Pillows, pillows everywhere....

Finally got around to recovering the pillows on the couch.  I used the last bit of my chevron fabric, for the 2 larger pillows.  Then I used the black and grey patterned left over fabric from the art work for the 2 smaller pillows.  It gives a nice look, a little color. And of course, the chevron fabric looks great on my couch-but then I knew it would!

I just sewed simple pillow-case like covers, and whip stitched the last edge closed once the pillow was stuffed in.  I think it looks great!

Bookcase Beautiful

One thing was definitely on my list of things to makeover were my Walmart bargain bookcases.  They are the standard laminated, pressed wood monstrosities with the paper board backing that never stays on with those little tack nails they send.  Like most things in my house, they were bought because a) I needed book cases and b) that was all I could afford at the time.  Now I am sure I could buy new shelves, but why-other than the ugly that is all over them, they are in good shape. 

I had a few ideas to spruce them up, and so I set about planning these out and seeing which would be the easiest and most cost-effective (I am on a budget here!).  My first plan was to use wall paper to cover the back of the case.  I found tons of Wall paper I loved, but none of it was less than $50.00 a roll!  I only needed 12 feet of it, I just couldn't spend that kind of money.  The second plan was to simply paint the back of the case, but I was afraid that the paint would make the paper board back curl.

I then thought, what if I paint foam core board and then cut that to fit the back of the shelves.  I though I was brilliant.  So I headed off to Michael's with my little coupons and discovered that foam core board is $3.00 each.  And I would have needed about 10.  There was no way I was going to spend $30.00 for foam boards!

So on a whim I tripped down the wrapping paper aisle and found the most gorgeous black and white brocade wrap ever!  It was 3.99 a roll, and I would need 3 rolls.  But on top of that I got 40% off of one roll, then an additional 20% off all 3 rolls!






I had my infinitely patient husband pry the backer board off the shelves, for me, then remove all the old nails and staples.  I took each board and "wrapped" the front of them with the wrapping paper, securing the edges on the back with tape.  After that my loving husband stapled the boards back into place.  He only got one of the me upside down-I guess that is a victory, and you really can't tell that the pattern is going the opposite direction, so I am not going to think about it.  I'm not!  Well, maybe a little but I am NOT going to look at it.

After that it was just a matter of putting the shelves back in and putting all my stuff back.  I am sure you noticed that there was a lot of crap on my shelves.   A few hundred books, and no doubt an equal number of DVDs.  Those movie cases take up a lot of room!  (tremble mere mortals, and bow down before the mighty sock monkey! Told you I was a nerd)

 

 The books (paperbacks and any book I will not read again) are getting donated to the library (about 150 books or so) and all movies have been removed from their cases and put into paper sleeves which will be housed in disc boxes as soon as I can afford to buy them.  That was a really long run on sentence.  Oh well, it's my blog-screw grammar.  The old games will be traded into a video game store.

Now that the compulsively collected books and movies are removed (except for my hardback books, which I removed from their dust jackets for a more cohesive look) I am beginning to think a couple of adults live here instead a bunch of college kids! So total the bookshelf re-do cost me $16.97. I am now left with $62.55 and I still need a rug!  Of course there are other little things that will be done, last finishing touches, but we are getting there!

Bargin basement artwork

On the same amazing shopping trip to the fabric store that Dear Husband found the fabric for the chair, I found some great fabric in the quilting section to recover my canvases for my art work.  While they were much more than I would normally spend on cotton, they were not only in my colors, but had 4-5 fabrics that co-ordinated perfectly!  After a very short deliberation I chose 3 patterns I likes, and headed to the cutting table.

Each Fabric was $7.99 a yard before my 20% off coupon, so for one yard of each I spent $19.18.  I only used 1/2 of the fabric on my art, which leaves 1/2 to make pillows or something else artsy for the room.  

As I am sure everyone knows, it is so easy to make art like this.  Just wrap your canvas in fabric and staple to the back of the stretcher bars-easy peasy!  And I love the way they look with the couch!

New(ish) Chair-check!

