Sofa Pillow Refresh

I found this colorful fabric at "Hobby Lobby" several months back.  I love the mix of colors: turquoise, navy, brown, gold, coral, green, etc.  My house is pretty neutral, so I thought is would be fun to add a bit of color to the sofa with some new pillow covers.  I am not a great seamstress, so I once again went with envelope pillow covers.  You can see my first attempt at envelope pillow covers and a tutorial link here.

These pillow covers are incredibly easy to make.  I had some really soft navy blue corduroy on hand which I used for the "flip" side of the covers.  For less than $5, I now have some color to brighten up the family room.  The great thing is I can change these out whenever I want. Yeah for easy to make envelope pillow covers!

I really need a new sofa, but with two little ones (and their sticky hands) I am not in a rush to replace it.  A few new accessories help me to bide my time.

I am thinking about ordering this throw that is currently on sale at "West Elm".

 

It is currently $9.99 with an extra 15% off through Monday the 19th.  Here is the link.

I think the navy and ivory will be perfect with my new pillows.   At this price, what's not to love.

There is nothing better than some budget friendly accessories to refresh your space.

Update: (5/27/14)

My new throw from "West Elm" is here!  Love it!

-Laura-

In Bloom (May)

This year one of my goals is to focus on beautifying our outdoor space.  I have been busy pulling weeds (the never ending chore) and a couple of weeks ago John and I spread out some fresh mulch.  We have some well established rhododendron bushes and azaleas that are currently in bloom.  The blooms are really nice this year, so I wanted to share some images.

Drawing from inspiration found in garden magazines, I have been busy putting together some potted plants around the deck which I hope will flourish this summer.

Above is a pot mixed with climbing white Mandevilla, purple wave Petunias, and Dusty Miller. I put together a bamboo trellis for the Mandevilla to climb up.  If the Mandevilla grows beyond this trellis, I plan to wrap it around the deck railing.  I had good success with this pink Mandevilla a couple of years ago. 

I found some Dahlias on the clearance rack at "Lowes" marked down to a $1/plant.  I purchased two of these plants and mixed in some Dusty Miller for this pot.  After a bit of TLC the Dahlias have really perked up.

Lastly, I picked up some coconut liners and hanging baskets from the "Dollar Tree".  Can you believe I got two baskets and two liners for just $4.  I put some shade loving Begonias and greenery in these baskets and hung them next to our patio below the deck.

Has anyone else been working their green thumb this spring?  Any plans for gardening this weekend?

Wishing all a great weekend!

-Laura-

Fallen Tulip

Yesterday I was pulling some weeds while my boys rode their bikes in our driveway.  I noticed that two of my tulips had been knocked down by a recent rain storm.  I plucked these blooms and brought them inside to enjoy them.  I thought I would share some pictures of these two tulip blooms, because even fallen flowers can be extraordinarily beautiful.

Hope these images brighten your day!

-Laura-

How to Make Your Own Map Pennant

Slowly but surely, I am working to add more "big boy" personality to my four year old son's room.  You can read about our recent transition from nursery to toddler room here.  I really like the look of a fun pennant in a child's room.  I decided to make my own from materials I had on hand.

Materials:
Old State Road Map
Twine
Template (A Pirate Pennant from a Birthday Celebration)


How To:
I just unfolded my road map and then traced the outline of the template five times with a blue pen.  I then cut small slits on each side of my "flags", so I could slide the twine through.  I hung the pennant with some washi tape and called the project done.

The great thing about this project is how easy and versatile it is.  You can use any heavy weight paper (card stock, scrap book paper, posters, etc) to make your own personalized banner.  If you have a good template, this project only takes about 15 minutes.

Have a great day!

-Laura-

DIY Felt Play Kitchen

Continuing in my attempts to make homemade toys, here is a super simple "play kitchen" that can be whipped up in less than a 1/2 hour. You can see the play campfire set I made out of felt a couple weeks back, here. 

Materials:

Felt Squares,  (white and gray that I had on hand)

I just took one sheet of stainless steel gray felt for the base of my stove top.  I sewed on white felt circles in a swirl stitch to mimic burners.  Lastly, I sewed on a strip of white felt at the back to house the dials and clock (which were quickly drawn on with a "Sharpie" pen).  I pulled out a mini "egg" skillet for my boys to use on the mini stove.  The "egg and bacon" are also made out of felt. 

If you cook you have to clean, so I made a "sink" out of an old packaging carton.  I glued white felt to the outside of the carton with with fabric adhesive.  I then glued a piece of blue felt to the inside bottom to mimic water and sewed together a tube of felt for the straw faucet cover.

This project cost me $0, because I already had the materials on hand.  This little "kitchen" set is easy to pack away and travel with.  The hours of fun my boys have already gotten out of this toy is well worth my small investment of time.

Have you made any homemade toys lately?  I would love to hear about them.

-Laura-

DIY Botanical Art on the Cheap

I am currently a big fan of "Country Living" magazine.  I have never thought of my design style as "country", in the gingham curtains sense, but I do love the vintage and classic country designs showcased in this magazine every month.  The April 2014 issue has a great tutorial and link to a free image download for botanical prints.  The tutorial instructs you how to take the botanical prints and decoupage them on to some glass trays.  I didn't have the patience or desire to decoupage, so I just:

• downloaded the images
• printed them at "Fedex Copy"
• and put them in clearance frames found at "Michael's"

I found the two 8x10 "rope" detailed frames for just $6/each.  The "bead" detailed frames were $24/each, but on a buy one get one free sale.  With an extra 20% off coupon, my total cost for frames was just $35 and the print cost for the images was only $3.  My total investment is just $38.  I put these botanical prints on a blank wall in my dining room that was crying for attention.

Here is the link to the "Country Living" site where you can download these botanical images, click here .  If you use these images, I would love to see how it turns out.  Feel free to leave a link to your project in my comments section below.


-Laura-

Homemade Toys!

My little boys have such active imaginations these days.  It doesn't take much to get them started down the road of make believe.  This in mind, I thought I would try my hand at some homemade toys. Above is a campfire set I made out of felt.  I was inspired by this beautiful set from "The Land of Nod"; click here to see it.

I just free handed the design of the flames and stones.  For the logs, I rolled up one sheet of felt and then sewed the ends together.  I used "fiber fill" to stuff all the items.

Materials Breakdown
Felt Squares-$2
Fiber Fill-$4
Fun Creating-Priceless

Total Cost:  $6

My boys love to play in this tent we have set up in the basement, and now they have the campfire to go with it. I plan to add some sticks with marshmallows and hot dogs when time allows.

I will be back with more homemade toys I have been working on in upcoming posts.

-Laura-