inmyownstyle

Double Duty: Movable Window Seat or Bedroom Bench

Before
In my house - I have this space above the foyer,  it is a hallway that connects two bedrooms, we call it "the bridge".  It adds architectural character to the foyer, but has no real use.  It is basically an unused space, except when I have to vacuum the carpet. It is the only action the area sees besides the cat napping.  I haven't done much with the space as I didn't want to clutter it up in my effort to add some interest, but it needed something.  

 
If you have been following my blog  and remember the kitchen banquette, I decided to make a bench like I made for the kitchen.  It is a smaller version and not attached to the wall so that the bench could be moved on a decorating whim- somewhere else.  It is not just pretty, it can be useful, too.   It performs double-duty!

 I made the cushion by simply covering a piece of foam gift-wrap style with a piece of fabric.  Use pins to secure on the underside.

 
After

This is it's home most of the time, but it has another life-

 

 

 

Prest-O Change-O 

The window seat  becomes a bedroom bench in my guest room, a nice place for guests to place their luggage or their bottom.

 

 

I just slide it to it's two locations. Super simple, so versatile.

 

Useful in the Bedroom

Pretty in the Hallway, the cat doesn't seem to mind as long as he has a sunny spot to take a nap.

 

To make it.  I measured the window width and then created a box with plywood.  It has no back, just two braces made from scrap wood.  I added a half-round piece of trim around the top, right under that is crown molding.   Baseboard molding and a decorative embellishment I found in the VanDyke's catalog give the basic box some style.  A few coats of paint and I was done.

 

 

 

I am linking this project to:

Make it For Monday - Cottage Instincts

Metamorphosis Monday - Between Naps on the Porch

A Soft Place to Land

I Made it Without My Hubby - Shanty 2 Chic

Trash to Treasure - Reinvented

 

 

 

Oscar Gowns and Glitter

 And the Oscar goes to….YOU!

A Walk Down The Red Carpet

What girl wouldn’t want to have Harry Winston sparkling around her neck or wear a beautiful designer gown and shoes?  I sure would, but I can only dream about it – the life I lead doesn’t include a walk down the red carpet at the Oscars or even an invitation to dine at the White House.  I do however get invited to the neighbor’s party and have the occasional wedding, shower, or fund raiser to attend.  I have friends who are having babies and my daughters always had birthday parties to attend on a weekly basis.  Family, friends, and my co-worker’s pass milestones that are worthy of recognition.   It took me awhile, but I came to realize that these day-to-day events that fill my calendar are my walk down the red carpet.  I could choose to let them pass by without giving them much thought, or I could elevate them into a way to enable me to express my personal style and in doing so, not only make my life more rewarding, but put a smile on the faces of the people around me, too.   At Oscar time I  think of all of my friends  who would love to wear the gown and jewels and make them something stylish so they feel special and red carpet worthy.

 

 

A Day in The City

Since my friends and I don’t have the lifestyle to ever need one of the glittering gowns or gems, one way I can make them feel special and Oscar worthy in my book, is to make them a collection of stylish magnets that their refrigerator can wear for them.  It is a little like playing with paper dolls, just think of the refrigerator door as the doll.

Beach Day 

When I am reading fashion magazines, and see a great looking dress, piece of jewelry, or an object I know my friends or family member will adore, I cut them out and place them in a folder.  Before the Oscars or a big event in their lives I give them a paper purse filled with a to-die for dress, handbag, shoes, and jewelry that they can accessorize their refrigerator doors with.  When arranged on the refrigerator, they will be able to mix and match to create outfits, like the Chic Simple books do and feel a little red carpet magic going on right in their kitchen.

Try to be creative and think of oppurtunities to give-away a free wardrobe, maybe a friend is going on a fabulous trip, you could put together a collection  and title it “Trip to Paris” include a suitcase, sunglasses, scarf, and anything else you can find that relates to her trip.  Every time she goes to her refrigerator she will be pleasantly reminded of her upcoming trip and think of you.

Browsing through magazines searching for items to include can be inspiring - you will find that there are images of just about anything you can think of.  How about a photo of a bouquet of flowers for your garden loving friend, highly polished kitchen appliances from a Williams Sonoma catalog for a foodie friend, and images from baby catalogs filled with all sorts of baby paraphernalia for your cousin who is expecting her first child.  It is an inexpensive, yet creative way not only to surprise someone, but to let your personal style shine as well.

