A Letter to a Pretty Boy: 2009

Monday, March 9, 2009

Yawn

If i make it through this, it will be a miracle...Since Wednesday i have been working till the wee hours in the morning basically trying to remodel an entire house and get it done in a month...we have basically gutted the entire house..So far I have my bed room done, which i painted and tore out the carpet, sanded the wood floors and painted them white, and added new lighting.. yesterday i tore out the carpet in the upstairs hallway and plan on restoring the wood flooring in there as well.. I got the living room painted and Matt has built an entire subfloor on top of it so we can put pergo in the living room because the floor was so uneven it would have not worked (I dont know what i would do w/o him!!) ...I have gone through 10 gallons of paint already!! Lots more to be done.... I just cant wait for it to be done and when i get to unpack all my stuff and find where to put it...I thought this is a cool idea on how to use your old scarves..I have so many that I love but yet never wear...

Got this one off of designsponge.comsilk scarf pillow

silk silk scarf pillow pillow

here’s what you’ll need:
scarf
double-sided fusible interfacing
backing fabric (around 1 1/4 yards for an 18” pillow)
pillow insert
sewing machine
iron
thread

1. if your scarf is thin, (i.e. silk) fuse it to a piece of fabric with double-sided fusible interfacing and an iron, to give it extra strength before sewing.
2. for the envelope style backing, cut out two squares of your backing fabric that are 1” longer than your pillow and wide enough so that they will overlap by 2 to 3 inches after you’ve sewn a 1” hem along one side.
3. overlap the two pieces and pin together so they create a square that is 1” larger than your pillow insert all the way around.
4. with right sides together, stitch the top scarf piece to the envelope pillow backing all the way around using a 1/2” seam allowance.
5. turn right side out, press and insert your pillow.

Monday, March 2, 2009

diy project: kate’s industrial framed sconces

I will def be doing this in my living room! I close on the house on wednesday!!!

KATE’S INDUSTRIAL FRAMED WALL SCONCE
(Bringing the Outside in)

What you’ll need:

-Two Frames
-Two Pieces of mat board cut to the size of your frames
-Funky fabric (enough to cover the mat boards)
-Mod Podge (or any decoupage glue)
-Spray Paint
-Two wall mounting lights
-Picture Hanging hardware

What to Do:

1. I got two Open Back Frames from Hobby Lobby for $30 (they go on sale all the time) and brought them home and sprayed painted them high gloss white. (They were a rough beachwood so for me it took 4 cans of spraypaint, but if you got a pair of more finished frames you could just sand them down and it would
probably only take a few coats.)

2. Then I took a piece of mat board that I had cut to the size of the frame and applied a thin layer of Mod Podge over the whole thing. Then I took my fabric and stretched it over the piece of mat board, making sure it was nice and flat. Then I applied another layer of Mod Podge over that and let it dry.

3. Then I trimmed the edges of the fabric, and fit the finished mat board in the frame.

4. Repeat the steps above with the other frame.

5. Now all you have to do is hang the frames at whatever level you want with the necessary hardware. I just installed the lights in the middle of each, and voila, instant focal point for behind my couch!

I hope you enjoy!

Thursday, February 26, 2009

diy project: natasha’s babydoll coat rack

Another borrowed DIY from designsponge.com...

Natasha’s Babydoll Coat Rack

What You’ll Need:

-Soft body doll with hard plastic hands and feet (they will have a backing on them)
-Piece of wood, about 2 feet long
-12 screws
-Heavy duty keyhole hangers
-Drywall anchors and screws
-GE Silicone II household glue
-Pen or pencil
-Sand paper
-Paint
-Drill
-Screwdriver
-X-acto knife with chisel like blade (#17)
-Sense of humor

Directions:

1. Dismember your doll

2. Arrange hands and feet on board in an order you like. Space them evenly apart, marking their positions with a pen or pencil. Set limbs aside.

3. Drill 3 holes per limb. I counter sank the holes so the board would lie flat against the wall. Make sure your holes will not come too close to the edge of the limb, because the screw make poke out of the side of a hand or foot.

4. Position keyhole hanger and mark the spot. Chisel out the wood until the hanger fits snugly and until the drywall screws’ heads fit.

5. Sand your wood a little and paint it. Let dry.

6. Put some glue on limbs. Screw them on. Let dry.

7. Put anchors and screws in your wall and hang up your new coat rack. Hang up your coats and jackets.

New direction

I haven't posted much lately because i have been so damn busy...I am purchasing a house! I am sooo excited, but there is alot of work to be done!! I have been obsessing over remodeling and decorating the place, and since I am on a budget I will be doing alot of DIY projects..I have found so many on the web that I must share with you...

I also finally got the sunglasses I have been eyeing forever, we just need some damn sun up in northern michigan so I can put them to use!

Anyways the first DIY project that I will be sharing is kate’s vintage brooch knobs.

I found this project on design sponge and I can wait to try it out..

"for february i have picked vintage jewelry as my diy material. these knobs are made from vintage enamel brooches, which i fine everywhere these days: flea markets, thrift stores, and ebay. these brooches have such a nice vintage color palette and pretty details, and i never find two alike. while i was on ebay i found some other good options like vintage cameos, art deco rhinestone brooches, and bakelite pieces, all of which would make great knobs for a dresser or side table. happy crafting! -kat e"

What You’ll Need:
1. brooches
2. size 8/32 brass flat head machine screws (1.5″ long)
3. size 8/32 brass nuts (you need at least three nuts for each knob)
4. brass washers
5. pliers
6. epoxy or strong bond glue (make sure it works with metal)
7. sandpaper