DIY Smocked Burlap Curtains

Hello!  Anyone else ready for Spring as much as I am?  Winter always makes me feel a bit lazy because really, if it's brutally cold, which it has been, the only thing there is to do is sit around and stay warm somehow.  So, what better time for a sewing project.  Especially one that will take a lot of time  And this one did.

I've seen these smocked jute burlap curtains floating around blog land for a while now but seriously, $150 for ONE panel??  No thanks.  I would never spend that kind of money for one curtain panel, I don't care how much I loved them.  And boy did I love them....

I wondered if I could make them but smocking fabric sounded hard and looked time consuming and I would need a lot of burlap for my tall windows.  Well, the opportunity presented itself recently when last week a friend and I needed to purchase a lot of burlap to use as a table cloth and decor at a Homecoming banquet.  Here's a pic of the gorgeous barn where the dinner was held.

It was so much fun!  Anyway, we had all that burlap left over so we split it and I decided to make the curtains with it.  The burlap we bought was perfect, not too thick and not too thin.  Just right and just right in cost, too.  It can be purchased here. 

Now, I had no idea how to smock fabric so I looked for the best possible tutorial I could find and did I find a great one.  Click here for that.  I probably wouldn't have been able to figure it out if it wasn't for that step by step.

So, I grabbed by burlap, got cozy and warm in a chair with a good movie playing in the background and sewed for hours.  At first it takes forever but once you get the process down, it goes so much faster.  By the time I made my second panel, it was going a lot quicker.  I am so happy with how they turned out and can't believe I did that when I look at them.

Call me crazy but I actually like the look of wrinkled up burlap, especially with these curtains, so I wadded up the panels when they were finished to make them look a bit more casual and rustic. 

I love these so much that I just might have to buy more burlap and make some for our bedroom.

The sun was shining so strong in the window and I loved it.  It's the first time the sun has been out in a week or more.

So what do you think?  Are you going to make some too?  Send me photos if you do, I'd love to see them!

Have a great day!
Diana

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New Headboard

Hello!  It seems like it's been so long since I've blogged but however long it's been, I'm so glad to be back.  If you follow us on Facebook, you know that my hubby had a health emergency come up.  He was diagnosed with a heart problem and ended up in the hospital having a few tests run and thankfully, the tests came out good.  I want to say thank you to each and everyone of you who prayed for him and our family.  It truly meant the world to us.  He is on the mend and we are slowly getting back to a normal routine again.

Quite honestly, the whole thing shook us both up so much that I haven't even wanted to blog or work on any project.  I wanted to spend all my time with him and our kids.  I even considered stopping blogging altogether.  But my creativity seems to be coming back and I'm looking forward to getting back to the projects I was working on.

I was in the middle of redoing our middle son's room.  His room is tiny and so making it work has been a huge issue.  Plus, he is tall and must have a double bed instead of a twin so the first thing on the list after getting the bed was a headboard.   Of course, it had to be cheap so I knew I was going to make it myself.  I didn't want to do the same thing I did for our other son's room and had always wanted to make a headboard from an old door, we just couldn't find the right door, until a few months ago.  So, I got to work.

I've been so absent minded lately so unfortunately I forgot to take a picture of the door before I cut it down and added the molding.  But here it is before I painted it.  I wanted to use a door that had the same size panels all the way down.  I measured the width of his bed and added a couple of inches just to be safe, then measured and cut the door to size.   Then I removed all hardware and filled the holes with spackle.

I added crown molding and a top piece to finish it off.  I'm not about to try to do a tutorial on making miter cuts and return pieces for molding.

Mine are never perfect and I always end up with a big pile of mess ups as it is always a trial and error kind of thing for me.  I'm sure there are lots of tutorials out there that are a lot better than anything I could show you.  Faster, too.

After all that, I filled the holes and painted the entire piece. 

Here's how it looks now before I put it in the room.  I still need to add a brace to the bottom so I can attach it to the wall.  I will blog about that when it's finished and show you how it looks in the room.  I can't wait to put it all together with the bedding I bought for him from West Elm.  Love their bedding!  So that's it for now!

Thank you for visiting today!  Enjoy your day!
Diana

New Side Table

Hello!

I hope you had a nice weekend!

I am in the process of giving our den a facelift (again), as it's the room the stairs are in.  

