Clipboard Wall Art and Framed Thread Rack

I've arranged and rearranged the furniture in my office/studio/sewing room space about 15 times in the last year and a half.  I don't know anything about feng shui, but something just wasn't working for me.  I finally think I have it just the way I want it, so of course I needed to dress up the walls.

My first wall art project is a clipboard art collage.

These 6 inexpensive clipboards are from Amazon. I designed some printables with my favorite quotes and subway signs from my favorite cities to display on the clipboards.  I love the way they look, and what's best is that I can update it is often as I want with new printables, photos, etc.

My next wall art project was super simple. I framed my thread rack!

My mother-in-law was giving away an old framed print of a bouquet of flowers.  The glass had broken ages ago, and the print was warped and scratched, but the frame still looked great!

I snatched it up right away, ditched the old print and painted it Annie Sloan Provence. It now hangs around my bare thread rack.

Here's a peek into my sewing corner. The folding table on the left will be replaced at some point, and the wooden chair will be painted...eventually. But for now, this space suits me!

Flash Back in Blue

Speaking of drop leaf tables...my very first furniture revamp was a $6 score from Goodwill. I was with Yvette (ahh...the good ole days of living in the same city and rock bottom prices at Goodwill) and she forced me to buy the table. She pulled the tag and said "if you paint this and you hate it I will give you your $6 back...but I bet you are going to love it."


This is what it looked like before me and 3 cans of spray paint got ahold of it.This is what it looked like after.


It's nice to see how far I have come and the tricks techniques I have learned. But Yvette was right - I do love this piece!It is symbolic and fun and memorable.
It is currently serving as my sewing table until I find the one of my dreams.I also picked up a little mail sorter that day and optimized my spray paint purchase.


Having these projects around my home give it is a sense of soul and flavor.I wouldn't have it any other way!

Magazine Rack Redo

I have a bit of an obsession with magazine racks, especially the old-school wood ones. While I was in Florida a couple of weeks ago, I stumbled across the perfect rack for my guest bathroom.  Yes.  I said BATHROOM.  Every bathroom in my home (other than the kids' bath) has its own fully-stocked magazine rack.  I don't know about you guys, but the only privacy I seem to have these days is when I lock myself up in the john.  Why not use the time to catch up on my reading? :)

This super sturdy rack caught my eye at a Salvation Army in Wesley Chapel, FL.

Lucky for me it was blue tag day, so I snatched this up for $3.50

Here she is after two coats of Annie Sloan Provence.

I decided not to distress this piece.  I loved it just the way it was.

I used only Clear Wax.

Here it sits, in its new home, the Powder Room, fully stocked with local magazines. Perfect for when our out-of-town guests come to visit.

 

Click here and here to see where this, and our other projects are linked.

Magnet Board Revamp

One of the reasons I love fabric is because it is so versatile. You can create or embellish an endless amount of items with glorious fabric. Even a boring old magnet board.



This is what it looked like before.



This project is so simple, you are most likely going to roll your eyes.
All I did was cut my fabric one inch larger than my board, fold around to the back of my board and secure it with hot glue. God bless the hot glue gun!



It was so fast and easy, I even made one for the kids!



There you have it; plain ole magnetic boards turned colorful and unique!

Le Bain: Powder Room Sign Redo

Here's a quick little project I tackled over the weekend.

I had a little wooden sign that was cute, but just didn't have a place in my new home.  I painted it Annie Sloan's Old White and then attempted to use my super-awesome (sarcasm!) freehand to write Le Bain (the bath). 

Don't judge my poor excuse for a drop cloth, nor my choice of dog food. I'm on a budget people! ;)

I then traced the letters with Glidden's Deepest Aqua.  I got a 2 oz. paint tester at Walmart for less than $3!  When it was dry I used clear wax to set the paint.  I finished off my little sign with a fabric rosette made from the same fabric as the curtains and voila:

As much as I like my new sign, it confirms how badly I could use a Silhouette!  This is definitely another project in the "it doesn't have to be perfect..." book. 

Scroll below to see where this and other projects are linked.

Thrifted Chair Revamp

Yesterday I showed you what my $5 Goodwill find looked like when I brought her home. Oh, you don't read the blog everyday?! Well then, I will show you once more.



Truth be told, I bought 2 of these chairs ($5 each) with the intention of doing a "His and Hers" set for my husband and I. But after the ups and downs of revamping this little lady I think I am going to need a break to recover from the hot glue burns and the back pain (from leaning over for hours).

