Altering Curtains, To Fit My Needs! (and wants)

In the mist of my mommy duties with play-doh on my hands (and in my nails! does anyone else hate that!?) I thought I'd try to get a post in. Don't spend the money on new curtians if you already have cute ones but they're to short.

The naked window in need of some dressing up!
So I hung on these curtains that I already had and love in my sons room but they were to short for the 9ft. ceiling and I wanted floor to ceiling curtains (rule of thumb, they always look the best) What to do, what to do?
So I bought this adorable fabric at Joanns. I didn't want to splurge on expensive fabric for this project, and using a 50% off coupon it was $5 a yard and I only needed a little more than a yard. Now this is where I kick myself because see this is one of those projects where I started it and then came back to it (I know none of you do that). So pictures I thought I had taken I hadn't! But basically I just hemmed the fabric to the bottom of the existing curtain.

Step 2- Next I wanted to hide the line where the polka dots meet the circles so I took a color from the fabric, being the yellow, and created a "band" about 3inch wide and sewed it to the curtian.

I wanted the band to be different instead of being just a plain piece of fabric. So I actually sewed 6 inch strips together with the seam side out for a little dimension.

Ta-Da! Sew easy! Anyone can do it. Like I said these were in my sons room, but you could make any curtain your own by doing this to a solid color curtain panel ( like one at Target) and then adding some fabric to the bottom.

His room is still a work in progress but I'm almost done!

Go HERE to see some art I've already done.

Happy National Craft Month!

I meant to post this yesterday but honestly I started reading a book and couldn't put it down. So here is my crafty post today, and maybe, hopefully a lot more crafty posts this month to come! I'll just have to become illiterate.

DIY Door Knob Picture Hangers

I was wanting to add some more family pictures to my door that hangs on the wall, down the hall. Go HERE to see older Door on the Wall post.
I bought these at Home Depot in their molding department, by the fireplace mantel kits. I spray painted them white. I can't remember what they're called. Anyone?

I got a 5" sq and a 3"sq.
Then I glazed them black.
Next I added this picture claw to the back. These are found in any picture hanging kit. I mentioned before you can get them at Dollar Tree or Walmart.
Next I screwed in the knob. These knobs I got at Hobby Lobby. The trick is to take a screw driver and drill a hole in the middle of the square but try not to go all the way through. Then just screw in the knob. It obviously did not screw all the way in but I didn't want it to.....
Then I hung it on the wall! So easy (but use good screws into anchors on your wall because between the wood, the knob and picture it's quite heavy).
So where the exposed screw is is the fabric the hangs the picture sits.
I took picture frames I already had and I hot glued some drop cloth on the backs and then just tied at the top.


Ta-Da! This frame is also hung on the same way but farther down and on a different wall. So there would be some sort of unity to the madness!

Stacey

p.s. the window at the bottom is no longer there. Last min. changes you know how it is!

I LOVE Whipperberry

I wanted to take a moment to say that out loud! www.whipperberry.com is an amazing website! They ladies there are sooo talented!
So check them out




Oh and they featured my chalkboard wall on there website yesterday, so thank you to them!
Stacey

Thank for all the nice comments on my Chalk Board wall! If you leave/ left a comment I also visited your site and became a follower! I believe in sharing the love!!

Sincerely,

Stacey

Chalkboard Fabulous!

Who said chalkboard walls are for kids?
{Actually the man at the paint store did and looked at me kind of weird when I told him the boy would NOT be drawing on this wall} I know chalkboard has been in for awhile but now it's "in" my house!

Have you seen the adorable movie 500 Days of Summer? The character studied architecture and he did this to the wall in his room and it inspired me to do.......

This to my wall!

Getting started! It went on super smooth and fast. I used Benjamin Moore chalkboard paint.

(once you go black....)
I loved how just the matte black look that I didn't want to draw on it but then once I started....

It started to all come together. I wanted to draw something I love and represents me. I love architecture and after a lot of thought I decided to draw the Greek Architectural Columns.

Then I decided to label the architectural elements. I wanted it to have a "blueprint" look.




