DIY: Pillow Covers from Fabric Napkins

I feel like there are a lot of jokes about ladies loving throw pillows, which, aside from being vaguely sexist and dismissive, is also kind of true. But, like, what's not to love? First you have the "throw," and - hello? - who ISN'T interested in throwing things? Then you have the "pillow," and if I have to explain the myriad virtues of the pillow to you, then something tells me you're not yet ready for a basic sewing tutorial.

I'd been keeping an eye out for a cute set of throw pillows for my couch, and after months of being underwhelmed by prints and overwhelmed by prices, I set my peepers on this cute set of fabric napkins at Target in the Easter display. Hey - inspiration can strike anywhere!

This is the joyful print that I saw in that rabbit and egg-themed pile.

I loved the vintage-inspired floral print and the kaleidoscope of colors, and I knew the napkins would be coming home with me, despite the fact that I've never used a fabric napkin outside of a restaurant in my life. The napkins were 18" squares, so I was sure they'd make perfect throw pillows.

Fabric napkins are great for this project because they're hemmed, and usually square and pillow-sized. Easy. Plus, you can find them cheap and in lots of colors and prints. Think of this unexpected shortcut as a private joke you can laugh about to yourself every time you see someone resting their head on an Easter napkin. We all need one of those.

Wanna try this? Come on!

WHAT YOU NEED

+ Fabric Napkins

+ Pillows or Pillow Stuffing

+ Matching Fabric (optional)

+ Needle & Thread or Sewing Machine

HOW TO MAKE IT

First thangs first - iron those napkins! Likely, they've been folded and have defined creases, so iron them unless you want everyone to know your little secret.

You can use a napkin for both the front and the back of the pillow, but I chose to use a soft pink fabric for the backs, both because it's cozier and because I like the pop of color. Let me save myself some typing - I've already written a thorough DIY Envelope Pillow Cover Tutorial (complete with graphics!) so we'll be using those directions for the construction.

Basically, I cut my back pieces (two per pillow) and hem the edge that will show in the final product.

Following that tutorial, I pin all my pieces (in the right order!) and sew around the edges.

Next, flip the pillow cover right-side out. 

Stuff those suckers with pillows and you've got a new set of throws!

The pink fabric is so soft, you guys. Only downside is that I now have pink fuzz from fabric cutting overtaking my life. There are worse things.

Do you fulfill the throw-pillow-loving lady stereotype? Do you think I'm crazy for making pillows out of Easter napkins? Seriously, what I am going to do about all this pink fuzz?

ROUNDUP: Amazing Fabrics

Bear with me - amazing is a bit hyperbolic…these fabrics aren't exactly the material equivalent of the Virgin Mary appearing in a grilled cheese, but they are fun to look at. Inspired by some vegetable themed fabric I purchased recently for a DIY circle skirt, I wanted to create this list of pretty, fun and all around cool fabrics for my fellow crafters out there. I could literally spend hours in the aisles of a fabric store, my necked craned sideways like I'm reading spines on library shelves, until I find THE ONE. There are too many good fabrics, and too few hours for sewing projects, so here I'll share with you the fabrics I have, want or wish I had the time to sew with.

SOURCES:

1  //  2  //  3  //  4  //  5  //  6  //  7  //  8  //  9  //  10  //  11  //  12 

13  //  14  //  15  //  16  //  17  //  18  //  19  //  20  //  21  //  22  //  23  //  24

Are you working with any fabulous fabric right now? Got any cool fabric finds to share? Can you even imagine owning an ice cream sandwich print dress?!

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ROUNDUP: Cool Stuff on the Internet Vol. 4

It's time for another round of Cool Stuff on the Internet! Here's some fun stuff I found recently:

The Muppets Painted as Twin Peaks Characters

A talented illustrator has painted some beloved Muppets as if they were characters on Twin Peaks. For TP fans, you may find yourself oddly delighted by seeing Miss Piggy's dead body wrapped in plastic, and for those less familiar with the show, you may find yourselves oddly horrified by the beginning of this sentence. I'm partial to Gonzo as The Man From Another Place (above right), but they're all great. If you dig this, you might also like Twin Peaks Characters as Simpsons Characters.

