I anticipated that this these pillows might not be as well-liked as the other camp crafts because hand stitching is rather time consuming. Surprisingly, these fleece alphabet pillows were very popular at girls camp. I got the idea from a book titled 101 Crafts Under $10 from the editors at Butterick. Their craft is called “Felt name pillows.” The Butterick editors ironed the rest of the name in smaller letters onto the pillow, which I loved but decided was too difficult for camp purposes. We used fleece instead of felt because it’s softer and cheaper. The hardest part (for me) was drawing and cutting out each letter of the alphabet in cardboard for the girls to trace onto the fleece, but you won’t have to make the whole alphabet. Mostly everyone made a pillow out of their first initial, but I thought it would be cute to make “X” and “O” (kiss and hug) pillows. I used red embroidery floss on the “X” and charcoal floss on the “O” so they coordinate.

Fleece alphabet pillows

Supplies and tools

• two 16-inch square pieces of fleece (found at Walmart and JoAnn)
• embroidery floss
• embroidery needle (we liked Singer’s large eye hand needles the best)
• 16-inch square piece of thin cardboard
• pencil & ruler
• fine tip Sharpie or water-erasable fabric marker
• paper scissors
• fabric scissors
• polyester fiberfill

1. Draw your letter onto the cardboard. Cut it out. For best results, make the letter as fat as possible and round the corners so they aren’t as pointy as my “X” pillow. Two alternatives to freehand drawing your patterns: 1) Print out your letter in Gill Sans Ultra Bold, Lithos Pro Black, or Insolent font and enlarge to 16 inches tall, or 2) Try McCall’s pattern #3274 (minus the seam allowance).

2. Trace the pattern onto one piece of felt.

3. Cut out both pieces at the same time. If you used a permanent marker, cut just inside the line, so the ink will be cut away.

4. Line up the edges of the two fleece pieces. Thread your needle with a long piece embroidery floss, using all six strands. Tie a knot in the end.

5. Blanket stitch all around the letter, stuffing the pillow with fiberfill as you go. Alice at futuregirl craft blog has an excellent tutorial on how to sew felt (or fleece) using the blanket stitch. Follow her instructions here. For letters such as A, B, etc., blanket stitch around the opening(s) in the letter first, then around the outside.

4. You’re done!

Inspired by Jonas Bohlin's tulle lamp, seen here in Gudrun Sjödén's catalog

Ever since I spotted Swedish designer Jonas Bohlin’s tulle lamp in Gudrun Sjödén’s catalog last year, I’ve been dying to make my own. I finally did it! I started with Ikea’s Melodi pendant lamp, then added tulle. Never having attempted anything like this before, I guessed four yards of tulle would be plenty. Boy, was I wrong. It actually took 10 yards. No worries, though. At $1 a yard at Walmart, the tulle is quite affordable. This lamp reminds me of a ballerina’s tutu. Imagine a pink one hanging in your little girl’s room. Or a black one in your modern bedroom. Jonas Bohlin’s lamp = $524. My lamp = $25. Woot.

Flouncy tulle pendant lamp

Supplies

• 10 yards of 54″ wide tulle
• embroidery floss
• Melodie pendant lamp
• light bulb

Tools

• large embroidery needle
• rotary cutter & mat (These are essential. It’s impossibly hard to do it without them.)
• binder or bulldog clip
• safety pins
• straight edge

1. Gather your supplies. You can ignore the fancy beaded trim in this photo. It was superfluous in the end.

2. Using your rotary cutter and mat, cut a 17″ wide strip of tulle lengthwise. The mat makes this easy because the tulle is see-through. You might not even need a straight edge.

3. Fold the larger piece (37 inches wide) so that one side of the fold is 17 inches and the other is 20 inches. Lay the 17-inch wide piece on top of the larger piece (17-inch fold facing up). Essentially, this creates three layers: two 17-inches wide and one 20-inches wide. Safety pin all three layers together half an inch from the edge of the fold and spaced every foot or so.

4. Using your mat as a guide, sew a simple running/basting stitch one inch from the edge of the fold. Start sewing about 1-1/2 inches from the end. Space the stitches about 1/4 inch. Clamp your spool of embroidery floss at the end to anchor it and allow for adjustments in length later on. You can baste by machine instead, but I sewed it by hand (because my sewing machine and I are are sworn enemies at the moment), and it went surprisingly fast.