All painful creative injuries aside, I think the end result was worth the rocky ride.



I have been pining for this fabric for months now. But I promised myself I would not buy any until
1. I had a project to use it for.
2. It was on sale.

Well the stars aligned and 1 + 2 = my new chair.



After taking the chair apart and removing the pleather (for the record there were about 6,325 staples holding that junk on) I started to wrap the metal frame in macrame cording. Seventy-five yards of macrame cording to be exact.


Then I covered the cushions in my rockin' birdie fabric and used only 2,476 staples. Yay me!
The chair is the finishing touch to my little corner of the family room. I think it is the perfect compliment to my lamp and desk!



And I found the perfect use for another one of my vintage windows -
sassy little wipe off board!

DIY: Shabby Lamp Shade

I love me some fun lamps. However, I do not love those "fun" prices that come along with said lamps.
Lately, I have been browsing the plethora of adorable Franklin,TN antique shops and gathering a lot of inspiration. Among the treasures were tons of unique desk lamps - which is exactly what I needed to go with my revamped desk!

Well, these beautiful antique shop lamps were not in the ole budget,
so I had to get funky with my GW lamp.


As you may have noticed, I ripped off the stained fabric that was the lamp shade before I snapped my photo - but I am sure you can dig into your imagination to envision the before look.

Redoing the base was simple: Krylon spray paint in Almond.

For the shade, I had bigger plans (details to follow) that required a tad more elbow grease.



First, I sprayed the frame a light yellow. Next, I cut up some random fabric and burlap scraps, then tied them around the top and base of the lamp shade frame.



And now she lives happily on my desk!
I also love that I can rotate the shade to get a glimpse of different fabrics.
This was super simple and only took about an hour.

Easy Powder Room Prettification

My little downstairs powder room was in need of a some life - and some storage!
So I took this old 4-square shelf...



mixed a little Old White and Duck Egg and ended up with this.


The color turned out to be the prettiest sea foam green - I just love it!
It is the prettiest little thing to look at while using the bathroom washing your hands.
Plus I have storage for diapers, TP, q-tips and my Grandmother's vintage hand towels.
So happy with the result!

Bar Stool Slipcover Tutorial

These bar stools have taken a beating. They are solid, well made stools but the leather is scratched and torn and not lookin' too hot these days. After considering reupholstering, I decided it would be easiest (and most practical) to make slipcovers. This way I can remove and wash them as needed.



Here is the plain brown stool. Desperate for some color - I picked up some graphic upholstery fabric at IKEA for $7.99 a yard. It is so sturdy!



So how did I create this simple little cover? Glad you asked...

First I draped the fabric over the back of the chair and cut it to fit. Make sure to give yourself an addition 1/2" on each side for seam allowances. 

I decided to give myself a 1/2" seam allowance on this slip cover because it is going to get a lot of wear and tear; there will be a lot of pulling with all the sitting taking place.

Next, I made a pattern for the seat from a large piece of paper. Simply lay your paper on top of the seat, trace with a marker and cut on the line.

After you have made your pattern, place it on the wrong side of your fabric and cut out.

Once again, give yourself an extra 1/2" all the way around for your seam allowance.



With wrong sides together, sew the back piece and seat piece together. Once they are connected, place the joined piece back on the stool to make sure it fits. Leave the piece there for the next step.

Next, measure the side pieces on the back part of the stool. Use those measurements (adding 1/2" to each side) and cut out 2 from your fabric. Attach the side pieces to the back and seat pieces with right sides together and using a 1/2" seam allowance.



Turn the cover right side out and check for fit. Make adjustments if necessary.

Next, measure your front and side panels for the skirt of the seat. Start at the edge of our seat piece and measure down as far as you would like the skirt to go. Then ad 1/2" to each side and cut out of your fabric.



Attach each panel and..



Give the cover a final fitting and make adjustments if needed. Finally, turn the cover wrong side out and turn the bottom of the fabric under 1/4" for your hem. Sew all the way around, pressing when complete, for a nice crisp finish!



Remember to make this your own!

Ideas for Skirt Variations:

ruffled
pleated
one continuous panel with box pleat corners
none at all - extend your seat piece all the way down, wrap around bottom of seat and staple to secure

Happy Creating!

Linking to: