DIY Custom Slipcover

A couple of years ago, I found an ugly armchair at Goodwill for only $25!

Yessss, I thought to myself, it was in near perfect condition, didn't have any offensive odors, and it was a rocker! With a quick, white slipcover it would work wonderfully in the baby's nursery.

(The wall color is the same in both pics...funny how lighting changes things. Also, please excuse the chandelier chain hanging from the ceiling-our electrician is a flake and never returned to finish his job)

Only, for the past couple of years it has stood out like a sore thumb, uncovered, and maroon!

Back in my early days of sewing, I once attempted to make a slipcover and it was a complete nightmare. I wasted fabric, cursed, and threw the chair away!

I was sooooo nervous about trying again, but I have been sewing a lot lately, so I mustered up the courage, searched blog land for tips, and got to it.

The first part was actually the most fun for me. I loved the whole draping, cutting, and pinning process. It was like a huge fabric puzzle. A great piece of advice that I found online was to hand baste along my pins before heading to the sewing machine. This was super time consuming, but in my opinion, well worth it. I stabbed myself much less than usual :-)

Another time consuming step was making my own cording to sew into the seams. However, I really believe it makes the whole thing look much more professional. I didn't have enough fabric left over for the knife pleats to go around the entire chair, so I just did the front and about half of the sides. At first, this really bothered me, I felt like they had to go all of the way around the chair, but then I realized that it was my project and there was nothing that said it had to be any certain way.

Far from perfect, but I still LOVE it! Do you have any DIY slipcovers to share? Add a link in the comments, I would love to see them!

PS-I used my Joann's coupon and bought the light weight, white denim for my project. I'm linking up at Faded Charm's, White Wednesday!

Craft Room Makeover

Welcome to part one of my Craft Room Makeover.

You know how before going on a diet or starting a new workout program it is suggested that you take photos of your body in it's current state? They are your "fat pictures"; the ones that are supposed to remind you of why you are putting yourself through the sweat and pain; to remind you of where you came from.

Well, today I share with you my craft room fat pictures!

There are two entries to my space.

The door above is accessed through the garage. My husband's workbench is directly to the right of the door, so you can imagine the laugh I got when this sign went up!

Hahahaha!

Ok, enter at your own risk.......eeeeek, this is so embarrassing.

And wahlah! We are in.

Please fasten your seat belts and try to relax as the tour moves in a clockwise rotation around what will soon be an inspirational paradise.

Above is the only man (err, woman) door in the room. As you can see, it is currently home to all of my daughters' artwork.

My super-dee-duper handyman husband hung the cabinets for me. They were in the kitchen when we purchased the house, but saved them for this purpose. I see paint in their future. Probably white, maybe a color, you will have to wait and see.

To the right of the door we created a built-in workspace for office type stuff.

A girl's gotta be able to keep track of all of those orders right? Ok, maybe just a nice, clean place to blog. The cabinets were special made for the house remodel, but we ended up not using them. Again, my handyman installed a counter top. More painting.

On the Northern wall, I plan to have a special, kid-friendly spot. This is where the girls will be able to craft along side me. Then you will see a bump out in the room. Yes, a small portion of my real estate is shared with our pump room. However, I manage to use any free space inside for storage. Above the pump/storage room is a shelf which allows me to shove more stuff. One of my prize possessions is this old harvest table! You wouldn't know it the way it is covered right now, but she is amazing! Strong legs, long and lean, a smooth top, with a touch of chippy charm... now that's what I call perfection! See those partition walls? They are not a permanent fixture, I picked them up for free. They will be finding a new home in my friend's photography studio. The idea is that each side can have a different look, and they are on wheels, so she can just turn them for various shoots. The other way to access my world/craft room is through a large roll-up garage door. I love this because I can easily move furniture in and out to work on it. I also look forward to throwing it up in the summertime, and letting the kids come and go from the yard as I work. Stay tuned for more Craft Room Makeover.

*Do you have a craft room you would like to share for inspiration? Leave a link in the comments.

On to Bigger, Smaller Things = Furniture Liquidation

Finally settling into our home after 3 years of remodeling has been such a sigh of relief. Our family now gets to spend more time together, we are no longer living on top of each other in a barn that often left us feeling like we were camping 24-7, and so far, no bats!

Here is a little peek into our home, mostly finished when these pics were taken, but yet to be decorated.

Dining Room/Kitchen

Dining Room Chandelier found on Craigslist for a steal!

Architectural Salvage Chippy Corbels purchased from the Amazing Sue of Bella.

Our Master Bathroom

French doors looking onto the back deck from the Mud Room

(and our kitten trying to escape)

Columns on the front porch (pre paint job)

The drawback is that I am forced to get rid of some of my larger, furniture items. It appears my husband would like to actually use the garage, and I would like to be able to access my craft room that is currently serving as a storage unit. I have decided to sell the big stuff on craigslist so that I don't have to deal with shipping, so if you live in the area and are in need of some furniture...email me. I will continue to add more.

Vintage metal numbered folding chairs

Full size iron head and foot board

Gray Side Table/Night Stand with Bin Pull

Sold.

Unique Side Table made from an upcycled sewing table base and weathered barn board Sold.

Matching Set of Distressed White Side Tables

Sold.

Charming Round table with 4 Chairs.

In the meantime, I will be focusing on collecting and creating smaller finds that will better fit my space. A quick trip into Craft Warehouse today left me feeling like a kid in a candy shop...I stocked up and will now be busily sewing as I sit in my cozy coop watching it snow.

Check back for a New Year's Announcement that you don't want to miss!