We inherited an old patio set from my brother a few months ago (thanks Greg!) and let me tell ya……..we have enjoyed many days this spring, sitting in those patio chairs and having picnics up to our new hand-me-down table.  We’ve never had a patio set before but it’s actually kinda nice to have outdoor furniture to use while enjoying this beautiful spring weather.

The fabric that was on it was fine.  A little faded……..but still holding up really well.  However, you know me and fabric.  We start dreaming together.  So, I decided to recover the cushions with a happier print.

But I couldn’t decide on just one fabric.  So, I picked two……and made the cushions REVERSIBLE!!  You know, so that my chair cushions can change with my mood.  Ha!

Goodbye old seat cushions…..HELLOOOOOO new ones!!!

I kinda love that you get a partial view of the other fabric on the back, even when it’s not in use.

Now, if you don’t have existing cushions to recover, I’ll share how to make them from scratch……..no worries!  The shape and technique is pretty simple.  Anyone can give this reversible seat cushion technique a try! :)

And in case you’re worried about fabric outdoors……this is an “Outdoor Fabric”.  So it’s pre-treated and nice and thick.  And perfect for our little patio chairs.

Oh, how I love the new punch of color this gives our back patio!  Makes me enjoy my favorite parts of spring, twice as much!

Would you like to recover some chair cushions (or start from scratch)?

***Remember, if you don’t have existing cushions, you can still make these from scratch.  I’ll show you below.***

If you have existing chair cushions that are in pretty good condition and the foam inside is still comfortable, just cover them.   It will speed the process up for you.

Just remove them from your chairs and take a look at them.  Most likely, they’ll be a rounded rectangle with some ties on them. 

Measure your cushion length and width.  And make sure when your measuring, to flatten out the foam a bit so that you can get an accurate measurement of the existing fabric.  My cushions were 20 inches wide and 37 inches tall.

However, if you don’t have cushions, measure your chair back height, seat depth, and chair width.  This will give you some measurements for your own rectangle shaped cushion.  Be sure to determine how high you want your cushion to go on the back and how much of the seat you want to cover.  I would have liked for the existing cushions to have more seat depth to them…..but I didn’t want to reconstruct them, so I just went with it.  But if you’re making from scratch, you get to determine that.  Also, the chair width is only a guide.  You may want your cushions a little wider.  My chair width is 17 inches but my cushions are 20 inches wide.  Also, when you fold the pads in half and place them on the chair, it takes some length away.  So, you may want to add a few inches to the length of the cushion to account for that. 

TIP FOR THOSE STARTING FROM SCRATCH: The easiest way to determine your fabric size is to cut your foam first. My foam is about 1 – 1.5 inches thick.  You don’t need super plush (and if it’s too thick it will be hard to sew through) but adding a little foam adds comfort to your cushion.  Hold your foam up to your chair, fold it to contour with the chair and trim down if necessary.  Now you can determine your fabric sizes by measuring around your foam piece.  (Just be sure to add a bit to the length and width, to account for the 1 inch or so foam thickness.)

After you have the cushion length and width measurements that you need, add an inch for seam allowance to both of those numbers.  So, my existing cushion measured 20 x 37 inches but after adding an inch, I knew I needed to cut out pieces at 21 x 38 inches.

Cut out 2 different pieces of fabric in the size you need.

 ***I purchased this fabric at Joann Fabric and I needed about 2.5 yards of each color to make all 4 seat cushions.  The fabric is OUTDOOR fabric and has been pre-treated to withstand weather conditions.

Now, you could leave the cushions square but that may create very pointy corners with such stiff fabric.  So, rounding them helps with that.  Fold your fabric in half and round off two corners at the same time.  Just take off a little so that the rectangle shape is still there but there’s no more pointy corners.

Then fold it in half the other way and use the rounded corners as a guide for the other corners.  (This will assure all curved corners are exactly the same.)

There you go……a rounded corner rectangle piece of fabric.

Now, place together with the other piece of fabric (right sides together), match up the sides, and cut each corner exactly like the top piece.  Trim any wonky edges if needed, so that both pieces match up.

Now, leave those pieces together and start cutting strips of fabric for the ties.  Each of my ties were about 12 inches completed.  But I added 2 inches to that for seam allowances.  So, I knew I needed 8 total ties per cushion at 14 inches long and 2 inches wide.  That’s one long piece of fabric that’s 112 x 2 inches.  You can make each strip in separate pieces but it’s easier to make it in one long piece (or 2) and then cut them after turning into a tube, etc.

Then, because this fabric is so stiff (and would have been hard to sew into a tube and turn right side out), I folded it in half lengthwise, opened it up, and folded those edges in towards that center fold and ironed again. You know, just like making Bias Tape.

Then I sewed the strip closed, making it about a 1/2 inch wide.

Then, I cut my long strip into 14 inch long pieces.

Next, I folded an end over a 1/4 inch, another 1/4 inch, and then sewed into place.  You only need to do this on one end per strip.  The other end will be attached to the cushion and doesn’t need to be finished off.

Then, determine where your strips will go.  I just added mine exactly where they were on the previous cushion.  But, if you don’t have existing cushions, go look at your chair and see where you can tie the cushion on.  The bottom ties should sit right above where the fold of the cushion will be.  Then, take one of your fabric rectangle pieces and pin your ties right to the sides.  (If you’re starting from scratch and your chair is like mine, the chair back is taller then the seat is long…….so be sure to measure your chair and determine how tall you want the back section to be, compared to the seat.  My seat cushion is divided so that the top section is 20 inches tall and seat portion is 17 inches……just to give you an idea.)