I've said this before but our den is usually a mess, where all my boys hang out and so I try not to put anything too nice in there or be very picky about the way it looks.......for a while.  If you remember, I redecorated this room for my hubby a year or so ago but after awhile, we moved certain pieces of furniture out of the room, changed things around, and it kinda became a little bare again.  

So, time for a change. 

The first thing it definitely needed was a couple of side tables.  We had some scraps of reclaimed bowling alley flooring left and an old Pottery Barn iron table frame in storage so I decided to make a side table using that.  I've already made a couple of nesting tables from our other slab of flooring and we are so happy with those but they are in the living room.  The den definitely needed one, too.  Here's what I started with.

I measured and then cut the pieces to fit inside the lip of the table and then sanded the two pieces of flooring down using 180 grit sandpaper followed by 320 grit to make it really smooth.  Then placed them in the table.  There was about an inch gap in between the two slabs so I decided to add a piece of the reclaimed walnut that we had planed and ripped down.  It fit perfectly and I loved the dark contrast between the two lighter slabs.  I attached the piece to one side with our nail gun and then attached the other side with wood glue and let it sit overnight.

The next day, I attached beams to the back to make it extra stable.  

Then sanded again with 320 grit sandpaper.

Next I coated with dark raw tung oil and finished with paste wax and 

then attached it to the iron frame with screws underneath.

Here's a little sneak peek of it in the room. 

We are crazy about this table!  

I love the walnut strip down the middle, such a fun touch.

And once again, the table cost me nothing to make.  Yay!

I picked up the faux milk glass lamp with the burlap shade at Lowe's this weekend for a steal on clearance for 12 bucks.  I love deals like that!

So that's it!

My hubby went to an auction this past weekend and picked up a bunch of goodies, some for our shop, some for the kids and me and I can't wait to share.  

I hope they will give you a little preview of what's going to be in our shop.

Have a great day!

Diana

The Window Frame Reveal

I finally figured out what I wanted to do with one of the big window frames we came across and finished it up yesterday.  Let me tell ya, this sucker is heavy.  Because of that, the only way we could figure out to hang it was from the ceiling joists.  So, that's what we did.  And it was quite a job getting those screwed in and getting that window up there.  We used 2 large screw hooks for the joists, 2 large screw eyes for the window, 

and connected the two with galvanized chain.

We couldn't be happier with the results.

I decided to take down the ledge I built and use it in another room.  It had been there almost since we moved in and I was ready for a change in this little entry area.  This was really the most logical place for the window.  A lot of you suggested using it for a room divider, which I would have loved to do, however, our home is made up of lots of smallish rooms (except the dining room), not an open floor plan, so, there wasn't a room that needed to be divided.

I put together the little shelf in the corner for about 8 bucks using a piece of barn wood and "L" brackets from Lowe's.  I like using "L" brackets for shelves much better than using the brackets that are actually made for shelving.  I like the industrial look of these and they are less expensive.  These are 5 1/2 inches and cost 4 bucks each.  You can find these, as well as other sizes, in the hardware section of Lowe's or any home improvement store.

 I found the pillow fabric here.  

I really like the combination of the modern fabric pillows with the rustic bench.  

Looking at this window makes me happy because it reminds me 

of the fun bike rides we take every evening.

Now I have to figure out what to do with the others window frames or just 

put them in our upcoming shop.

We have video and photos of that coming soon!

Have a great day!

Rustic Pallet Bench

Hey there!  Have a good weekend?  My hubby and I worked on a pallet project together and we had so much fun!  It was just one of those great weekends, you know?  We worked on this and then he surprised me with a special date night.  Something we haven't had time to do in a while so it was extra special.  And then we had a fun family day on Sunday.  Those are the best kinds of weekends.

I'm so glad hubby was there to help.  Those suckers are heavy and it was just plain fun working on something together.  We recently purchased a vintage record player, yes, I said record player, for our outdoor "studio", so we popped on an old Dean Martin album, turned up the volume and got to work.  Fun, I tell ya!  :) Here's what we started with, a pile of free pallets.

And here's how it ended up.....

This was one of those projects where I just kinda planned it as I went along and when we were finished, we just couldn't stop grinning.

Everything we used for this bench was something we already had so it was FREE!  Love that!  I really wanted to use rustic barn hinges on this because we have been collecting them for quite a while, just waiting on the perfect project and this was it.  The detail they add is perfect for this bench.

Hubby came home with those numbers above the ledge.  They are from an old gas station and since Halloween is around the corner, I thought the number 31 would be appropriate and fun.