37 People Reveal the Most WTF Thing They Ever Saw at Their Friend's House via Thought Catalog 

Ok, this Burt Reynolds crab doll has nothing to do with this, but I found him when I Googled "weird." Enjoy!
If you love getting all up in people's business and hearing gross/creepy/weird stories, I think you'll enjoy this list as much as I did. From 'innocent but weird' (a family's communal bowl of finger-dipping ketchup) to 'there has to be something more to this' (a fake Thanksgiving feast displayed at the table year round) to 'uh, I'm pretty sure that's illegal' (a 6th grade boy bathing with his mother), you'll find all kinds of delightful disfunction that will make you feel pretty normal in comparison and also teach you why you should never stand on the crusty parts of the carpet.
All You Need is Pug Etsy Shop

This shop is full of adorable hand-knit and crocheted items (mostly) for dogs. I recognize the superfluous nature of leg warmers for dogs, but I dare you to deny how cute they look on the model pug. I DOUBLE DOG DARE you, in fact. Lose your pet clothes inhibitions and grab a full aviator setup (above), robot dog hat or beret for your pup. If I saw a dog walking down the street in a beret I might never recover.

The Hey Dude Set is Rotting Away in the Arizona Desert

According to this Buzzfeed article, the set from the semi-beloved early 90's Nickelodeon show Hey Dude is currently rotting away in the Arizona desert, more than 20 years after the show began. It's a little eery to see familiar sights ravaged by the hands of time (see side-by-side above), but it also makes me wonder what other shows have just up and left their sets behind. That seems weird, right? After all the time and money that goes into production to just be like, "Ehhh. Leave it." Well, they did warn us that it'd be a little wild and a little strange. Also, are killer cacti a thing?

Real NASA Images on Silk from Slow Factory

File this one under genius ideas that are so pretty and cool that I can't believe the whole world isn't wearing them. Okay, that might be a very specific file, but the sentiment remains the same. Slow Factory prints real images of space from NASA's open data collection of satellite images on gorgeous silk creations, like scarves, dresses and shirts. Pro tip: they'd also come in handy for a future Zenon costume.

 Rocky Ridge Animal Refuge in Arkansas

Yeah, yeah - another animal feature in one post. If you have an issue with too many animals on the internet then you have an uphill battle in front of you, which will be difficult WITH NO HEART. There's no purer fun than inter-species cuddling and carrying on, and this storybook-style animal sanctuary delivers nothing but the best. Owner Janice Wolf (of course she has an animal name!) set up the refuge over 20 years ago for animals who need medical care or new homes, and up to 60 animals - including a zebra named barcode (brilliant!) - are currently there living out the internet's wildest fantasy.

The Mysterious Story of Vivian Maier

I love weird discovery stories like this! A guy buys a box full of undeveloped negatives at an auction, develops them, discovers they contain some of the best street photography of the 20th century and essentially causes the photographer, Vivian Maier, to become an art world darling more than 50 years later (and just a few after her death). Her take on everyday life in 50s and 60s New York City is cool, beautiful and inspiring. There's also a piece on Vivian in the current issue of Bust Magazine if you're interested! 

What cool stuff have you seen lately? Link it in the comments!

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DIY: How to Make Your Own Curtains

If you'd like to try making your own curtains, but fear it sounds too difficult, I'll let you in on a little secret that the charlatans of the curtain industry (we'll call them "Big Curtain") do not want you to know: making your own curtains is WAY easy. It's just sewing some straight lines!

Big Curtain would have you believe that curtain making is so arduous and advanced that you should just fork over hundreds of your hard-earned dollars, while they laugh all the way to the bank, comforted by the knowledge that you'll never learn their slimy secret. Okay, maybe they're, like, really nice people who just want to spruce up your living room and give your grandmother's kitchen that certain charm that only apple-and-gingham-printed curtains can give. Either way, you do NOT need to pay for their wares!

A Curtain Executive (totally a thing) right before he makes it rain with your money!

If you have the ability to sew a straight line (either on a machine or by hand) and do some simple fabric folding and very basic measuring, you can make your own curtains. Just take it one step at a time and you'll see how simple it really is!