Be sure to pin the unfinished ends right along the edge of the fabric……and then sew in place, using a 3/8 inch seam allowance.

Then, place your other rectangle piece right on top (with sides together) and match up all the sides and corners.  Pin in place.

And then sew around the entire thing, using a 1/2 inch seam allowance……….but leave a large opening along the bottom.

Turn right side out and lightly iron flat.  And I say lightly because you don’t want hard crisp lines because this has to curve nicely around the foam.

If you’re using your old cushions, cut the old ties off…….

……and slide right into the new covers.

Adjust until it fits nicely inside.

Then, fold the edges of the opening towards the inside, a 1/2 inch.  And then hand-stitch the opening closed.

Now, determine where the old center fold was (where the cushion folds in half) by feeling with your fingers…..

…..and then mark with chalk or pins.  (If you are starting from scratch, just mark where you want your cushion to fold.  If your chair is like mine, the chair back is taller then the seat is long…….so be sure to measure your chair and determine how tall you want the back section to be, compared to the seat.  My seat cushion is divided so that the top section is 20 inches and seat portion is 17 inches……just to give you an idea.)

At the sides, I pleated the fabric inwards to help with the fold of the cushion.  It’s fine if you skip this but after it’s folded in half on your chair, it will poke out a bit.  So, pleating it inwards about a 1/2 inch will help eliminate that.

Pin the pleat in place.

And then sew all the way along the center of the cushion, including the pleats at both sides.  (I used my regular sewing machine and had to really help it through.  Just be patient and go slowly.)  Be sure to follow along the pins or the chalk line that you drew, so that your cushion fold is even.  However, if your line wavers and isn’t exactly straight (like mine on the left), it won’t really matter after you fold it.  You can’t really see it (like show on the right).

My cushions had horizontal lines sewn into the seat back portion and the seat base.  It just helps keep the cover in place……so I decided to do that again.  So, I felt for the line of stitching, added pins as a guide, and sewed right on top, just like I did above.

And thats it!!  Brand new seat cushions to enjoy! :)

Now go and enjoy your good weather!

-Ashley

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Wow……the past few weeks have been a little craaaaazy.  But, things are finally calming down. 

Anyone in the same boat?  End of the school year activities, field trips, concerts, graduations, etc????

I know, I know…….those of you with teenagers are laughing right now.  This sort of crazy is only beginning for us, since I only have kids in kindergarten/preschool.  But we moved 20 minutes away from our old neighborhood and I have been driving back and forth to Elli’s old school, so that she could stay at her old school until the end of the year.  (And Connor in his little 3-day-a-week preschool.) Have you noticed a difference in this ol’ blog since we moved?  Yeah, it wasn’t just the move/unpacking/renovations that have been making things crazy.  It’s that darn drive.  But Elli’s kindergarten and Connor’s little preschool were both great for them……and that’s why we kept them there and didn’t transfer them.  So it was worth it.  Just busy.

I do have to say though…….I love you summer break!!!!  Thanks for coming around. :)

(I have a little pile of sewing projects that are begging me to finish them.  I can’t wait to show you!)

But yesterday was such a fun day for both Connor and Elli.  They both had a little graduation……and they both felt completely important for the day. 

Connor’s preschool class had a sweet little program…..and some really funny songs and chants that they prepared and shared with all the parents.  And those little grad caps……paper bowls, some card stock, and a yarn tassel.  Possibly the cutest grad hat I’ve ever seen! :)

And this funny ABC song.  I admit, I cried.  Where did this big “almost” kindergartener come from?  My word…..my boy has grown! :)

At the end, they each received their graduation certificate…….and some magic Kindergarten dust from their teacher, Miss Maydra (whose heart is made of gold!!).

Connor’s officially ready for kindergarten.  In fact, he tells me every day that his feet have grown into “big kindergartener feet”.  Wow…..that must be BIG! ;)

In the evening, we went to Elli’s kindergarten graduation.  I still remember my nervous little bug, worried about beginning kindergarten.  Oh, how she’s grown!

The lighting was terrible and the crowds were fierce.  Let me tell you, don’t mess with another kindergarten graduate parent.  They need their photos and are willing to disregard all social rules in order to get them.  Ha!  (Have you been to a kindergarten graduation lately? Wow…..it’s insane.)

But this sweet little lady was so excited.  Especially when her baby picture showed up on the screen.

Connor and Chloe enjoyed the songs and baby pictures, right along with Grandma and Grandpa. (thanks for coming Mom and Dad!)

After it was all over, we took one last look at Elli’s classroom,………..while she searched for her last project to take home.

She told us about 17 times, how she couldn’t believe that she graduated kindergarten.  Me either.

Good JOB little Miss!  You sure are a sweet little light in our home. 

And thanks for learning how to read……because seeing you with Chloe on your lap, while reading her a book makes my mommy heart swell. :)

Now excuse me while I smother these little monkeys in kisses.

Oh, and finish up a little something during nap time today. 

I’ll share tomorrow!