 
 You can turn any image into a magnet.  I save all the sheet magnets I get, from the local pizza place to the ones my dentist gives me to promote her practice.  You can also buy sheets at craft stores in many different sizes with adhesive already on the sheet.  You can find the adhesive sheet magnets here at AC Moore along with magnet sheets that are designed to go in Ink jet printers which allow you to print images directly from your computer, also at AC Moore

Gather:

Clipped items from magazines, catalogs, and old books

Sheet magnets

Spray adhesive - if you are not using the sheets with adhesive already on them

Small sharp scissors – I use nail scissors

Self-laminating sheet

Colored markers 

1.  Cut images from magazines and catalogs leaving a bit of the background on each. (Do not cut the details of the image until the magnets are glued-on.)

2.    Place sticky side of self-laminating sheet on top of clippings and smooth to makes sure there are no air bubbles.

3.    Spray, spray adhesive on the top of the magnet and arrange clippings on top. Smooth each image with your hand to make sure images adhere.

4.    Trim images with scissors, closely following the details.

5.     Run a matching colored marker around the edge to create a more finished look to each image.

Variations:

Embellish an evening gown image with glitter or teeny tiny beads.

Glue card-stock instead of magnets to the images to make bookmarks

 

 

As I am typing this post, I am watching the Oscars,  and just heard a line from a very funny movie that I think is fitting for this post. 

"Life moves pretty fast, if you don't slow down and enjoy it, you just might miss it"

    - Ferris Bueller

 Find ways to celebrate your everday!

 

I will show you how to make the handbag gift bag that I put all the magnets in later this week.

 I am linking this post to:

 

Make It Monday - Twice Remembered

Just Something I Whipped Up - The Girl Creative

Make It Monday - Persimmon Perch

Market Yourself Monday - Sumos Sweet Stuff

Motivate Me Monday - Crafts Keep Me Sane

The Project Parade - The DIY Showoff 

Made By You Monday - Skip To My Lou

Get Your Craft On -Today's Creative Blog

 

 

How-to Make Inexpensive Place-Card Holders and Napkin Rings for Your Tablesettings

 

Recently, when I was cleaning out the mess in my basement junk area, I came across a box of drapery pleater hooks.  The kind with 4 prongs that are used with traverse rods.  They immediately reminded me of a craft that my mom used to make when I was a kid.  She was into re-purposing, not to recycle as the "green" thing to do, but strictly to save money.  She used these hooks  to make  small easels to hold signs for her craft table at our church's holiday bazaar.  She simply bent the prongs to resemble an easel. 

 All the materials used in the above table setting were handmade,  from the Dollar Store, and Walmart.  The teacup and napkin are hand-me-downs. 

These little easels as I call them - can not only hold a sign or a place-card, but:

 a favorite photo

 

 
or

 miniature art that you can cut out from the preview pictures on the back of yearly calenders

 

 
or

 in this case I am using them as place-card holders

 

 
  I checked to see if this type of hook was still available and I found a package of 10 at WalMart.  They are called Wrights Wall Pleater Hooks.

 

To make the Little Easels

Gather:

4-Prong Drapery Wall Pleater hook

Pliers

Wire Cutters

1 Flat Sided Bead

1 Round Bead

Hot Glue & Gun

 

1.  Using pliers bend the center hooked section of pleater hook to straighten.  Bend backwards to create the back leg for easel.

2.  Pull the two left prongs to the left slightly. 

3.  Pull the two right prongs to the right slightly.

4.  Using pliers angle the two inner prongs 1/2" from end into a 90 degree angle to create the shelf.

5.  Glue flat sided bead over metal tip on top.  Once dry, glue the round bead on top of that flat one.

 

For my place-card above, I cut a piece of card-stock and added a border and name with magic marker.  You can also use a slide-mount as a frame for your place-card.

 Camera stores sell them or you may have some around your house.  If the camera store's name is printed on it you can easily erase it with an artists eraser.

Carefully open back and remove film.  Add decorative paper and close.  I used a brown paper bag, but was trying to find a scrap of scrap-booking paper to use.

It was getting dark, I had to use the flash, but you can get the general idea from this photo.

 

I also made a simple napkin ring for the table setting:

 Ribbon and two buttons.

 
 

Drill a center hole in the button with a Dremel drill.  Thread ribbon ends through the hole.  Place a napkin in loop and tighten.  Tie ribbon in knot on top.  Cut off excess.

 

I am linking this post to:

TipJunkie

Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple

Tablescape Thursday at Between Naps on the Porch

Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Show & Tell at Blue Cricket Design

100 Ideas Under $100 at Beyond the Picket Fence

Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous

   

 

 

How-to Make a Designer Pillow

 
If you love labels and logos then this project has your name written all over it. 

