wander through Anthropologie, I leave wishing I could have bought everything in the store. And lately they've been selling these gorgeous eclectic throw pillows with beautiful textural embellishments... but of course they're a bit on the pricey side. So I decided to try my hand at making my own simplified version. Click through to check out the full tutorial for these DIY Anthropologie throw pillows!
For reference, here's the original Anthropologie pillow that inspired me to do this project:
Photo: Anthropologie
Mine is less complex, but it still has that fun bohemian vibe that I loved about the original. And it didn't cost $88! So let's get started.
We'll begin by making the front panel of the throw pillow. Center the 18 x 11 inch piece of lighter blue striped fabric on the front of the 18 x 18 inch piece of dark blue fabric. Fold the edges over by a half an inch and pin them down, as shown above. Sew along those edges with a 3/8 inch seam allowance.
Next, cut the orange ribbon into three pieces of equal length. Place the first one 1 inch from the edge of the lighter blue fabric panel and sew down the length of it using orange thread and a zig zag stitch. Repeat the process on the other side of the panel and right down the middle as well, using the two remaining pieces of ribbon.
Next, use a straight edge and a pencil to mark off the locations for some of the yarn strips. Mark the center of the orange ribbon one the right, then place the ruler from that point to the top of the opposite ribbon on the left side, and mark the spot where the ruler crosses over the middle ribbon. Do the same on the bottom. Mark the center of the left ribbon as well.
Now it's time to begin sewing on the yarn strips. Begin with the longest strip, in the center of the panel at the pencil marks. Cut three pieces of yarn that are 12 inches long and pin them on either end so they are positioned across the center of the pillow from the center of the left ribbon to the center of the right ribbon. Thread the embroidery needle with a piece of black embroidery floss, knot the end and begin sewing the yarn to the panel by bringing the needle up and over the yarn using vertical stitches. Tie off the end on the back side.
Step
Next, attach a short strip of yarn to spot where you made a pencil mark on the middle ribbon. You'll only need two embroidery floss stitches for this one. Make another one of these same small strips on the other pencil mark opposite that one on the middle ribbon.
Then fill in the space in between the strips with additional strips in ascending and descending lengths. Check out the final images for visual reference.
Now it's time to create the tassels for the sides of the pillow. Wrap yarn around the cardboard 12 times and then cut it on one side. Lay them out on your work surface.
Cut a 6 inch long piece and place it perpendicularly across the 12 pieces you just cut. Fold those in half over the single piece and tie a 12 inch long piece around the folded top area as shown above. Wrap the tail around a couple of times and tie a double knot. Finish the tassel by knotting the 6 inch piece by the top folded edge of the tassel. Repeat this 10 times.
For the back panels, simply fold an 18 inch edge over and hem with a 1 inch seam allowance. Do this on both pieces.
The last step is to assemble the pillow. Lay the front panel down face up on your work surface. Next, place 5 tassels on each side, evenly spaced. The tassels themselves should be in between the fabric, with the tails sticking out. Then place the two back panels face down on top. Pin the edges, and sew around the perimeter with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. The goal is to sew over the tassels right where the top knots are. Be sure not to catch the tassel tails in the seams on the corners.
I have a secret infatuation with faux fur. I'm the gal who raids the remnant bin at the fabric store for any and all furry fabrics. What I'm saving them for, I don't know. They're just so fun! The faux fur pouf is trending, but some of the nicer onces available to purchase are over $100. With back-to-school season upon us again, I wanted to find a way to make one of these fun and furry ottomans on the cheap. Keep reading to see how I made this one for under $40!
It's finally starting to look a bit more like spring here in the northeast, which is giving me major motivation to spruce up the deck. One place we were lacking, though, was in the pillow department... it can be difficult to find outdoor pillows with personality. So I made some, of course! Click through to check out the full tutorial for these fun loopty loop outdoor throw pillows.
It's good to see that boho is back in a BIG way! Although I can't really classify my own home decor style very well, I do like to incorporate bohemian style decor in my home, especially the colorful patterned pieces. Achieving a boho look in your home doesn't have to break your budget either! I've rounded up 14 must-have poufs to make your home look like bohemian paradise, and they cover a range of prices so that you can find something that fits both your style AND your budget.
I'm a self-proclaimed pillow hoarder. Because of this, I tend to drive my boyfriend crazy, so I try to limit my pillow purchases, but since I love swapping out my couch pillows often, I like to try DIY techniques that can help me save money. When I stumbled upon this Urban Outfitters typographic pillow, I instantly thought "I can make that." It's easy to update a throw pillow with marker to create this abstract typographic look!
