North Pole burlap pillow

I had seen a similar pillow at Christmas time last year and I figured if I still liked it a year later, then I definitely liked it enough to make a copy-cat version. I made a stencil of the wording using my silhouette machine, and filled it in with a black sharpie. The reason that I didn't use paint was because I didn't have any vinyl. I just made the stencil using card stock and paint tends to bleed around the edges when it is not completely stuck to the material. I actually really liked the look of the Sharpie lettering. It was really pretty simple. The hardest part was spacing the words and keeping the lines straight. The best part of the project is that the only thing it costs me was a little time. I already had all the supplies on hand. Now I have about 5 other Christmas pillow designs that I want to make but probably won't get around to.

Painted Sunflower Pillow

I love most of the pillows in Pottery Barn, but the painted sunflower pillow really caught my eye. I came very close to making the purchase, but then I decided it would be pretty easy to make myself. Although it doesn't look identical, I was pretty happy with my copy-cat version. I just love sunflowers in the fall.

Pottery Barn

Ready for Football Season...

I have used natural colored burlap for tons and tons of projects. I have a thing for burlap. But I had never used colored burlap until I made these pillows. I made the Auburn pillow for a bride-to-be who is also an Auburn grad. She is getting married in September and is having a football area for the wedding party to watch the games before the ceremony. Her future husband is an LSU fan so she decided to decorate using a "house divided" theme. She contacted me to make 2 pillows for each team. So, this is just one of the four that I will be making.

When I bought the orange burlap material, I realized that there was a red color that could easily pass for crimson. Being an Alabama fan and alumni, I knew there was no way that I could make an Auburn pillow with out making an Alabama one too. 

For both pillows, I hand painted the team logos and then sewed the burlap to make a cover for the pillow form. Of course, I like one a bit more than the other, but I think they both turned out great. Now, I am just ready for football season!

Copycat Pottery Barn cube

Pottery Barn twill cube $99

Around Christmas time last year, I came across a twill cube ottoman in Pottery Barn. It wasn't anything eccentric or gorgeous, but its simplicity won me over and I almost bought the thing more than once. Thankfully I came to the conclusion that I didn't need to spend $100 on an oversized cube that I had no place for. 

Pottery Barn outdoor cube $159 $125

Over time, the perfect cube slipped my mind. That is until its outdoor twin debuted in the Spring Pottery Barn catalog. This one costing $159. I knew I wasn't going to make the purchase but that didn't stop me from dreaming about it. 

plush baby blocks

I'm usually always thinking of ways to make a copy-cat version of expensive items that I yearn for, but for some reason, it never crossed my mind that I could easily create a replica of the PB cushion. Then it hit me. When I was making the plush baby blocks for one of my friends who is expecting, I realized the blocks were tiny versions of my beloved cube. 

my copy-cat cube

A friend had given me a huge roll of canvas material, which happened to be the perfect color and texture. I wanted my cube to be pretty large so I cut six (20") squares of material, and six (20") squares of fusible interfacing material. I ironed a square of the interfacing material to each square of canvas to make the sides sturdy and give it a perfect cubed shape. Next I lined up the edges and sewed the right sides of the material together, until I had a cube with one side left unstitched. I stuffed it with tons and tons of polyfil. I'm really not sure how much it took because I used what I had around the house and then bought a 50 oz. bag to finish it off. Afterwards, I kind of wished I had monogrammed an "M" on one side and at some point I might un-stuff the thing and do that. Overall, it ended up costing me about $8 for the polyfil and I think it looks pretty similar to the Pottery Barn version. Now, I'm thinking about making one out of burlap.

my cube in the living room

Monogram burlap pillow

If you haven't picked up on it yet from my other posts, I am pretty much obsessed with monograms. I feel that a set of monogrammed initials portrays a sense of neat, preppy style. It can add an interest to the simplest of things. And, of course, it lets others know that your stuff belongs to you. 