So, how many of us have made this mistake- you take your husband to the fabric store to "help" pick something out, but he hates everything you pick up?  Well, I did just that and believe it or not, my Dear Husband chose the fabric for the chair all by himself...and he did a great job!  He found a wonderful grey and white houndstooth check that I loved the minute I saw it!  The fabric was a steal at $4.99 a yard (and I had a 20% off coupon too!) I originally wanted 6 yards, but all that was left was 4.25 on the bolt.  I took it all, knowing I could make it work.

The original plan was to sew a slip cover for the chair (I gave up the dream of a new chair, since most accent chairs I have seen were more than my entire re-do budget by themselves!) but I then decided that would be to froofy.  I didn't want a skirt and ties and all that mess-I wanted nice clean lines.  Well, the chair didn't have any upholstery other than the cushion.  So using part of a roll of batting I bought for my new headboard, I upholstered the arms and the back of the chair, and recovered the cushion.  I almost had enough.  The center of the bottom of the cushion is made from the fabric that I had originally recovered the cushion with when I first got the chair.

The over-sized pillow I use to cushion the back (the back cushion was MIA when the chair was purchased years ago, which is why I think I got it for just 3 bucks) will be covered in a solid yellow, and the throw pillow will be done in turquoise. 

After finishing the body of the chair I decided the bottom of the chair needed some trim (to hide my not so perfect edges, and a small amount of the batting that was showing) so I added some beautiful wide gray ribbon, which I already had on hand.
(more photos coming, I promise!)
So the total on my chair re-do is $16.97 for the fabric!   I still have $90.00 for my rug, bookshelves and artwork!

You dropped a bomb on, baby....

I love cheap vases, but the problem is that they often look, well...cheap.

 I am sure many of you have read about the new graffiti-yarn bombing.  I love the idea, so I bombed my vase.

 I adore the way it looks, the texture it adds and how easy it was!
  I just took my Walmart vase (around $2.99), my handy dandy glue gun, and some great yarns with varying textures. 

 I started each color with a dab of glue and wrapped the vase, being sure to keep the yarn taut and pushed together.  At the end of the yarn, I used another dab of glue.  I actually started in the middle.

 This is how it finished up.  What do you think?

Book him, Dan-o

I also re-made this box this weekend, using what I already had around the house-so it was free.  I love this box and it was so easy (and cheap-don't forget cheap).  I used a home-made decoupage recipe found here.   I love to read, so I feel like this is really a reflection of a little piece of me!

Chevrons are the (not so new) stripes

You know I have been drooling over the chevron fabric, but being on a tight budget (and a tight-wad to boot) I have been searching for a 'cheap' price on it.  Yesterday, bored out of my skull, I decided to hop over to Hancocks in Searcy.  After searching the store and not finding my fabric I was sad and heart broken.  But then, I noticed a section of wall, with home decor fabric I had not yet looked over.  Rounding the corner, there in front of me I see---my fabric!  I was elate and excited, until I saw the price! $18.00 per yard!  The most expensive I had seen it yet!



 I was so disappointed until a nice lady let me have her sale paper, and I discovered it was 40% off!  So, even after taxes, I got 4.5 yards for $53.00.  To make my fabric (and budget) stretch farther I decided to make 2 curtain panels, each 24" wide (like most decorator fabric the width was over 50"). 

While I was sewing them, strange as it seems, I fell in love with the fuzzy selvage edges and decided to leave them as is on the panels. Having them on the inside of the panels and kind of giving it the look of a trim. I know-it's a weird idea, and right now I love it, but I figure if I decide I hate it I can always hem that side too.

 So I was able to do my curtains with only 2.25 yards of fabric, leaving half of my purchase for making pillows!  I love the color it brings to the living room, and the feel of the chevron is great.  The windows look finished and it adds a little more privacy to the room, without blocking any light.  It also looks great with the color of my couch.


But of course that is more taken from my budget, so I am left with $107.00 and I still have not found a rug solution.I also need either a new chair (which is what I really want to do, I like the shape of the chair we have but I think it is too large for the space) or a refinish on it.  I also don't have any new artwork!