Spring Floral Arrangment

Just as I shared in my last post (shamefully from last fall), I was admiring the beautiful spring wildflowers that grow on the side of the road I drive everyday. Purples, yellows, whites dotting the edge of the road.




I decided to take few minutes the other afternoon and gather a big bunch and make a bouquet. All free and they are doing quite well. Day three and still beautiful. And like I said in my last post, not only does it feel good to get out and pick flowers to enjoy, but you might just inspire someone else to do the same!

Be Inpired,
Karol

Fall Floral Arrangment

I have a beautiful, scenic drive down 30A on the Gulf coast every morning to work and recently I had been noticing so many beautiful fall wild flowers along the way and decided last week I would make a few stops on my way home and gather some to make an arrangement.


Ever drive by flowers like this and admire them?


Well, make plans to take a few minutes to stop and gather them and go home and make an arrangement! It only takes a few minutes. And it's also inspiring for others to see you picking flowers. I bet they will think that they have wanted to do the same thing, but just hadn't taken the time yet. :)



Be Inspired!

~Karol :)

Slip Cover Complete!

Today I finished up my weekend project. Slip covering a chair in my son's room. Last week I shared a few before pics. I will share some "during" pics of some of the things I fixed to make the chair even better.



If you have read my previous post, you will see this pic of what the cushion looked like in the chair. It is sinking in because the strips that hold up the seat are broken.


I removed the sewn-in cushion and this is what I found. It just needs new stripping put down before adding the new cushion.

This is what the cushion looked like by the time I removed it. Kind of a mess and if I had just made a new slip cover for the seat cushion it would have been very lumpy and not looked good.

So I made a casing for the foam piece and also added more stuffing to make a fuller, more comfy seat for the chair.

I replaced the strips with new jute material strips.




I made the seat cushion slip cover first. It looks so much better already!



Then I made the slip cover for the chair. I would share step by step, but I don't really have a method to my madness. But I do prefer the process of laying out the pieces wrong-side-up and pinning everything and cutting to get the best fitting slip cover.

And if I could give two words of advice for making slip covers. Pin everything! I hate pinning things and I get in a hurry sometimes and don't want to, but it is really worth it to take my time and pin everything.

Be Inspired!
Karol

This Weekend's Project

This weekend I am going to recover an old chair that my son uses at his desk in his room. I bought a set of two chairs like this at an estate sale several years ago. I thought they were perfect for my kids' rooms to have at their desks.

I have shared on my blog before and after pics of my daughter's chair slip covered HERE.

And to be honest, I never took a before pic of my daughter's chair so I took a pic of my son's for the before and after on that page. Her chair looked the same except the seat was in better shape.

This is how the seat looks now. The chair is a very solid chair. Good structure and I like that it has casters on the bottom. What is wrong is the strips that they weave beneath the seat when making the chair are worn out and broken.

I purchased this seat strip stuff (sorry, I have no idea what it's called) at Wal Mart the other day. I was there and decided to see what clearance fabric they had. I wanted something inexpensive since it is covering a teenage boy's chair. Need I say more? Well, Wal Mart had this stripe fabric for $3.00 per yard. I think the stabilizer-strip stuff was $.67 per yard. Very inexpensive.



This weekend I am going to fix the bottom of the seat on this chair and make a simple slip cover for it. I'll share some pics when I have it done. I will also show how to fix the bottom of the seat.

Be Inspired!
Karol

Slip Covers Complete!

I took pictures as I went along on this project, but to even think of explaining how I did this is overwhelming. Let's just say I am glad they are done and I don't have 1980's mauve chairs in my living room anymore! And they are totally removable and washable.

I used inexpensive muslin to make my pattern pieces. I also made the slip covers out of Osnaburg, which is a muslin fabric, but kind of looks like a linen. Osnaburg is very inexpensive and did well when I pre-washed and dried it.


Be inspired!
Karol :)

My Goodness!

What a wonderful day.

I have been a guest poster on The Nester's Blog today:

http://www.thenester.com/2010/04/layering-to-create-a-cozy-outdoor-space.html




AND I am also on The DIY Show Off blog today, too! Roeshel is sharing my Shower How-To:

http://thediyshowoff.blogspot.com/2010/04/easy-outdoor-shower-tutorial.html

How exciting.

Thank you Nester and Roeshel for sharing my how-to's with your visitors. I am honored.

Be Inspired!
Karol :)

My Weekend Project...

Finally. I am ready to slipcover these MAUVE wing back chairs that are in my living room. I purchased the fabric, it is pre-washed and dried. This will be my weekend project. I will post an update with pics when they are done.

Be Inspired!
Karol