The summer weather has motivated us to begin decorating our back deck and pergola, in hopes of some late afternoon al fresco dining. We haven't officially decided on a color scheme for throw pillows, rugs, etc, but I had an idea for a pillow that I wanted to make. I decided since I was making it out of burlap, it would go with anything. I started with a 14x20 outdoor pillow form, cut 2 pieces of burlap to fit accordingly, and sewed it together. Next, I created a circular monogram of my initials using Adobe Illustrator, printed it to make a stencil, and cut the letters out with an xacto knife. I placed the stencil in the middle of the pillow cover, and painted it with "antique white" acrylic paint. I sealed the painted monogram with a sprayed coat of polyurethane to protect it from moisture. Finally, I sewed the bottom side of the pillow cover closed and took the pillow outside to see it in its new surroundings. I am thinking we will end up with a few more like this in with our backyard decor.

Union Jack Pillow

Union Jack decor seems to be popping up all over the place. The trend is being displayed in the form of painted furniture, art prints, clothing, rugs, and pillows. There are many trends that I can't quite get into, that just aren't me. At first, I was pretty sure this was one of them. As the trend started to grow, I began seeing very creative uses of the union jack in home decor. Then I decided that I actually liked the style. But, there is just no place in my house for those red and blue colors. And then I started seeing the union jack in other colors including pink and neutral. The neutral concept is what really won me over. That would be perfect in my living room since I am going for a neutral, semi-rustic feel. I knew that I didn't want anything too large or too bold, so I decided a simple pillow would do the job. I designed my pillow using leftover linen-like material from another project. I made my stripes using two shades of burlap and a flour sack dish towel. I happened to have a pillow form that was the size I wanted so this project ended up costing me nothing at all. I was impressed with how such a small design could really add interest to a room. 

First Grain Sack Pillow

I am planning to make a whole set of pillows to go on the couch. I am envisioning a neutral assortment of burlap, linen, and cotton; with a combination of French vintage designs and soft country detail. My inspiration comes from all over, mostly from other bloggers and, of course, Restoration Hardware and Pottery Barn. 
If you have read many of my other posts, you should be well aware of my love obsession for grain sacks and all things made from them. Well, I decided it was time to make my own. I found an old pillow insert and begged my mom to sew a pillow case for it. I chose the same "linen-ish" material that I used to make my "Mrs." and "Mr." pillows. I chose to add brown stripes to the center and to both outer edges. I marked off the areas that I wanted to stripe with tape, and got out my paint brush. Typically, when I have a paint brush in hand, this is not the sort of project that I am working on. Besides my furniture and crafts, I also paint acrylics and oils. I haven't done anything new in a while because I have been in more of a mood to re-decorate with DIY creations but if you enjoy artwork, I would love for you to check out my stuff. You can find most of it at Dainty Paint. I plan to add some of my art to this blog as well. 

So, back to the pillow. This was an extremely easy project (especially considering the fact that I didn't do any of the sewing) but I was definitely pleased with the outcome. After the paint dried, I sanded over the stripes with a sanding block to fade the color. I'm still hoping for the real thing one day, but this is a very close second.

A "couple" of pillows

I finished making these pillows a few weeks ago and have been dying to post about them. They were a gift for yesterday's bridal shower, so I managed to keep it a secret until then. I saw these "mr." and "mrs." pillows on the Ballard Designs website and thought they would make an excellent gift for a bride-to-be. 

Ballard Designs $59

I knew that I could make these pillows for a lot less than $59. Plus I love giving homemade presents. I found some fabric on sale at Old Time Pottery for $4/yard. It was a light neutral color with a linen feel- perfect for this project. Since I don't sew, I enlisted my mom's help in making the pillow forms. I do know the basics of how to use a sewing machine, I just have no desire to put those skills to use. Maybe one day. Next I bought a package of 6" letter stencils at Hobby Lobby. I measured to find the center of the pillow, spaced out the letters, and taped the stencil to the fabric. Then I painted the lettering with dark brown acrylic paint, removed the stencil, and Ta-Da! They were so simple to make and I ended up liking my pillows better than the Ballard inspiration.