I popped into World Market over the weekend because I heard they were having a rug sale.  I was desperate for a new area rug, and when I say desperate I mean desperate with a capital D.   I’ve had the same cream Berberish carpet rug in my family room for two years, and with kids n’ pets n’ friends’ n’ snacks n’ all that loveliness, the carpet was looking very ‘Eww’.

World Market was having a sale on 6’ x 9’ rugs and 6’ x 9’ is the magic size in my house.  6’ x 9’ fits in the family room, the dining room, and the living room too, but hot dang if it isn’t hard to find an affordable stylish 6’ x 9’ rug.   They’re always 5’ x 8’ (too small) or 8’ x 10’ (too big).  Or maybe I’m just not looking in the right places.

After I scored my new rug on clearance, I couldn’t help but notice World Market had some pretty snazzy fabric napkins in their linens department, 2 for $6 dollars, nice!

I always think pillows when I see sassy stylish cloth napkins like this, because that’s one inexpensive pillow cover if you’re willing to take the time to sew them together.  But I’ve already done that.

Then I remembered there’s a lot of you out there that don’t own a sewing machine or don’t sew, and I reckoned I could show y’all how to do it without Mr. Singer.

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Simple No Sew Removable Pillow Covers made from Cloth Napkins:

What You’ll Need:   Two cloth napkins measuring 20” x 20”; fusible web (found at any fabric store); moist washcloth; scissors; iron.

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One of my favorite things to do when the weather turns is transition the dining room.  It’s a space that serves us for both casual and formal dinners, so it has to multitask.  Last May, I transitioned the space for summer, adding off-white slipcovers and garden roses.  However, with the first autumn rain, it was time again to change the slipcovers on the chairs and update the tablescape.  This year, I also changed the window treatments.  A few candlesticks, seasonal pumpkins, and some earth toned linens, and the dining room is ready for homemade hot soups and pumpkin pie.  Yum.

One thing I wanted to change this year was the window panels.  The existing dark brown panels with a botanical pattern looked great in summertime contrasted with the crisp white slipcovers.  But in winter, with a brown rug and brown slipcovers, the whole space was looking a little, well, a little too brown.  So I opted for something lighter, and simpler.  Soft green linen look panels customized to fit my French doors.

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Plain mousepads are boring!  There are plenty of pretty pads available out there for purchase, but I wanted to recycle my old one with the use of some fabric.  This is such a simple project !  I had a plain gray mousepad that I used to use in my old office, but with all of these new upgrades, the mouse pad could not be ignored.  So I recycled my old mousepad by adding a scrap of fabric I had leftover from a recent project.

Supplies:

1. Any rubber backed mousepad
2. Fusible web for bonding (called Stitch Witchery)
3. Iron, ironing board, and moist washcloth
4. Fabric of choice (avoid fabrics that are too sheer, have embroidery, or that resist fusible web due to their artificial fibers).

First, align your fabric pattern on your upside down mousepad, then trim about an inch of fabric all around.

Next, trim a piece of fusible web to the size of your mouse pad, and fold your fabric over the webbing.  Use your hot iron and a moist washcloth to bond the fabric to the pad.  Be careful not to melt your rubber backside by avoiding any direct contact between the back and your iron.

Once you’ve done all four sides, then trim the fabric on your corners, pinch the fabric down, and use more fusible web to bond the corners to the mouse pad.

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That’s all folks.  Simple, and a project you can accomplish in about 15 minutes.

For another tutorial on how to sew a mouse pad, see this post at Craft A Week.

Or try Ashley’s Modge Podge version at Make It And Love It.

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I am in the middle of a remodel of my home office.  I originally envisioned elegant window panels scaling the wall from floor to ceiling.  But then I realized that if I am surrounding my window with cabinetry and shelving, then the idea of dramatic curtain panels had to go, well, out the window.  But I still needed a touch of fabric to cover the less than lovely white blinds.

I’ve made window valances before so I constructed yet another valance for my home office with the same technique I’ve used before, but this time, I added a soft swag.  I found this curtain on clearance at Lowes for $7.

How to Make a No Sew Swag Window Valance:

A note on fabric choice:  Since you’ll be using a lined curtain turned on its side to construct your valance, choose a solid, or a pattern that looks good when you flip the pattern horizontal instead of vertical.

Supplies:

1. Curtain panel long enough to run width (not length) of window
2. Staple gun
3. Fusible web for bonding fabric (sold as Stitch Witchery or Heat-n-Bond at fabric stores)
4. 1/2 inch x 2 inch thick pine, birch or poplar board from home improvement store, cut to length of valance
5. 1.5 inch “L” Brackets
6. Iron

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Step One:  Choose where you want your valance to sit above your window, then measure the length of fabric you’ll need to cover the top of the board, and hang down over your window.  Cut fabric to chosen length.

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Step Two:  Trim side of curtain panel to width of valance, plus 2 extra inches on sides.  Use the fusible web, a hot iron, and a moist cloth to bond your fabric together to form a clean hem.

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Step Three:  Press your fabric with an iron to remove any wrinkles, then staple it to the top of your wood board, leaving 2 inches overlap on each side.  Trim off any excess fabric on the top.

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Step Four:  Wrap your fabric around the side of your board and secure side with a small staple.

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Step Five:  Locate studs on wall, then position your “L” brackets on your valance to match up to the wall studs.  Screw valance into wall.

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Step Six:  To swag your valance, pinch your fabric together, then secure with a safety pin.  If you experience too much “droop” in the middle of your valance, and it pulls away from the window’s edge, one trick is to secure your fabric to the wall underneath the fold with a small tack.  It works !

Step back and enjoy your inexpensive and homemade swag valance.

Now I just need to install those gigantic cabinets!