If you love to re-purpose then this is one way you can re-use the labels in your clothing.  

I almost always take the labels off my clothing because the tags itch and become annoying.  I carefully remove them with a seam ripper.   I place them in an envelope until I get enough to make something.  In this case I made this small 8" x 10" decorative pillow and accented it with beaded trim. Depending on how many labels you have collected you could make a much bigger pillow.    I am trying to save enough to make a throw blanket to toss across my sofa so that I can snuggle in style, but I am getting impatient.  I want it now, and may just start taking the labels out of everything, including my husband's and daughter's clothes. 

To create the pillow:

Use any pillow pattern.  Before sewing the two pieces of fabric together to create the pillow, stitch the logos onto the right side of the fabric.  I used Wonder Under on each label for placement purposes,  then stitched the sides down on each label.  I would leave a larger space/border between the labels and the seam the next time I make the pillow, so that the labels along the edges lay flatter. 

To create the beaded trim:

I measured the perimeter of the pillow and cut a piece of fishing line (Streen) or clear nylon thread a little longer than that measurement so that I had some extra for securing the beads on each end with a knot and for finishing the ends.  

I knotted one end and simply strung a variety of pearls, silver and glass beads onto the fishing line.  When I reached the desired length I knotted the other end  

Starting at one corner of the finished pillow, I  hand-sewed the beads onto the edge of  the pillow using the "blanket stitch" I learned when I was a Girl Scout, it is a pretty basic stitch and whenever I use it, it reminds me of making sit-up-ons to use when I went to GS camp.  Leave enough of the fishing line after the knot to push through a few beads on the other end, and then snip the excess fishing line so you won't have any showing or poking out.  Repeat on the opposite end.

 

I am linking this project to:

Today's Creative Blog

Between Naps on the Porch

Twice Remembered

Making the World Cuter

A Soft Place to Land

The Persimmon Perch

Keeping It Simple

Sumos Sweet Stuff

The Girl Creative

One of a Kind Gift Envelopes

One of my favorite things to do is to come up with unique ways to give the gift of tickets, money, or photos,  into the design of the envelope I am placing the gift in.  Why be ordinary, when with a little bit of time,  ingenuity, and a trip to your craft cabinet you can enhance the ordinary into something special and truly unique.  I have found that when I add a handmade touch to the gifts I give, it makes them all that more appealing to the reciever. 

 My illustrations below are just some of the ways I have personalized envelopes that I have given to my family and friends over the years.  I have made each one of these in the past, but never took photos of them before I gave them away.  These illustrations have been created from my memory.  I hope they inspire you to come up with some ideas of your own to give your family and friends that they will not only love and remember, but perhaps cherish for a long time. 

Make a template 1,2,3... 

 Open an existing envelope and lay it on the wrong side of the paper you want to make an envelope out of.  Trace around it, then cut it out with scissors. Form new envelope by following the folds of the original one.  Glue bottom flap with a glue stick.

 

Take Me Out to the Ballgame -When giving tickets to a sporting event or concert, check out your local telephone book.  There is usually a section in the front detailing local attractions that include color diagrams of seating charts for stadiums in the area.  Use a color copier to enlarge these diagrams to the required size envelope.  Highlight the seats of the tickets you are giving as the gift.

 

 

 
Achoo! -  I love old floral hankies as they are so colorful and include marvelous detail.  I arrange my template so that the most distinctive part of the hankie is on the flap or on one side of the front.  Enlarge a favorite on a color copier to give to a girl friend filled with spring seeds, or and invitation to have lunch together.

 

 
  You've Got to Play to Win - Put non-winning lottery tickets to good use.  Glue them onto a sheet of card-stock, overlapping the edges of the tickets.  Laminate with a self-laminating sheet, then trace a template to the wrong side and cut out.  Instead of a sealed closure, hot glue two gold buttons, one on the flap and one directly underneath it on the body of the envelope.  Wrap dental floss around the buttons to close.  You can also do this with play money you can buy at the dollar store.

 

 
  Be a Cut-Up !- Cut out an envelope template from a paper grocery bag.   I love various typefaces and lettering and have a folder of great looking fonts, decorative letters from newspaper and magazine copy.  I have an envelope I collect them in.  Find the letters and designs you want and cut and paste the old fashioned way onto the envelope.

 

 

 
  Improve Someones's Vocabulary -  Enlarge a dictionary definition on a photocopier that is suitable to the occasion.  Center on the template. 