-Ashley

***

We decided after moving into our home, that the floors on the main level needed some love.  There was a mixture of hardwood and old carpet (about half and half).  The old carpet really had to go (do you ever imagine who/what has been on old matted carpet?? it’s not a good place for your brain to go…) and the hardwood had us stumped.  We considered keeping it and sanding/re-staining or just adding more wood and staining it a color that closely matched the already existing wood.  But, we ultimately wanted a completely different plank of wood.  So, it seemed crazy to put money into re-staining the old wood or trying to match it……when we didn’t really like it.  So, we decided to tear it out.

Steve and I chatted with 2 of our brother’s……..and gathered some tips and advice. And then learned a few things along the way that we are GLAD we figured out! 

Time savers (and muscle savers) are priceless tips. ;)

 SO here you go…

***Even if you’re not installing your own hardwood floors, doing the demo will definitely save you some cash.  Just ask your installers what it will save you. (But we installed our own floors and a ‘How-To’ on that will be shared soon.)***

First off all, there are several ways to remove a hardwood floor but we chose the QUICKEST option.  However, if your wood is in good condition, consider selling or donating.  You may have to pick through to salvage the good pieces of wood if some of yours is rotten (like ours was in some places) but there are people who are in the market to purchase old hardwood floor pieces.  Even if it’s cut into pieces like ours was.  (But some may want the full pieces.)  Also, if we would have had more time, we were thinking of posting an ad, stating that we had old hardwood floors that would be free with removal.  Then, the interested person could come and remove it as carefully as they wanted to……and then we wouldn’t have had to do a thing.  But I guess, you also have to be careful who you allow into your home for many days while they remove it.  So, yeah.  Pros and cons to weigh here.

But we chose the quickest route possible.  And have a pile of salvaged wood pieces, ready to be donated.

Okay, so the fastest way to remove old hardwood floors is to cut the boards into smaller sections.  This is helpful because hardwood planks are all different lengths and make it really tough to remove quickly.  So cutting them into smaller pieces of wood, makes it easier to pry up.  So, using a Circular Saw (ours was a worm drive…..and it gave it some ooommph), cut lines into your hardwood, perpendicular to the direction the wood is laying.  And cut each section about 1-2 feet wide.

IMPORTANT:  Be sure your saw blade is set to the thickness of your hardwood floors, so that you’re not cutting through your sub-floor.  Our hardwood was 5/8 inch thick….so that’s how far the blade fell beneath the base of the saw. 

Then start sawing away (and get ready for a TON of dust).

Now, it’s time to start prying the wood up.

We used a 2 inch Pry Bar and a Mallet.  We purchased a Dead Blow Mallet, which has sand inside of the head.  Each time you strike something, the sand propels forward in the head, giving you some extra force.  Great tool……and we totally noticed a difference.  (So, a great investment!)

We used both tools and started prying up all that old wood.

And yes, it seems daunting but progress is pretty quick with these tools.  (It’s the clean up that takes more time.)

Now……..here are 2 MUST HAVE tools that we used for removing the metal.  And we would NEVER remove hardwood floors without them.   Do you realize how many nails and staples are used to install hardwood floors?  About a trillion. :)

So, for removing staples…….the Nail Claw was faster. And those little suckers popped right up using the claw.  Just insert under the staple and rock back.  The staples will pop right up.

However, if you have a broken staple (that snapped in the middle and no longer has a place to hook the nail claw), we used the Curved Vice Grips.  Just pinch, rock, and they pull right out.  These Vice Grips also work well for nails.  We originally just used these Vice Grips for everything……..but because you have to squeeze to close and then release, they just take a little more time.  You know, like a half second per staple.  But hey…..that adds up.  That’s why we also purchased the Nail Claw (above) and loved that for ripping out all staples.

Now……..after all nails and staples are removed, you’re going to have piles of debris.  Something that we figured out while working, is that a large magnet would save us some grief. 

Just glide across the floor, gathering up everything metal……

……and dispose. 

And then the rest of the small wood pieces and saw dust can be sucked up with a Shop Vac.  (because most shop vacs won’t suck up metal and you don’t want those pieces to clog or cut up your vacuum anyway.)

Then repeat, repeat, and repeat some more.

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In case you need an idea……we tore up about 700 square feet of hardwood and we probably spent about 10-12 hours tearing it all up.  We would tackle it in the evenings after the kids were in bed, and would work for 2 hours or so.  It really wasn’t so bad and was pretty satisfying as we worked.  Demo work is actually pretty fun.  And besides, you’re getting a good work out without even trying. ;)

Oh wait, wait, wait………a few last minute MUST HAVE ITEMS:

**I would NEVER tear up hardwood without the above pictured items.  You’re on your hands and knees for HOURS, so those knee pads were a life saver.  And yes, your hands will get torn up without gloves…..so don’t even consider working without them.  And there’s all sorts of dust and pieces of wood flying around……so those glasses will save you. :)

And that’s it.

I hope that was helpful.  And a little encouraging.  Because even if you’re not laying your own hardwood floors, doing the demo will definitely save you some cash.

(But if you ARE laying your own hardwood floor, I have a whole post on how we installed ours.  Almost done.)

Best of luck!

-Ashley

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  We recently moved into a new home and have been busy re-vamping, tearing down, and re-constructing this/that in our new home.  It’s been fun……but a complete learning process.  If you’d like to see other Home Improvement Projects that we’ve been figuring out (from the help of friends, family, and the ol’ internet), be sure to check them out.