I can't wait to decorate this area for Christmas!!  Any of you have any pallet projects?  What kinds of projects are you working on?  Would love to hear about 'em, as always!

Have a great day!  Click here to order more bread boards!  I've had several requests for sets of 5 or 6 numbered maple boards.  If interested, message me via Etsy and I will set up a custom order for those.  Thanks!

A Fun Wreath

Hello, hello!  I should say this first, I've never liked wreaths.  I've tried, I really have but I've just never cared for them much, except for the wreaths made of Christmas greenery hung during the holidays.  But then I saw the perfect wreath that Ashley made over at The Handmade Home and I fell in love with it!  It has an Anthropologie vibe going on, in my opinion.  And I'm a sucker for ruffles and fringed canvas edges.  So I made one for myself following her simple tutorial.  The only changes I made were that I used painters canvas drop cloth and a styrofoam floral wreath form.  Here's my version.

 

Here is a closeup of the texture and fringe.  LOVE.

I love that it goes with the room since we keep the front door open a lot in the fall.  Never thought I'd find a wreath that I loved but I did!  Thanks Ashley!  Have a great weekend friends!!

P.S.  Friday is the last day to leave a comment on this post for the coffee sack giveaway!  The two winners will be announced Saturday morning.

Salvaged Bowling Alley Floor Table

Hey there!  I finished up the salvaged bowling alley floor table this weekend and we are super happy with it, considering what we had to go through to make it.  Here's a look.....

We started with this gigantic section of salvaged bowling alley flooring that hubby picked up on one of his trips. 

That sucker is 3 inches thick and the only thing we had to cut something that large and thick was a chain saw!  And I'm leaving the chain saw using to my man, so, he cut it for me.

We didn't have a very large table to put it on while we were cutting it, so, to keep it from moving around on him, I sat on the edge of that slab while he was using the chain saw behind me.  Yeah, I wouldn't recommend doing that. :)

But we got it cut and surprisingly, the chain saw didn't leave the edges very rough and we were both still in one piece when we were finished.

To complete the table top, I took my palm sander and completely sanded the top smooth.  After that, I applied about 4 coats of glossy polyurethane.  I then reattached the pieces of trim that were attached to the flooring section originally.

The bottom of the table is an iron base we found on a picking trip.

I cleaned it, sanded the rust off and spray painted it with Rustoleum oil rubbed bronze spray paint and then attached the top with large screws drilled through the iron into the wood.  We were lucky that there were already holes in the iron base for this.  

I love all the imperfections in the top combined with the industrial looking base.

We are so proud of this table!  Of course, now I need to find a new place for the ottoman I recently built for this room, but that's okay.  I just had to make this and put it in here cause hubby was so proud of himself for finding that section of salvaged flooring.  It's something that we have always wanted to find.

Tomorrow I'll be revealing our fall mantel/ledge, also in this room!  After changing it up about a thousand times.  Anyone else do that?

Also, so many of you have requested this bread board to be in my Etsy shop again, so tomorrow I will be listing more of them.  :)

We have found the best walnut supplier and I'm just absolutely thrilled.  There are more of my other bread boards listed now.  Click here to order!  And check back tomorrow for the medium walnut bread board.  Many thanks to you all!

Fall Porch Preview and a How To

Happy Hump Day!  It is Wednesday, right?  What a week!  Sure feels like it should be Friday!  I've been working on our fall porch decor and one of the things I wanted to include was this gorgeous wood oversized row of hooks.

Pottery Barn

It's called the Statement Row of Hooks and I just love it, but I didn't love the price, so I set out to make my own.  Here's what you need.

I picked up a 1 x 6 x 4 at Lowe's along with 4 table legs and some 2 1/2 inch wood screws.  Since the 1 x 6 was already 4 feet long, I didn't have to cut it to length.  For the hooks, which are quite large as the name implies, I chose to use table legs that I cut off to be 8 inches long.

Next, I placed them exactly where I wanted them on the 1 x 6 and traced a circle around each one.  My "pegs" were 6 inches from the end with approximately 10 - 11 inch spacing between each one.

This is the back side of the row of hooks.  Next I pre drilled a hole into the center of each circle.

And then pre drilled a hole into the center of each of the cut table legs.

Then drill your screw into the pre drilled hole in the circle until it begins to come out the other side of the board.  Line it up with the hole in the table leg and while holding the leg tightly against the board, continue drilling the screw into the table leg.  It should be very tight.  It's important to use 2 1/2 inch screws here because they make the pegs very sturdy and able to withstand holding something fairly heavy.