5. Remove the safety pins and gather as you go.

6. When you get to the end, overlap the right and left sides 1 to 1-1/2 inches and safety pin in place.

7. Continue stitching until you reach the other end of the floss. Remove the needle and trim your thread on both sides so you have plenty of extra to tie a knot.

8. Wrap the tulle skirt you created around the lamp, pull tight, and tie a knot.

9. Insert the cord kit and light bulb.

10. Hang it from the ceiling with a hook. Smooth and straighten the tulle. All done!

Compare to Pottery Barn Teen's fabulous but expensive Style Tiles

Whenever I speak to my dad on the phone, he always asks, “Miss me?” This past month I’ve been getting concerned emails, so apparently some of you missed me—or at least my weekly blog posts. I’ve missed you too. I think I just needed a break. But I’m happy to say I’m back. I’ll be posting every week again. And sending long overdue responses to your emails and comments (my apologies!). This pin board project started with a friend’s broken, holey bulletin board and some free fabric samples. I just added copious amounts of hot glue and some white paint. It reminds me of Pottery Barn Teen’s Style Tiles—which are $340. Mine only cost me about $7.

Salvaged patchwork bulletin board

Alternatively, of course, this look could also be achieved by sewing the fabric pieces together and wrapping the entirety of bulletin board. However, my sewing machine is on the fritz, and I like this method better anyway.

Supplies

• salvaged bulletin board
• cardboard or illustration board
• 6 fabric squares
• hot glue sticks
• finish nails
• sand paper
• wood putty
• white paint (I used Benjamin Moore Aura Steam [AF-15])
• primer (I used Kilz 2 latex primer)
• drop cloth
• thumb tacks

Tools

• hot glue gun
• hammer
• nail set
• paint brush
• drill and small drill bit
• utility knife
• self-healing mat
• long metal ruler or yardstick
• pencil
• iron & ironing board
• scissors

1. Measure the bulletin board, divide it into six squares, and mark with a pencil. Number each square so you know where each piece goes when you assemble it later.

2. Protect your work surface with a self-healing mat. Using a utility knife, cut along the lines you drew. It will take several passes to cut all the way through.

3. Cut your fabric pieces 2-3 inches larger than the bulletin squares. Iron each piece flat, then determine your placement. (I know. This is not how mine ended up. What can I say? Oops.)

4. Cut out a notch at each corner, then fold over the top and bottom and hot glue them to the back of the square.

5. Then glue down the left and right sides. Repeat for all six squares. Set them aside.

6. Reassemble the frame. I found the best way to fix a broken frame like this is to pre-drill a small hole at each corner (to keep the wood from splitting), then drive in finish nails with a hammer. Use a nail set to drive them beneath the surface, fill with wood putty, then sand smooth when dry. Protect your work surface with a drop cloth, then paint two coats of primer and 1-2 coats of paint, letting dry between coats. I painted the front and back for a more professional look.

7. When the frame is completely dry, insert the four corner pieces first, then the two middle pieces.

8. Measure and cut an illustration board to cover the back of the bulletin board just inside the frame.

9. Moving from left to right, hot glue about nine inches of the illustration board at a time and press down until the entire back of the bulletin squares are covered.

10. Turn it over, trim any loose threads, hang the pin board on the wall, then tack up whatever ephemera you choose.

Remember my tank top totes from a few weeks ago? Well, I just had to share this tip. The piece I cut off the bottom of the one of the tank tops made a perfect—and super comfortable—headband. My friend Rhean did a beautiful job modeling it for me. So, save your scraps. Mine is about four inches wide, but nearly any width works. Skinnier = headband; wider = head wrap. They’re ideal for pulling your hair back to wash your face or apply make-up too.

No-sew tank top headband

Supplies and tools

• tank top (preferably a stretchy one)
• rotary cutter
• self-healing mat
• metal ruler
• scissors

1. If you made a gathered tank top tote bag, use the scrap piece you cut off the bottom. If you didn’t make a tote bag, and you just want to repurpose an old tank top, cut 4-inch (or other desired width) strips across the body of the tank.

2. Your original cut may be a bit jagged like mine, so measure and cut a smooth, straight line with a rotary cutter.

3. Then just twist into a figure 8 at the seams and double it over like a rubber band (to wrap your head twice). Smooth the top part out and wrap it around your head, placing the crossed-over seams at the base of your neck.