***

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wanted to learn how to re-wire something electrical.  Like, a light fixture, a fan, an outlet.  But I’ve been a little chicken because my mind always goes directly to imagining a billion watts of current, shocking my body….leaving me lifeless on the ground.  I’m not kidding.  I’ve been a little wimpy to do anything electrical because it sorta freaks me out.

Until now.  (well, until yesterday, to be exact…)

Steve’s brother, Joe, is in town.  He’s teaching Steve how to lay hardwood floors (which are looking BEE-AUTIFUL…..more on those another day! :) ) and while they were breaking for lunch yesterday, I asked Joe (who somehow knows how to do it ALL) to show me how to change an outside light fixture.  I was ready to learn.

Maybe you’ve done this before and it seems pretty simple.  But I always thought we should hire an electrician for such jobs.  Because EEEEK…….what if I got shocked by those above mentioned billion watts of current?!?! ;)

Boy, was I wrong.

After he taught me the first one…..I re-wired the other 5 light fixtures that I wanted replaced outside.  Easy as that.

I still can’t believe I re-wired those little beauties!   But even more than that……I can’t believe how simple it was.

Goodbye little brass fixtures.  You won’t be missed. :)

3 fixtures by the garage and 2 by the front door……..5 total fixture replacements in one afternoon. 

I couldn’t be more thrilled!

And to top off yesterday’s excitement……these little lovelies just bloomed from the previous owners planting them maybe last year(??).  And Steve pointed them out to me, just as I finished wiring the last fixture.  Blooming flowers always bring a smile to my face.  And now…….so does installing a new light fixture! :)

Would you like a quick lesson in replacing an old light fixture??

**Keep in mind, everyone’s fixtures will be slightly different, so read your instructions.  However, I think it’s really useful to see someone do it up close…..so hopefully this will help some of you.**

Okay, first of all…….STOP!!

And turn off your power.  You don’t want to shock your socks off. :)

Now, let’s get started.

I’m going to show you the process of replacing our back porch light……because it was smaller and easier to manipulate while taking pictures.  (And thanks again bro-in-law Joe, for helping while I took a trillion pictures!)

First of all, start unscrewing/untwisting/un-clipping your old light fixture.  Everyone’s is a little different…..so do what you need to, to remove yours from its mount.

Now, you should see some plastic caps covering your wire ends.  There should be black wires, white wires, and some copper colored ground wires.  (Again, yours may be a little different……but black and white seem to be pretty standard.  But the ground wire could be another color.)  Unscrew them right off and then untwist the wire ends.

Then, screw your mount on.  Every mount will be a little different…..so follow your instructions.  And I just mounted my mount (the copper color pieces) to the old one (grey circle piece)….but you will probably mount yours right to your wall and over an exposed hole in the wall where all the wires come out.  But, we just mounted right over this one.

There’s generally another piece on your mount that can twist around so that you can mount your light perfectly straight.  Adjust that as needed, and screw tightly into place.

Next, grab the GROUND wire from the fixture and wrap it around the GROUND bolt (mine’s green) on your mount.  Screw the bolt down tightly to hold the wire on there securely.

Next, twist the GROUND wire from your light fixture to the GROUND wire coming from your wall.  Twist them together clockwise.

Then, twist your wire cap on clockwise, securing the 2 wires together.  TO TEST IT………give the wire from the light fixture a slight tug.  It shouldn’t come loose.  If it does, the cap didn’t secure around the two wires tight enough.  So, remove the cap and re-wist the wires together and then the cap.

Next, grab the WHITE wire from the light fixture and twist it together with the WHITE wire from the wall, twisting them together clockwise.  Do the same with the BLACK wires.  Screw the caps on these sets of wires and be sure they are secure.  (If your exposed wires aren’t long enough to wrap around the other wires, trim some of the plastic casing away that’s covering the raw wires.  You need about 1/2 to 1 inch of exposed wire to work with.)

Next, bend all the wires closer together and try and fit them behind the light fixture base.

Then, secure your light fixture base to the wall, however yours was designed to be attached.  Mine had two little screw covers to tighten down.

Lastly, insert your bulb.

Now, turn your power back ON and enjoy your handiwork!!!

Now, save yourself some cash and install your own light fixtures. 

If you have always been a little nervous to try, you may really surprise yourself.  It surprised me! :)

Good luck!

-Ashley

***I am not an electrician and am not sharing exact instructions as to how everyone’s light fixtures should be installed.  This is only shared as an example of one way to install a fixture, for those who may need visual help.  Make It and Love It is not responsible for any problems or accidents you may encounter while trying to install your own electrical fixtures.***

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Are you ready for another awesome PIN IT giveaway?

This one will blow your little socks off.

(look down at your socks and watch……you’ll see! ;) )

There are 2 winners for this giveaway………..which are both PERFECT for summer! :)

The Prizes up for Grabs:

#1 Endless Fun 11-in-1 Inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide Combo (Donated By Sam’s Club)

#2 A Canon T3 12.2 MP Digital SLR Double Zoom Lens Kit (Donated By PickYourPlum)

Wow!  Can you believe those prizes?  For free?!?!

