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.
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!
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!