Before you pack away your summer clothes for the winter, you might want to set one of your tank tops aside to make one of these easy totes. The best kind of tank tops to use for this project are ones that have front and back necklines that are the same height—or very close. Otherwise, your tote bag will be lopsided. The brown tote is reversible, so the pockets can be on the inside or outside. I made that tote small because the straps were thin and wouldn’t hold a lot of weight. The magenta tank top had a gathered neckline in front and back, so a gathered bottom was ideal. A pink store-bought flower pin finished it off.

Tank top tote with six pockets

Supplies and tools

• tank top
• straight pins
• water-erasable fabric marker
• sewing machine and thread
• fabric scissors
• seam ripper
• sewing gauge or ruler

1. First remove the tags with a seam ripper or scissors.

2. Turn the tank top inside out.

3. If your tank top has a bra liner, cut the elastic off the bottom of it.

4. Fold so that the straps lie on top of each other.

5. Fold the bottom of the tank over itself. This will become the pockets.

6. Pin in place, making sure the seams line up. Mark where you want the seams in between each pocket with pins or an erasable fabric marker.

7. Using a stitch that stretches with knit fabric, such as the triple straight stitch, sew the seams that divide each pocket. Make sure the bra liner is lying flat before sewing. Back-stitch to lock the seams.

8. Sew the bottom together about 1/4 inch from the edge. Back-stitch to lock the seam.

9. Turn the tote bag inside out so the pockets will be on the inside—or leave it as is.

Gathered tank top tote

Supplies and tools

• tank top
• straight pins
• water-erasable fabric marker
• sewing machine and thread
• fabric scissors
• seam ripper
• sewing gauge or ruler
• flower pin

1. First remove the tags with a seam ripper or scissors.

3. Fold so that the straps lie on top of each other. Measure and mark where you want the seam to be. I placed mine five inches from the bottom of the tank top.

4. Baste two rows (about 1/4 inch apart) along the line you marked. Do not back-stitch. Then pull the bobbin threads tight as you slide the fabric inward to gather it. Then use a straight stitch with a shorter stitch length and sew between the two basted seams. Back-stitch to lock the seam. Pull out the basted seams.

5. Cut off the excess fabric about 1/2 inch past the seam.

6. Turn the tote bag right-side out.

What can I make with an old picture frame that’s missing glass, a free fabric sample from FabMo, and an 8- x 10-inch LoRan magnet board that my friend Chris gave me? Another friend, Kristi, had an idea: a mini magnetic board. If you add a few more magnetic boards, frames, and coordinating fabrics, you could hang a whole collection of magnetic frames on the wall. They’re perfect for school photos, business cards, or other small ephemera. And you can easily swap out the fabric to fit the season.

Magnetic picture frame

Supplies and tools

• 8- x 10-inch picture frame
• LoRan magnet board
• fabric scrap (at least 8 x 10 inches)
• tape
• primer
• paint (I used Benjamin Moore Aura in Steam [AF-15] in satin finish)
• small and medium paintbrush
• newspaper or drop cloth
• rare-earth magnets (aka Mighty Magnets)

1. Paint two coats of primer. Let dry. Apply one coat of paint.

2. Use a small dry paintbrush to brush away the excess paint that pools among the ornate surfaces of the frame, then let dry. Apply a second coat of paint and repeat with the dry paintbrush.

3. If you’re not hanging the frame on the wall, it’s a good idea to paint the back side as well.

4. Iron your fabric piece.

5. Tightly wrap the fabric around the magnet board and tape in place.

6. Insert the fabric-covered magnet board into the frame, then insert the easel back. Add magnet, photos, etc.

Why anyone would paint over window panes is beyond me. But that’s exactly what someone did to this window that I bought at a salvage yard for $20. It took a couple hours to scrape away all the stray paint and caulking, but the effort was totally worth it, considering I now have a fun beach-themed shadowbox. I tore all the tropical photos out of travel magazines. I can think of many other uses for salvaged windows, so there might be more window projects to come.

Salvaged window = shadowbox frame

Supplies

• painter’s tape
• primer
• latex paint
• window cleaner and paper towels
• masking tape
• double-sided mounting tape
• cardboard (one piece big enough to insert in the back of the window frame)
• fabric (large enough to cover the cardboard)
• photos, postcards, seashells, or other memorabilia

Tools

• paint scraper
• paint brush
• vacuum
• utility knife and/or X-Acto knife
• self-healing mat
• scissors
• pencil
• metal ruler
• iron and ironing board

1. Using a paint scraper, remove all the stray paint and caulking. Vacuum up the paint dust and scrub the window clean.

2. OK, now I know why a lazy painter would skip this step. Taping off each window pane is tedious (but necessary) work. The fastest and most precise method is to tape all four sides of one pane letting the excess tape overlap, trim each end with an X-Acto knife, then move to the next pane.

3. Fill and sand holes, as necessary. Wipe clean. Paint one coat of primer. Let dry. Paint two coats of paint. Let dry overnight. Flip it over, and repeat on the other side.

4. Carefully peel off the tape when the paint is dry.

5. Using a utility knife, metal ruler, and self healing mat, measure and cut a large piece of cardboard to fit the opening in the back of the window. I got this large piece of cardboard from Freecycle.

6. Iron a piece of fabric that’s large enough to cover the front of the cardboard and wrap around the edge at least an inch.

7. Wrap the fabric around the front of the cardboard. Tape the overlap to the back with masking tape.

8. Insert the fabric-wrapped cardboard into the window to make sure it fits. Lay on your work surface and arrange your photos and memorabilia as desired. Then move the window aside.

9. Using double-sided mounting tape, affix the photos and other items in place.

10. Insert the piece of cardboard in the window. Mine was such a snug fit that it stayed in place on its own. If yours is loose, you can tape or screw the cardboard in place.

11. I leaned mine against the wall, but you could also hang it vertically or horizontally with two keyhole fasteners. Hang from a stud or use a drywall anchors or molly bolts.

One of my friends referred to this as the “ugly mirror.” Another friend said, “Whatever you paid for it, you paid too much.” I get more excited about a project when I hear comments like that because I think, “Just wait till they see what I do with it. Mwahaha!” For the record, I paid $9 for this plastic thrift-store find. I used leftover materials from three previous projects: shuttered bulletin board, spa slippers, and pants-hanger frames. I only had to buy fabric, paint, and ribbon. Now I just need to find a use for a chipped oval mirror.

Framed bulletin board

Supplies

• large picture frame (check thrift stores and flea markets)
• homasote board (see my note on homasote here)
• fabric
• polyester batting
• spray paint (I used Krylon Fusion for plastic)
• wide grosgrain ribbon
• drawer pull (I spray-painted a vintage pull from a salvage yard)
• 1-1/2 inch long hanger bolt (8/32 x 5/32 for most drawer pulls)
• furniture nails or thumbtacks
• newspaper

Tools

• staple gun and staples
• scissors
• screwdriver
• coping saw
• marker
• drill and masonry drill bit

1. First disassemble the frame or mirror. Using a marker, trace the mirror onto the homasote board.

2. Cut it out using a coping saw. Homasote is basically pressed paper, so it’s easy to cut. It just makes a bit of a mess.

3. Clean the frame free of dust. Cover your work surface and spray on the paint. It will take a few coats from several angles to cover something as ornate as this. Let dry several hours.

4. Trace the mirror onto the batting and cut out. Sandwich the batting between the homasote and fabric, lining up the edges.

5. Pull the fabric tight and staple once at each of the four “corners.” Then gather and staple the fabric in between. Trim excess fabric.

6. Replace the back piece with screws. (I know that’s a funny looking screwdriver, but it works great. Hand-me-down from my dad.)

7. Tie one end of the ribbon around a screw on each side.

8. For that extra touch, use white furniture tacks instead of thumb tacks. I love how tacks along with houndstooth fabric and puffy batting give it an upholstered look.

9. Remove the screw from the drawer pull and replace it with the hanger bolt. Screw it in as tightly as you can. Drill a hole in the wall and screw in your picture hanger. If your pin board is heavy, you’ll need to screw the picture hanger into a stud or use a molly bolt.

10. Hang the ribbon from the picture hanger, and pin up your favorite ephemera.

I found these chairs curbside with a “free” sign taped to them. They have a nice shape but suffer from two problems: a shoddy paint job and cracked seats. I knew I could fix both issues. I wasn’t settled on the how part until I saw what Melissa did to her tables at ikea hacker. Perfect solution for these two chairs. The fabric serves as decoration and camouflage.