I kinda wanna jump into that water bounce house right this second.  I’d have just as much fun as the kiddos. :)

1. Follow each of these 11 blogs on Pinterest:

2. Like PickYourPlum on Facebook

3. Pin this giveaway  

4. Fill out the form below

Fine Print: Giveaway will end at 11:59pm (MST) on May, 18 2013 . One winner will be chosen and shipped one Endless Fun 11-in-1 Inflatable Bounce House and Water Slide Combo donated from Sam’s Club . The Bounce House and Water Slide Combo has an msrp value of $499.00. The second winner will be chosen and shipped a Canon T3 combo donated from PickYourPlum.com. The camera has an msrp of $549.00 No purchase necessary. Must be 18 years of age or older and a resident of the U.S.A. to enter. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with Facebook or Pinterest. Facebook and Pinterest will be completely released by each entrant. One entry per person. Entry includes filling out the form above including name, email and pinning. One entry for filling in the form. You are providing the information to the PickYourPlum sites involved who will in no way sell or give your information to anyone including Facebook or Pinterest. Winner will be chosen using random.org. and will be notified via email within 48 hours of the giveaway close. Winners will be announced on the post, not on Facebook. The winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving the email or a new winner will be chosen. No purchase necessary.

In case you’ve forgotten, here are a few past projects that I’ve sewn for Bernina. 

(Monster Pillow, Pacifier Pocket, Ruffled Scarf, Autumn Hanger, Owl Pillow, Scrap-Pieced Belt)

(Fabric Mail Organizer, Embroidered Coasters)

Have I mentioned that I am a true-blue Bernina fan?  Even before having this sewing relationship with them……..I have always adored Bernina.  And their sewing machines are like work horses.

I have had the Bernina 580 Embroidery sewing machine here at my house (as a loaner) and for this project, I used it to create some sweet embroidered flowers on a twirly Circle Skirt. 

And you know those circle skirts, they are nice and twirly and full…..without gathering anything.  And they’re darling for girls of all ages.

And a plain ol’ circle skirt is fun……..but adding little embroidered dahlia’s tripled the cuteness factor.  The embroidery gives the skirt a nice punch of detail and, well, it was the easiest part.  Ha….because the Bernina did all the hard work. :)

Oh, and in the tutorial, I share a little trick to get a nice even hem around the curved edge of the circle skirt.  You’re welcome! ;)

And you guessed it…….Elli loves it.  Circle skirts are for spinning, you know.

Don’t have an embroidery machine?  No worries……this would look really cute with a bit of applique or maybe even some stenciled fabric paint.

Such a fun little skirt. 

Thanks Bernina, for letting me play around on the Bernina 580!

Full Embroidered Circle Skirt tutorial can be found here.

Now, whip up a skirt or two……for you or a little girl you know.

And enjoy your day!

-Ashley

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But this painting thing has been doing wonders for the mood in our new home.  I can’t believe how satisfying it has been to paint this place.  Yeah, painting takes a while…….but our motivation has been so different this time around.  I guess because it’s our very own home.  Eeeeeeh…..still can’t believe it! :)

Right after we moved in, we hired a painter to come in and paint the vaulted ceilings.  There’s no way Steve and I were climbing a ladder to paint really high, all bent in funny positions.  We’re both a little woozy (and wimpy) when heights are involved……so we hired out for the tall rooms to be painted on the main level.  And while our painter guy was here, we sorta eavesdropped on his technique.  While he was taping walls off and painting ceilings, and painting one wall different from the next, we were curious about how he was getting such STRAIGHT lines on our textured walls.

So we asked.

And he told us the “painter’s secret’s”.  (Nice guy……and well worth the money, just for these tips. ;) )  And now, ever since he shared, we’ve been using his little secrets…….as we’ve been painting our little hearts out, to give the entire house a fresh coat of paint.

Just check out those crisp clean lines on that textured “orange peel” wall texture.  Wow.

And there’s not only one secret we learned……but TWO!!! 

Our house has all sorts of different walls/ceilings/heights.  And crooked lines would be so obvious.  We’re so happy with how all these paint lines are turning out. 

Straight lines aren’t just for the professionals.  We can all master them.  Promise.

Want in on the Straight Line SECRET?

Like I mentioned above, there are 2 methods to these straight paint lines.  I prefer the first method…but there are times when I’m not able to use the first method, so the 2nd method works great too. 

Read on, and you’ll see what I mean.

METHOD 1 (if you’re painting both surfaces that are meeting, 2 different colors)

Example: You are painting the walls and ceiling 2 different colors.  OR, you’re painting 2 touching walls, 2 different colors, and have the paint for both.

We have been painting all of our ceilings white.  (I know, some hate this choice…….but I LOVE white ceilings. They just seem to make my rooms look bigger and brighter.) So, to use this technique, I painted the ceilings white and overlapped onto the walls just a bit.  Then, I let the ceilings dry completely.  Next, I taped off the walls, by placing tape on the ceilings right along the edges.

Then, I used my CEILING PAINT and painted along the edge of the tape that meets up with my walls.  The reason why, is that your ceiling paint is then able to seep under the edges of the tape that weren’t able to seal completely because of the textured surfaces.  But, since it’s the same paint color, it’s seeping into those cracks and it’ll blend in with the ceiling.  And you’ll never even notice.  So, all you need to do is paint a narrow line right along the edge of the tape (and it can overlap onto the wall…..no biggee).  But be sure it’s enough paint to fill in those little gaps where the tape can’t quite reach.

Then, I let it dry completely.  While it was drying, I started to paint my wall color with a roller and just left a gap at the top where the tape was.

After that narrow strip of ceiling paint was dry, I then grabbed my wall paint and painted right over the top of it, filling in the gap on the wall where I hadn’t painted yet.  And just keep in mind, the tape is still there……so it’s still keeping the wall paint off the ceiling.

Now, you don’t have to let the wall paint dry before pulling off the tape.  In fact, it’s better if you don’t.  Because when it dries, the tape becomes a bit more stuck and the paint lines become more rigid.  You won’t ruin it if you wait…..but I have just had better luck if I pull off the tape while the paint is still wet.

As you pull, you will see your perfectly straight line appear.  And LOOK……no leaks!!!!

Also, if you look closely at your tape, you’ll see the paint that seeped under the cracks of the tape.  And that’s why this works…….it’s only the white ceiling paint that seeped under, blocking the wall paint from leaking.

****If you happen to have a little leak of your second color (in my case, my wall paint) leak under the tape, and you notice it after pulling the tape back…….go ahead and touch it up and paint over it.  However, this should happen very rarely.  And all it takes is a little dab of paint……..not a steady hand trying to re-create a line or something.

The time we have saved doing this has been incredible.  And our lines have been gorgeous!!

. . . . .

Onto the other technique, which I only use if I don’t have both paint colors to do the above technique…..and that’s because this next technique takes more time and a little more precision.  But our painter used this one primarily……because he was really good at it.  And fast!

METHOD 2 (if you’re only using 1 paint color and will be meeting up with another previously painted color):

Example: Your ceiling is already painted and you are just wanting to paint the walls…….and you don’t have the ceiling paint to do the above technique.

The secret here is PAINTABLE and CLEAR caulk.  Yep, that’s right…..caulk!

What you do, is tape off the wall you want to paint……just like I did above.  (And I’m just using the same ceiling that I demonstrated for the 1st technique. But the only time I do this, is if I don’t have the ceiling color or joining wall color that I’m painting next to………because I can be a little less cautious with the first method.)

Then, apply a line of caulk right next to the edge of tape.

And if it’s not a straight line of caulk……no biggee.  Because what you’re going to do is use your finger and smear it into that edge of the tape.  You’re wanting to seal up the line so that there are no more cracks for the paint to seep under.  But you don’t want it to be lumpy or messy because once you paint over it, you’ll see those lumps and mess.  So, keep it nice and smooth with your finger, as you try to guide that caulk into those cracks. 

HINT: Have a towel handy to wipe off your finger, so the caulk doesn’t dry on your finger.

Then, paint over the caulk and tape, just like you would normally.  And then pull off the tape, before the caulk dries, so that it doesn’t permanently glue the tape to the wall.

And that’s it.

Either technique works and both should NOT be kept a secret! :)

Just think………beautiful paint lines that you’ll be SO PROUD OF!!!!!

Good luck!

-Ashley

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But, if you’ve been thinking of replacing them…….STOP RIGHT THERE!

I know, I know……you may really dislike your chandelier/fixture.  I did too.  But before getting rid of it/them…….just imagine adding a little paint.

See?!?!  Look how pretty she is now, all gussied up…

And really, you can’t even tell this little baby used to be brass.

There were actually 2 of these little brass beauties in our entry. 

But now, they are both transformed……and they thanked me for not giving up on them! :)

Now just think, even if painting them doesn’t work out and you still hate them……you’re only out less than $10 (for the paint and tape).  But at least you tried!  Have you seen the price of large chandeliers for entryways??  Whew…….I just saved myself about $500 (for 2) that I was actually considering saving up for.  Whew……much better! 

Would you like to see how simple this really is??

First of all……take your chandelier/fixture apart.  I found it really helpful to take pictures with my phone as I was taking nuts/bolts/rings off……so that I knew which order to put them back on.  Trust me, you’ll forget. ;)

Then, clean ‘er up!  Chances are………the fixture has never been cleaned before, especially if it was way up high like mine was.

Be sure and clean the inside too.

Now, it’s time to tape.  I used painter’s tape, so that it will peel off nicely and not leave sticky residue.  I started on the inside and taped the outside last.

Be sure to cover every single little space that you don’t want painted.  If you leave a spot uncovered……it’ll turn black.  So, take your time, overlap your tape layers, and get those corners nice and precise.

As for paint, I guess you could go cheap……but I really wanted good coverage.  And I wanted it to stick well to my metal and shiny brass.  So, I bought some Rustoleum, which worked really well.  It adhered right away to that slippery brass…….and only took 2 coats.  (And it’s great for those outdoor fixtures because it prevents rust.)

I didn’t sand it down at all (like the guy at Home Depot told me to do) because I forgot about it until after I taped…..and I didn’t want the dust to get into the tape and paint.  So, I just went for it and was hoping for the best.  And really, it turned out awesome.  I don’t think it would have helped anything to sand first.  However, I would definitely sand the rough surfaces of outdoor fixtures that have been a little damaged due to weather.  But these fixtures turned out great without sanding first.

To paint, I hung my fixture from a bent hanger that I slipped through the top of the fixture…..and then secured that to some rope, which hung from the center or our ladder.

I sprayed the inside first and tried my best to get all cracks and crevices.  Then, I worked my way to the outside and was just as careful.

Then, I sprayed all of my extra parts and pieces.  Just be sure to cover anything that you don’t want painted, with tape.

