use leftover fabric to make cheap art

My mother-in-law is a genius!

Now, honestly, how often do you hear those words uttered? Come on, give it some thought. Those poor mothers-in-law are one of the most abused stereotypes ever, even though so many of them help with our kids, do our laundry without even asking, and put six meatloaves in the freezer while we’re out getting our nails done. (Okay, this is what my mother-in-law does, and I wish you the just same!)

But, I kid you not, on my in-laws’ recent visit, I uttered that phrase directly to my sweet mother-in-law (so it went something like this, “You’re a genius!”). In what context, you must be wondering, would I shout out such accolades?  Well, we were discussing window treatments in my master bath. I showed her the dust ruffle I’d been saving from my Anthropologie bedding and mentioned that I wanted to turn it into some kind of panel in the bathroom to bring in the green.  (To see the bedding, click here.)

“No,” my mother-in-law said, “I think the bamboo shade looks just fine as is.” (I will suggest that she’s a woman who’s not afraid to share her opinion.) “But what you need, Lisa, is something over here (pointing to the bare wall). We could cut out this pattern on the dust ruffle, glue it on some burlap, frame it, and you’d have some nice, inexpensive art in here that would bring the green in from the bedroom.”

And that’s when it happened. The words just sprang forth. “Kathy, you’re a genius!” Wouldn’t you have said the same thing?  Think about it, this project involved no curtain rods to buy and talk my husband into hanging, no sewing machines to set up and thread, which often yields incredible grumpiness on my part.  No, this project would involve merely scissors and glue, and, hot damn, I already HAVE those things, and I even know how to use them!

So here you go:  a step by step process on making art on the cheap (and easy).

Step 1:  Gather your materials. You’ll need fabric scissors, fabric glue, spray tack adhesive, your piece of art (we used a pattern in the fabric), your fabric background (we used burlap), and a picture frame (we used one w/ a glass front because of the moisture in the bathroom). You can purchase all of these materials at a craft store like Michael’s or Hobby Lobby.

Step 2:  Cut out your art.

Step 3:  Cut out your background fabric. We used the cardboard insert inside the frame as a pattern.

Step 4:  Spray a light coat of spray tack adhesive onto the cardboard insert that comes with the frame to give your background fabric some heft. It’s easier to handle this way.  However, if you’re reusing a frame and don’t have cardboard, you can skip this step.

Step 5:  Spray a light coat of spray tack adhesive on your piece of art and mount it on your background fabric. The great thing about spray tack is that you can reposition your art easily.

Step 6: Glue down a ribbon border on the edges. This is another optional step, but it finishes the piece and prevents frayed edges of the burlap from creeping.

Step 7:  Place your new cheap art in a frame, hang it, and enjoy!

For the record, this project cost $10 for the frame (50% off at Michael’s) and $5 for a yard of burlap. (I saved the leftover burlap for another project, stay tuned.)  I already had the spray tack and fabric glue, but those purchases would probably be about $5 each, so for around $20-25, you’ve got yourself some original art that is customized for your space.

Tales of a very ugly kitchen : David vs. Goliath

In keeping with the original 50′s dated esthetic in the kitchen, it should come as no surprise that the ceiling light fixture looked like this…Needless to say, this giant florescent behemoth wasn’t flattering anybody. In the dark winter mornings it woke us up faster than a strong cup of coffee. It had to go. Easy. So we removed it, only to find this…Ah, yeah, perhaps not so easy. What proceeded was a multi-step, multi-day ceiling repair job. First, drywall was attached to some 2 x 4 anchors installed in the recessed areaFollowed by several layers of drywall patch to recreate the texture of the original ceiling, and a temporary fixture in the meantime.After a week, we were ready to paint the ceiling and get the new fixture installed. We realized that with the low ceiling (sad, but true) any swanky chandelier or pretty pendants were not an option. We pored over hundreds of flushmounts, but they just didn’t spread the light around the room the way we needed. So we went with a brushed steel halogen fixture. It’s sleek stature and streamlined directional light was the right kind of luminescent muscle for us. David wins! Let there be better light!

unconventional curtains

Ok, so this isn’t really a craft, but the idea is simple, cheap and easy. The other day I was at my dear friend, Betsy’s, and as I was washing up in the loo, I noticed her clever little cafe curtains. They’re tea towels, and they look so cute and colorful, and so ORIGINAL in her cottagey white bathroom.  Her mom picked them up at a flea market. Don’t you just love the subtle wine bottle motif?

I love the idea of making curtains out of something else. My current kitchen valance is a table runner I picked up at Cost Plus. No sewing necessary! Love it.

Have you seen any unconventional curtains lately? Do tell.

tera's dining room makeover

Tera was so happy with the results of her Living Room reinvention, that she contacted us right away to get started on her dining room.  Here’s her letter,

Dear Lisa,  Hooray, not only do I love the ideas you presented for my living room, but you won over my husband, Jim, with the vintage movie reels.  Now that we’re ready to start buying for that project, we need you to get started on our dining room because the living room opens right to it. Since we’ve traveled so much together, Jim and I really love pieces that have a story. Our dining room table is actually a door from Mexico that was mounted on a wooden plow. The buffet is something we bought together, so that’s definitely a keeper. We would like to work with similar colors that you suggested for our living room since they are connected.  Also, we could use a rug, window treatments, and I’m always finding that we use our dining room as a dumping ground, so a way to organize papers, bottles, and “stuff” to make the room function better would be really helpful. Thanks, and we can’t wait to see what you come up with.  Tera

Tera, it was a pleasure to come up with some fun and affordable ways to elevate the drama in your dining room, and we’re not talking spilled milk!

1.  We’re complementing and extending the color palette we began in Tera’s Living Room with shades of deep red with gold and black accents. Our color inspiration came from the “elephant wall hanging” Tera and her husband picked up in the their travels. An accent wall in the dining room always heightens the drama, so we suggest that Tera extend the Benjamin Moore’s Bricktone Red (2005-30) from the living room into the room on the wall with the window. For accent walls, remember to use a flat or eggshell finish to eliminate shine and hide imperfections in the wall. Painting BM’s Desert Tan (2153-50) on the remaining three walls will cast a cozy, golden glow in the room. To clean up and brighten that gorgeous vintage trim, BM’s White Dove (OC-17) is a great choice for a warm, crisp effect.

2.  Tera currently has a large chandelier in the dining room. The style and scale are perfect for the room; it just needs a little sprucing up. Tera, meet our BFF, spray paint. We think Tera should ask the electrician who is installing her living room light fixture to remove the one in her dining room so she can take it to the backyard and apply a few coats of spray paint in a matte black finish. By the time her electrician has finished installing the living room fixture, the dining room chandelier will be dry and ready for re-installing. Since the old lampshades look a bit faded, these spiffy new shades will finish off the brand new look, all for a fraction of the cost of a new chandelier.

3.  The black iron finish on this curtain rod will tie in nicely with the black iron on the newly painted chandelier.  And the price can’t be beat.  ’Nuff said.

4.  These ivory and sand colored curtains will pop against the burgundy wall and bring a casual elegance to the room. The traditional Indian textile motif works perfectly with our global eclectic theme. The curtains are 108″ high, so they can be hung as high as possible, allowing for just enough of a puddle effect on the floor to give them a custom look.

5.  The inspiration for the color palette in this room came from the wall hanging Tera picked up in travels with the husband after they were married (see picture above).  It hangs to the left of the entryway into the living room, and Tera loves to see it there when she enters the house from the back. To give some balance and frame this space, we found this incredibly magical looking mirror that is hand carved in dark wood tones. We think it would look perfect hanging on the right side of the entryway to the living room which is just the right spot to reflect sunlight in the daytime, candlelight at night, and the happy faces of family and friends as they gather around the table.

6.  These two affordably priced chocolate leather Parsons chairs are a perfect match to the two Tera already has. These can be placed on the other side of the table and the two green stools can be situated under the mirror and elephant wall hanging for pops of fun green color.

7.  Tera confessed that she uses her dining room table as a catch all for papers, books and the general “stuff” that gets accumulated throughout the week. Hey, don’t we all? These woven stacking boxes will quickly and stylishly catch it all and disguise it in the event Tera wants to entertain.  They will look great stacked on her her gorgeous buffet.

8.  We’re suckers for using candles and mirrors to spice it up in the dining room. The food and the company all look better in sparkling candlelight, don’t you think? We think a pair of these lovely mirrored sconces, one hung on each side of the window, will complement the pattern in the drapes and cast a beautiful reflective glow in the room.

9.  We love a tray to pull items together, and Tera could use a tray on her buffet to collect bottles and create a bar station for entertaining. This batiked wooden tray was handmade in Indonesia by local artisans. Not only do the deep red and gold colors of the tray work in this dining room, but the story behind the retailer is inspiring.  Read more about Ten Thousand Villages, one of the largest fair trade organizations, by clicking here.

10.  To further cozy up this dining room and pull the elements together, we love this elegant and freshly modern take on the Oriental rug. The black, gold, sage, ivory, and deep red tones express our color palette beautifully, and connect the room visually with the living room color elements. The rug’s large dimensions and wool texture also soften and complement the more angular dimensions of Tera’s table and buffet.

Tera, we hope you love your new dining room as much as we do.  Get your guest list started for your next dinner party.  

hanging on to the holidays

It’s true that I’ve been accused of being rather Grinch-like in the days that follow Christmas. I can only take so many showers of dried pine needles raining down on my floors with every gentle nudge of the tree. So it is, that usually prior to New Years Day, the tree has been kicked to the curb. Of course, that’s just the beginning of the “pack it up, the holidays are over” frenzy that ensues. Call me, “The mean one, Mr. Grinch,” but even I, purveyor and appreciator of all things decorative, get sick of the holiday tchotchke crapiola all over the house.

However, here it is, post New Year’s, and there is one holiday decoration I’ve allowed to hang around. The mini-wreath that I hung right on the mirror in my entryway still sparkles. Because it is not festooned with red, green and gold, it doesn’t scream “I’m a Christmas decoration!” Rather, it’s silvery ribbon and icy glazed fruit seem to fit right in with the snow outside. So for now, it’s staying. For how long? Stay tuned.

Tales of a very ugly kitchen: chalkboard paint

I’m always a sucker for the “In” and “Out” lists that appear right around the New Year. Will skinny jeans be in? Are Uggs on their way out? (Never here in Colorado!) So I naturally was intrigued by the predictions Apartment Therapy had for the new year. Hey, if they’re declaring chalkboard paint “out”, then I’m not afraid to be behind the trends. Here’s how I used it in the kitchen. The menu keeps my shopping for the week easy, and the kids aren’t always wondering what’s for dinner. (At least the ones that can read!) 

remodeling wish list for 2010

As I sat down in my cozy new pajamas on December 26th and opened my favorite “Inside and Out” section in The Denver Post, I was eager to see what the trendwatchers would be forecasting for the year ahead. How will the economic and political climates of today translate into how we live and want our homes to function? Naturally, the Home for the new year: It’ll be sleeker, simpler headline caught my eye, and upon reading the article, I was reminded of how far we’ve come over the past decade.

Flashback to New Year’s Eve 2001. What we were expecting to be at least a one hour journey into downtown Chicago was a mere 20 minutes.  After the 9/11 terrorist attacks that fall, apparently people wanted to stick close to home to celebrate the arrival of a more promising New Year. The nesting phenomenon had begun in earnest. Homes became our safe havens and included separate theater rooms, family rooms, play rooms, offices, and spa-like baths so that we could keep our families close-by, comfortable and protected. It made sense at the time.

In light of current economic conditions and the desire to live a greener, more earth-friendly lifestyle, it appears that the McMansion days are over. To that we say, Amen! And furthermore, our family is using the trend toward multi-purpose spaces where families can gather together for meals, entertainment, work, crafts, and homework to develop our list of home improvements for 2010. These projects blend how our family is evolving and our needs are changing with general upgrades we’d like to make to improve our home and quality of life here. You won’t find any theater rooms or spa baths on our list.

Reed Davis, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine

Project #1:  First on our list is to develop a home office station in our living room that can accommodate a computer station and general command center. Of course, it still has to look good as it will be the first thing someone will see when they enter through the front door.  I snapped this picture after taking down all the Christmas decorations, so bare bones.

Pared down for demo!

Project #2:  Open our kitchen to the dining area to include a more fluid space for entertaining and give us more counter and prep space. We are planning to remove a portion of this wall.

Project #3:  Winterize our porch to create a mudroom and casual family room. Currently we use the porch as a dumping ground, mud room, outdoor toy storage and the occasional site of large dinner parties. In the picture below, it housed the kids’ table for our Thanksgiving 2009 dinner.

But here’s what the porch looks like on most days. Lovely. Yeah, we LIVE here.

We’ll keep you posted as the projects progress throughout 2010. If we can complete all three we’ll have accomplished our goal of multi-purpose spaces just in time for the forecasters to predict a completely different trend for next year. But we won’t care, because when it comes to how you live in your home, what’s hip and trendy just isn’t that important. And to that we also say, Amen!