 

 

All Prepped Out -  I once wanted to make a plaid envelope in which to send a holiday card.  I could not find any I liked so I took one of my husband's plaid shirts and made a color copy onto card-stock.  I hot glued an earring that lost its mate as a sparkly embellishment.

 

 

 Anything Goes - Photocopy just about anything - a map, a group of family photos, wallpaper, and old album cover, or sheet music of a favorite recording artist.
 
 
 I am linking this post to:

Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple

Frugalicious Friday - Finding Fabulous

Transformation Thursday - The Shabby Chic Cottage

100 Ideas Under $100 - Beyond The Picket Fence

Show & Tell - Blue Cricket Design

Get Your Craft On - Life As Lori

 

 

What a Surprise!

If you have been reading my blog for a while, you may remember this photo of the butler's pantry I did for a Decorator Showhouse in the Philadelphia area.  I was so surprised tonight when I clicked on the BHG Remolding Center.com Weekly Update in my e-mail and was taken to the home page of the site.  I was hardly even looking as I get these updates in my in-box daily from BH and Gardens special interest publications.  I am glad I checked it, normally I sometimes delete the e-mails before reading as I don't have the time to check all of them out.  When I looked at the site, there was the room I did for the Chestnut Hill, PA Showhouse under the heading of different ways you can use paint to transform a kitchen.  I did this room a long time ago, but since it was in Traditional Home magazine, it is in their archives.

 I think it is so cool and exciting to see myshowhouse room in this way.   If you would like to see it, you can click, here. You can also read the post I wrote about the window treatment, here.  I am totally smiling now.  Just seeing something I designed show up on this site has made my evening.  

I hope you are having a nice evening too, especially if you are living in the northeastern part of the US and are getting hunkered down for

Snowicane 2010!

 

 

 

Zoom Zoom Zoom

Earlier this week as I have been sitting in front of the television watching the Olympics, I made some decorative items.  I had stuff all over the place and thought- there has to be a better way to bring all my crafting supplies next to the sofa in a neat and orderly way.  I needed a cart of some sort.  

So with that in mind, I went to Target to see what they had. 
I wanted something pretty, not just a plastic drawer cart.  I wasn't finding anything, until I came across these wall cube organizers for closets for $20.00.  Inspiration struck and I happily went to the check out with a smile on my face and a plan to create a craft cart on wheels to easily roll around my house so my supplies are easily accessible to me in whatever room I happen to be working in.
 

 On my way home I stopped at Goodwill to see if they had anything I could use for my cart project.  I  found this basket and silver tray. 

 

The cube organizer went together very easily.  I just followed the enclosed directions.  I found wheels at Lowe's for a few dollars a piece and pre-drilled holes to attach them to the bottom of the cube. 

 

I used 16 screws and a power screwdriver to attach the wheels to the bottom of the assembled cube.

 

Since the cube was designed to go on a wall the back had unfinished edges.  I just dabbed some white craft paint on to cover the bare particle board.

 

 

Wheeeeeee, but I am not done yet.  
 
 

Remember the Goodwill basket above?  I spray painted it white and distressed  the edges just a bit.  Using a power drill I drilled two holes into the basket and the top of the cube.  I put a screw through each hole and used a wing nut with each screw under the the top of the cube to attach the basket.

 

  I made my monogram with Microsoft Publisher on my computer and printed it out on card-stock.  I laminated it with a self laminating sheet so it would stay clean.  I also wove a piece of ribbon around and through the basket, tucking the ends under each other in the back of the basket.

 

I used Mod Podge and black and white illustrations that I cut from an outdated travel book to Paris to cover a piece of cardboard that I cut to fit the bottom of the basket. 

 

I put a cup hook on the back to hold a clipboard with clippings, ideas, and project directions.

 

My completed craft cart. 

 

Zoom, Zoom -  Now I have a neat and organized way to house the materials I need to complete the mindless parts of decorating and craft projects while I watch television.  I even plan to use it as a place to gather paints, brushes, and other supplies when I paint a room. 

 Notice the right front wheel has a break on it.  This will help once you get your cart situated, you press it and the cart won't move until you release it.

 
 
 I am linking this post to:

Fingerprints On The Fridge

Funky Junk Interiors

Cottage Instincts

Between Naps On the Porch

Twice Remembered

Making the World Cuter

Motivate Me Monday

Market Yourself Monday

The DIY Showoff

The Girl Creative

A Softplace to Land

Today's Creative Blog

Make It Monday