Reclaimed dining chairs

Supplies

• black latex paint (I used Benjamin Moore Low Lustre Metal & Wood Enamel [363-4B])
• 1/2 yard of fabric (I used “Arboretum Toile Cinder” found at Calico Corners or Fabric.com)
• artist’s medium (I used Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish)

Tools

• screwdriver
• paint brushes
• drop cloth
• hand or electric sander
• fabric shears
• ballpoint pen

1. (If your seats aren’t cracked, you can skip step #1 – 4.) Remove the seats with a screwdiver.

2. Apply a generous coat of wood glue at the break.

3. Adhere the two pieces together, clamp, and wipe off the excess glue with a paper towel. I used nylon backpacking straps as a clamp. Let dry for a couple hours.

4. With the straps still on, drill pilot holes and screw two mending braces on the underside of each seat for reinforcement. Let the glue continue to dry overnight.

5. Sand down the lumpy imperfections in the paint. (These chairs really needed to be stripped first, but I didn’t have the desire to pay for—nor breathe—the chemicals required to do so. Besides, the black paint will hide imperfections.) Wipe clean with a damp paper towel. Paint the chair frames, taking care not to paint the back where the fabric will be placed. Let dry overnight.

6. Lightly sand the seats, then place upside down on top of the fabric. Trace the seat with a ballpoint pen onto the backside of the fabric.

7. Cut it out, taking care not to fray the edges.

8. Apply a layer of artist’s medium, then lay the fabric on top and smooth it down. Trim the excess fabric, if necessary.

9. Apply 3-4 coats of artist’s medium over the fabric, letting it dry a couple of hours between coats. Be sure to generously coat all the fabric edges to prevent fraying.

10. If the back of the chair is too curved to trace (like these), just cut a piece roughly to size. Then repeat step #8 and 9.

11. While the medium is drying, apply a second coat of paint to the chair frames. Using a smaller paint brush for precision, paint the edges of the seat as well. (Actually, it’s much easier to paint the edges first, then apply the fabric and medium after the paint is dry.) Let dry, then apply a second coat.

12. When the paint and artist’s medium are dry, reassemble the chairs.

I’m redecorating my living room. Red has been lovely, but the colors of the sea are calling me. (I’ll post a before and after when my living room is done.) I like Ikea’s Fjädrar inner cushions, but none of Ikea’s pillow covers go with my new color scheme. So, using a cover that I bought in the As-Is section for a couple bucks, I figured out how to make my own. Plus I decided I was due an easy project after last week’s marathon.

Easy pillow cover with zipper

*Disclaimer: This may not be the proper way to install a zipper, but it worked for me.

Supplies

• 3/4 of a yard of 45-inch fabric
• 18-inch zipper

Tools

• sewing machine
• thread
• scissors
• rotary cutter, mat, and metal straight edge (optional)
• straight pins
• water-erasable marker
• tape measure
• sewing gauge or small ruler
• iron and ironing board

1. Preshrink and iron your fabric.

2. Cut one piece of fabric these dimensions: 42 inches x 21-1/2 inches. Fold your fabric in half, lining up the selvages. Measure 21 inches from the fold, and cut. Then cut the left edge, measure 21-1/2 inches and cut the right edge.

3. In each corner opposite the fold, mark a line that is 3/4 inches from the top and 1-3/4 inches long. Sew along this line, backstitching at the ends.

4. Fold over at the seam and press each side down.

5. It will look like this.

6. Place the zipper upside-down on top of the seam, about 1 inch from the edge. Pin in place.

7. Lock down one side by sewing perpendicular to the zipper, about 1/2 inch long, just before the zipper stop. Sew back and forth a few times.

8. Unzip the zipper. Using your zipper foot on the left side, sew along the left side of the zipper, 1/4 inch from the edge, lining up the edge of the teeth with the edge of the fabric. When you get close to the end, put your needle in the down position, lift the presser foot, and zip the zipper closed. Then put the presser foot back down, and keep sewing to the end.

9. Move your zipper foot to the right side, and repeat step #8 for the right side of the zipper. Then lock down the opposite end in place by repeating step #7.

10. This is how it looks turned right-side-out. Not perfect, but not bad for my first try. Turn it inside-out again.

11. Unzip the zipper. Sew the left and right seams the entire length with a 1/2-inch seam allowance.

12. Turn the cover right-side-out and insert your Ikea inner cushion. You’re done!