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 Tray

Lately I have been seeing trays with all sorts of modern designs and funky, bright colors. I especially love the addition of large monogram in the center. I happened to have an unpainted wooden tray so I decided to give it a try. I decided to paint the tray gold to dress it up a bit. I measured the inside of the tray and cut a piece of fabric to the same dimensions. Then, I applied a layer of mod podge to the bottom of the tray, placed the fabric inside, and applied a top coat of mod podge. I created a stencil of my initials using Microsoft Word, traced the letters onto felt, and cut them out. That part was the most time consuming step. I smeared another thin layer of mod podge in the middle to hold the letters in place and then another over coat of mod podge. I think I still need to apply a glaze to seal everything but I'm still researching what I should use. I chose a black and white print fabric and used a coral color felt for the monogram to create a fun color scheme with the fancy gold edges. I think these would make super cute gifts and could be used in a variety of ways. I can't wait to put together other color and fabric combinations.

Linking to the DIY Project Parade at The DIY Show Off

Lately...

Over the past 48 hours since the disastrous storm made its way through Alabama, crafting has been far from my main focus. Since volunteer efforts are still in the stage of organization, my family and I are currently trying to provide essential items to people in need. Although I know the food and water and toiletries are very useful, I want to do so much more. For now, here is a look at my past week of crafts and thrifty finds...

I had spools of ribbon all over the place. Every time that I would need a certain color of ribbon for a project, it was easier to buy it rather than search for it around my house. I'm sure I still haven't found all of it, but at least I now have a system of organization. I actually found the frame on the side of the road. It is part of a wine crate and worked perfectly for making a ribbon holder. I got the wooden dowels and wooden knobs at Hobby Lobby. My dad cut the dowels down to the length that I needed and drilled holes in each side. How I love organization projects!

On the subject of organization, I tackled a massive amount of fabric. My mom has always sewn and over the years has accumulated 5 large tubs of material. I pulled out every last piece, tossed what I labeled as "hideous", and set to work. I cut a sample-size square out of each material before neatly folding back into a storage tub. Then I threaded the upper left corner of each square on to a safety pin. Each safety pin of fabric swatches corresponds to a particular tub. I was excited to find quite a bit of lovely fabric. I can't wait to put it to use.

I have been making these wreaths/door hangers for a while now. I've painted collegiate, Christmas, and family name themes. My cousin asked if I could make an "It's a boy" wreath for her sister-in-law and I thought that it turned out to be quite adorable. I decided to list a few on Etsy and hey have been a hit. Although my dad doesn't delight in the craft scene, I have to give him credit on this project as well as the ribbon holder. He cuts all the wreath shapes out of plywood and sands them to create smooth edges. Yea, he's awesome!

Last week's thrift store adventure was well worth the trip. I found a few other good deals but they were all shadowed by Mr. Beethoven. When I spotted the Beethoven bust, I went to grab him off the top shelf. I had no clue he would be that heavy. I also did not expect the cheap price of $6.88. I'm not a huge  Beethoven fan or anything but I find my statue to be rather handsome. I'm still searching for a female bust to drape my pearls over because they looked a bit silly on Mr. Beethoven.

Still praying for all of the victims of the tornados and all of their loved ones!