It should look like this, only your screw should be completely screwed in.  I left mine out a little so you could see how they line up.  Continue doing that with each "peg" until each one is attached.  After it was all finished, I put a couple of coats of Minwax Special Walnut stain on and let dry.  Here's my version.....
I'm super happy with it!  I've got some special things to hang from it for fall, as well as, some other fun things in store for the front porch but I wanted to show you what it would look like first and show you how you could make your own.  I really wanted to add some warmth to the porch for the fall season and make a statement so what better way to do that than to add a statement row of hooks, right?!

Total cost for this project was just under $25 for the pine 1 x 6 x 4, the 4 table legs and the package of screws.  The stain and foam brush I already had.  Can't beat that!  I just love it!  Stay tuned for the complete Fall porch makeover very soon!  Have a great day!

Coffee Sack Ottoman How To

Hey there, Happy Monday to you.  First, I'd like to say that I hope any of our readers who were/are in Hurricane Irene areas are all doing okay.  You've all been in my thoughts and prayers....

Remember all those coffee sacks I picked up at the farm supply store?  Well, I decided to use some of them to make a slipcover for an ottoman I built and I am so stinkin' happy with the results!

I love this thing!  And considering I didn't really have a plan and just kinda created as I went along, I'm so happy that the end result was the way I saw it in my head and not a big pile of junk.

I wanted to make it as inexpensively as possible so the only thing I bought was two 2 x 4's for the frame and 4 castors.  I started out by making the frame with the 2 x 4's.  This is the frame I came up with.

I ran out of 2 x 4's during the process, so, I used some scrap wood we had in our shed.  My frame measurements were 24" width and length, and 18" high.  After finishing the frame, I needed to find something to attach to the sides.  I didn't want to buy anything, so again, I used something we already had, which happened to be these wood strips that I had purchased for my Father's Day gift for my hubby.  Plywood would work just as well.  The goal here was to spend as little as possible to make this and use things I already had.

I attached those all around the frame with a nail gun leaving about an inch space between each one.  There was no reason for that, I was just trying to make sure I had plenty to cover the entire frame.

Next up was the top.  Since this was an ottoman, the top needed to be strong enough to sit on and those lattice strips aren't strong enough to hold a person, so, I used some thick maple scraps I had laying around from making bread boards.  I attached those with a nail gun, as well.  I'm actually starting to be able to use the nail gun by myself without being terrified uncomfortable.

 

I really wanted to put castor wheels on this because, well, I love castors and being able to easily move a piece of heavy furniture around if I need to is a bonus.  So, I headed to Lowe's and found these.

I really liked the copper/bronze look and thought they would pair nicely with the coffee sack that I was planning to use.  And they only cost 5.69 for a pair. 

After attaching the castors, I brought it inside to finish.  I wanted the ottoman to have some cushion to it, so, I wrapped it in medium loft batting.

Next I measured out the sides and top and cut the appropriate pieces from the coffee sacks.  For the top, I used canvas drop cloth instead of burlap coffee sack.  Burlap isn't soft and I wanted the top to be comfy in case we wanted to rest our feet and legs up there.

After measuring and cutting all the fabric for each section, I placed the fabric on the ottoman, inside out and pinned.  Then I removed it and sewed and then gave it a good ironing.  Sorry, I didn't get a photo of the sewing part, I was trying to get it done before it was time to start dinner.  

And that's it!  I can't tell you how excited I was when I slipped the slipcover over the frame and it fit!!  I'm still new to sewing my own slipcovers. :)  I chose to make a loose slipcover, instead of actually attaching the fabric to the frame with a staple gun, because I preferred the loose casual slipcover look for this project better.  I am LOVING this ottoman!  And the castors peeking out from the bottom are a fun addition.

I'm not the best at tutorials, but I hope these instructions are clear enough should you want to make one for yourself.  :)  And if I just confused you, you can always contact me with questions and I will help as best I can! 

I am huntin' for some pretty fabrics for fall to change out the pillows on the couch for the fall season.  I can't wait!

Hope you have a great day!

P.S.  More mini bread boards sets are listed in my Etsy Shop!  And I've designed and made a new large one.  I'll be sharing that with you later this week.  It is the perfect companion to the mini sets!  Take care and be safe! :)

Linking up with TLC today!  Come join the fun!  It's a party!