Ta-Da! Some people have asked me lately how I got such straight lines. Lots and lots of practice in design school! My drafting projects were graded on how straight the line were and if they maintained the same thickness through out. Sounds fun right?

To check out how I made the buffet go HERE

Featured on Tatertots and Jello Blog!

Oh I feel so special again!
First of all, We now have over 100 followers! Yay, yippee, aright, whoo-hoo, all of the above! Thank you!

Second, my post on the lamp shade HERE, was feature on
Tatertosandjello.blogspot.com over the weekend!
Thanks Jen!
Go HERE to see it!

Where do you blog from? and Dealing with a Kitchen Office

At my house the office is in the kitchen.  There are pros and cons to this floor plan.  Since I am stuck with having my office here   I might as well try to make it look nice. Currently I can't do anything about these 90's oak cabinets, but a few accessories and a burlap bulletin board I made brighten it up. 

I'm still looking for a cute mug or something to replace my pencil holder next to my urn aka treat stash, and topiary

(never mind all those receipts back there that need a home... and chords that need to be concealed:-))

I often see these wooden office organizers at Marshalls.  This was a bigger one but still only $14.  (Office max types will run around $21 & up.)

Now, why get a pretty file organizer and put boring manila files int it?  Micheals sometimes has files in the dollar bins, usually 4 or 5 for $1. 

One of my most favorite things about getting organized  is the folder I made that has a special tab for "Husbands Stuff." 

 Gone are the days of him asking me where I put his stuff,  because I just point to the folder, and now he doesn't ask me anymore:-) 
I love when simple things make your life easier.  

...and just because I am missing my old house here's a little photo of my old office, a little more roomy than my pseudo office now:-)  It still needed paint but it had room for a sofa and I just finished making the window treatment... and I lived down the street from our grandma... it was great and I miss it.

I've been on a huge organizing kick lately, I'd love to hear any tips you have to share!

Lamp Shade Re-do

Sorry about no post on Monday, I took the holiday off to go to Vegas!

I wanted to keep using the great shades that came with these lamps. So I decided to recover them. The best way to do this super fast and super easy is what I call the "wedding dress" shade.
I started out with these drum lamp shades that came with the lamps. They were red to begin with but didn't match my room. So I recovered them in black (this was about 3 years ago) and now I wanted them white.

So I had some white muslin about 28" wide. I folded it over the top about an inch and hot glued to the inside. Then I gathered, gathered, gathered until I came to the end and folded that underneath the bottom and hot glued to the inside.
Then, where all the gathering and bunching was happening I pinned so that it would stay.

(see yellow circles above)
Then I came back with some needle and thread and replaced the pins by stitching just a little bit to the fabric underneath. Do whatever you think is necessary but it really didn't take me many stitches. The fabric is staying really well.

(see yellow circle above)
Ta-Da! So easy and so pretty!
(go HERE and HERE to see how I made the pillows on my bed)

Sweethearts Mantel

Feeling like Valentines yet?

Between preschool and 1st grade valentine parties this week and next,  pink and red finally made an appearance at our house.

Here's what I used to create this "love"-ly mantel:

My white pitcher I picked up at IKEA last summer,  I got the florals at Michaels, 40% off this week I might add.  Then I opened up my Christmas totes and got out the red candles.  

 The Valentine Subway was found here.  It's printable up to 16x20. 

I sent it to Costco for about $6.  

I had a lot of dollar store flowers up in my bow-making supplies, so I stuffed them in the birdcage for added color. 

These garlands are so easy to change out for the seasons, so I revamped my Halloween napkin garland.  I simply changed it out for pink and red,  I got the napkins at Target for $1.50.    To see how I made this with paperclips etc,  click here.  

 I've had my red lantern forever,  complete with melted candle from being left outside in the summer, the silver candlestick was a wedding gift from pottery barn.

One thing I especially like is this bird I found at Michael's,  he adds just enough interest and height to balance those tall florals on the right.

How's your valentines plans going? Do you decorate your home for Valentines, or is the holiday just too short for it?