Then, I let everything dry for a couple hours, then applied another coat.

After waiting 24 hours to let the paint completely harden, I peeled back the tape.  I should have taken a picture of that…….but it’s the most fun and I kinda forgot.  To get the tape started, I used the tip of a pointy knife and dug under the very edge.  Then I peeled, peeled, peeled.  And one more TIP: if there are any leaks of paint on the glass, use the edge of a razor blade (or knife) and carefully scrape the paint off the glass.  It comes off pretty easily.

Now, if your chandelier has candle sockets……chances are, they are dirty and melted like mine.  Just take them right off.

And replace them with new ones.  (I found these at Lowe’s.)

However, the standard size was too short for my chandelier.  So I lined them up and cut the extra length off the old one (I used a serrated knife at first but then my husband stepped in and used his jig-zaw for the rest)……and then slid that over the light socket first and then put the newer clean one on top of that.  The old piece pushes down inside of the socket and is hidden…….and keeps the newer one up high and visible.  Sorry……I meant to get a picture of that too, but forgot.  Ack! :)

And that’s it.

Your new (but old) light fixtures!!!

 Good luck!

-Ashley

But I’ve also been unpacking bit by bit.  And as I was unpacking my sewing stuff the other day, I pulled out a wad of thrift store Tshirts that I bought for some random project (who knows how long ago or what I originally was planning)…….and immediately had this idea to make a fun little skirt for Elli.  I know, I know…..this blog should sometimes be called Make a Skirt & Love It.  Ha.  (Because yes, there are tons of skirts here on the blog.)  But skirts are so fun.  Are pretty quick to make.  And are so rewarding.  Plus, you can either make them for little girls, or for yourself (well, if you’re a female reading this).

Anyway, I chopped up those old Tshirts that I pulled from a box the other day, and turned them into this:

See?  You never would’ve known, huh?  I love that trick. :)

***And REMEMBER……..the good news with knit, is that you don’t have to do any hemming.  All of those little strips have raw edges but won’t fray.  And if the strips get pulled on, the worse thing that will happen is that the edges will curl just a bit.  And if it stretches out the strip a bit, just snip off the end so that it’s the same length as the other strips in its row. And it shouldn’t continue to pull after that.  Easy as that.  (And I think I’m going to hang dry this skirt……..just to avoid too much fringe pulling.)

When it’s hanging straight, it just looks like lots of fringe layers.

But don’t worry, there’s a skirt under there to keep things covered up.

Because once the skirt starts moving……those little fringes start bouncing all around.  And you can see the graduated ombre color effect.

Elli was thrilled.  She shook and shook and SHOOK those little hips.

Let’s just say……..she loves it!

And when I was making some adjustments on my camera……I caught her testing it out with some full-out twirls.  And good news……it passed her test! :)

I could just eat this little lady right up!  She is so easy to please when a skirt finally finishes up.

And to think…….this fabric used to be a few abandoned (and less beautiful) old Tshirts from the Thrift Store. 

Ahhhhh…..much better!

Would you like to make a Fringe Skirt too?

To get started, grab some old knit Tshirts.  I purchased mine at the thrift store and found some graduated colors that I thought would work nicely together.  But give that closet of yours a look before buying anything extra.  You may have just what you need in your own “give away” pile.

Now, decide on the size you’d like to make.  For Elli, her waist is 21 inches and I wanted the skirt to be 12 inches long.  I decided that the under skirt would be 1 inch shorter and would let the fringe hang over solo for one inch.  If you’d like something similar, I wrote up some calculations that should help you. 

There are 6 pieces of fabric that you’ll need: (If you can’t read the words, click on the image and it should expand.)

***Remember, this is what worked well for Elli and she’s a girl’s size 6.  These calculations should also work for adult sizes……but the spacing of the rows of fringe may need to be adjusted for smaller sizes.

So, since Elli’s waist is 21 inches, I multiplied that by 1.25, which is 26.25……but I just rounded to 26.  So, the width I needed was 26 inches. 

The height calculation may seem funny but I wanted to explain HOW I came up with the calculation.  You need to subtract 1 inch because I wanted the Main Skirt to be 1 inch shorter than the fringe…..so that the fringe would hang a little longer.  And you add 1.5 inches for the waistband casing.  (Also, I used the hem of the shirt as the hem of the Main Skirt but if you aren’t using a shirt and want a hem, you’ll need to add that dimension as well.  Or just leave it raw and un-hemmed.  Either way.)  So, since I wanted Elli’s skirt to be 12 inches long in the end, after making the calculations, I knew I needed the height of this Main Skirt section to be 12.5 inches.

So, her main section fabric piece needed to be 12.5 x 26 inches.

***QUICK HINT: If you cut the shirt pieces from left to right, you will have less issues with your strips stretching and pulling.  Generally, knit shirts stretch more from left to right (vs. up and down).  So, if you cut these sections from left to right, once the fringes are cut and if they happened to get pulled, they are less likely to stretch out.  (However, some shirts stretch equally left to right vs. up and down.  But they can still be used.  Just be aware of pulling.  But a pulled fringe look would still be really cute if you just trim them if they get pulled on.)

For Strips 1-5, I cut each strip from left to right on the shirt but didn’t have enough shirt to make one continuous strip that was long enough for the dimensions that I needed.  So I just cut enough pieces that would create one large piece that was big enough for the measurements I needed…….but didn’t bother piecing them together.  You’ll understand better a few steps down below, but just know, each strip doesn’t have to be one continuous strip…..since they’re going to be cut into fringe anyway.

Here’s all of my fabric pieces, ready to go:  (Don’t let the dimensions fool you…..they folded over so that I could fit them in the picture.)

So first, grab the Main Skirt section and fold it in half lengthwise (with right sides together) and match up the two shorter ends and sew them together.  Use a 1/2 inch seam allowance and either use a double needle (which I love using on knits…….and here’s more info on the double needle) or sew a zig-zag stitch.  Either of those stitches will allow for more stretch.  Then, fold over the top edge 1/5 inches and sew all the way around, about an inch from the top folded edge (so that your 1 inch elastic can fit inside).  But be sure to leave a 2 inch opening somewhere along the casing (mine’s on the back, you can’t see it), so that you can thread your elastic inside later on.

Now, because I’m not completely unpacked from our move……I don’t know where my chalk or fabric pens are.  But, to make things easier, turn your skirt right side out and make some chalk lines along the fabric so you can see where to sew down the strips to the Main Skirt section.

From the top edge, measure down 1.5 inches and make your first chalk line, all the way around.  This is where you’ll line up the top edge of your “Strip 1″.  Then measure down 1.5 inches from the top line and make another chalk line all the way around.  Repeat and measure down 1.5 inches between each line……until you have all 5 lines marked.  (You may have to make some adjustments to these measurements if you’re making a different sized skirt……but this is what worked really well for the skirt I made.)

Now, begin with the very bottom of the skirt and line “Strip 5″ up with the bottom chalk line.  Then, pin in place.  (And there are my imaginary chalk lines that I wish I would have had……but I just used a ruler to measure every few inches while I was sewing, which took more time.)

If your strips are in different pieces, just overlap your next piece a bit, and continue sewing.  Also, I used the double needle because I like the clean look of it (and it stretches) but the zig-zag stitch would work nicely too.  Either one works but you’ll need to choose one over the straight stitch.  Because you need something that stretches a bit.  (Again, here’s more about the double needle.)

Continue with each Strip, until all are sewn in place.

If you lift up, you can see the other attached Strips under there.

If you look on the inside…..you can see all the rows of stitching.

Now, find the opening to your casing……

…….and then thread in a piece of elastic that is the same measurement as your subject’s waist.  Then, remove the pin, overlap the two ends by an inch, and sew the elastic ends together.  The fold the casing opening in place and sew it closed, trying to not sew through the elastic.

Now, it’s time to cut. 

Start with the very bottom row and fold the other rows up and out of the way as you’re cutting.  I cut each strip about 1/2 inch wide……but that varied as I went around.

Continue on, one row at a time, until all your fringe is cut.

Beautiful. 

And all ready to wear.  :)

Hope that was as fun for you as it was for me.  Now, go and make a few more. :)

-Ashley

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So, I decided to share some of the Home Improvement tricks we’ve been using…….because we’ve been learning a lot along the way.  Some from family/friends, some from professionals, and some from just figuring it out on our own.  And yes, good tips and tricks have to be shared…….so get ready for them.

And, just to show you that we really have been working (and not off on a Carribbean Cruise…ha!), let’s get started with the first thing.

Something that may give you a little anxiety……

Have you ever been to the paint store and you thought you were picking an amazing color?!?!  And then when you painted it on the walls……….yuck. 

Yeah, I’ve done that too.  MANY times.  And it’s so frustrating because white comes is 79,000 shades.  And so does every other color of the rainbow.  So here’s what I do.  I search and search for a certain color that I like.  I look of examples of it online, I find it with similar trim color, doors, and other features that I have in my own home.  Then I pick several shades of that color that I think that I may like.  Then I head to the paint store (I’ve been using Sherwin Williams because there are many around here) and I have them whip up some quart samples for me.  (Because, believe me……..the price of a few samples is much cheaper than buying a couple gallons of paint, painting an entire room, hating it, and then buying several more gallons to cover it up.)

Then I label each paint color container (and its lid), with a number.

And then I grab a sponge brush for each color…..and label those as well.

Then I paint each of the colors on the wall, in order.  I also add a strip of the trim color that I’m using, right below the color samples……otherwise, it’s too hard to tell how the colors will look with all that old paint color screaming at me in the face.

But I don’t stop there……I add those same colors to different locations on the walls.  Because shadows vs. direct sun will make your color look so different.

**Ignore the mess.  We’re working on painting here……not unpacking and cleaning up clutter.  haha!

After the samples are up………wait.  And watch those colors all day long.  Because you may love sample #3 at 10 a.m. but may HATE it at 5 p.m.  So, it’s good to find that out before covering every wall with it.  Make sense?

The pictures above are from our Master Bedroom and I wanted a soft and calm grey/blue color.  The first color that I picked and was SURE I wanted…….ended up being the color I liked the least.  Crazy.

Anyway, our bedroom isn’t quite finished.  Otherwise, I’d give you a good ol’ “before/after” shot.  (Ooooh, I love those!!!)  But, you’ll have to wait.

. . . . .

I have a little sewing project that I’m finishing up for tomorrow or the next day and then another home improvement project (that turned out so rockin’ cool!!) at the end of the week. 

Can’t wait!

-Ashley

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