Plus, have you seen curtain prices lately/ever? Ummm, are they serious? Since recently moving, we've needed a lot of home-related items, which I've either made myself or found for great deals (it's what I do!), but curtains are just not budget friendly, even at the cheaper stores, like Home Goods and Target. And selection - either I'm absurdly picky or every curtain for sale everywhere is ugly (okay, maybe it's the former), but DIY curtains allow you to pick any fabric, colors and designs you want and save a bunch of money. I got this fabric at Joann's for around $12. Take that, Big Curtain!

There are obviously many ways to do anything, but this is the simple way I make presentable curtains and how you can do it too.

What You Need:

Fabric {enough to cover the width of your window and the length you desire}

Measuring Tape

Scissors

Sewing Pins

Sewing Machine or Needle & Thread

How To Make It:

Start by cutting your fabric to the desired size. My window is 65 inches wide so I opted for two panels that were each 36 inches wide so they would fully cover the window when closed, with a little fabric left over to give that scrunchy curtain look (not to be confused with the scrunchie look, which is not an acceptable window treatment or hair accessory).

I also wanted the panels to be 60 inches in length so I cut two even pieces to my desired dimensions with extra all around for seam allowance.

Next, carefully pin the side hems of your panel(s). I folded over each edge 1 inch and then folded it over again 1 inch and pinned in place to create a finished looking edge. This is kind of like my "How to Hem Your Own Pants" tutorial, except instead of pants we're doing curtains, so feel free to refer to your curtains as "window pants" from here forward.

Then, just sew up the side hems that you just pinned. 

Next comes the top edge. Again, I folded over the edge 1 inch and pinned it in place.

Then I folded over the top edge 4 inches and pinned in place. This gives the curtain panel a loop for the curtain rod to go through so make sure to create enough space for whatever size rod you're using. The reason I first pinned down that 1 inch edge in the last step was to create a finished looking seam instead of showing the raw edge. That is just vulgar.

Sew the seam up to create your hangin' loop.

Here's an inside view of the loop we created:

Now for the big finish! Create a clean hem on the bottom edge by folding over the edge 1 inch and then folding it over again 1 inch. Pin in place, making sure that both panels are the same length before sewing.

Lay the panels on top of one another to make sure the bottom edges line up. No crooked curtains, kids!

Mount the curtains and admire your handy skills and expert money-saving techniques.

I dig this fabric because it's opaque enough for privacy, but still lets light shine through.

I also made some curtains for our bedroom from this incredibly loud, outlandishly 70s floral fabric. It's just obnoxious enough to satisfy me, while still maintaining some semblance of "sophistication." Quotes are needed around that word because I just bet my definition is way different (i.e. looser) than yours!

Would you ever try making your own curtains? Are you handy around the house? What's your biggest home DIY victory or horror story? I simply must know!

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ETC: My Christmas Wish List

I like to fantasy shop more than I like to actually shop. Well, maybe "more" is too strong of a word. I do enjoy a real life stroll through my neighborhood mall quite a bit, but the feeling of online window shopping also has a special place in my heart (right next to inventive condiments and paying for things in exact change). It's much more freeing to fantasize about what I could buy instead of actually buying it because once I do the thrill is gone, and so is my money. In a perfect Christmas movie world, here are the delightful wonders I'd love to unwrap this year, or anytime really, in case you're reading this in the future and just simply have to shower me with gifts or something.

My Christmas Wish List

1. Scrunchy Knee Socks: I refuse to have cold knees! Plus, scrunchy top looks perfect with boots.

2. Books {We Killed: The Rise of Women in American Comedy by Yael Kohen, Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris and Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer}: I'm trying not to buy books since I have so many to read, but these ones keep catching my eye. I can't believe I haven't read the latest Sedaris book yet! Ridiculous.

3. Charley Harper Glass Set: Love Charley Harper's art, need to drink things. No brainer.

4. Phrenology Head Container: I've always wanted a vintage phrenology head, but this one holds candy!

5. Ouija Board T-Shirt: Ever since Erin rocked one of these, I've been obsessed!

6. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: Only hear great things about this brush so now I'm curious.

7. Mint Green Purse with Gold Studs: Beautiful and I can stuff all my junk inside it. (pervert)

8. Cath Kidston Button Set: I love the aesthetic of this brand!

9. Striped Bow Headband: Always need headbands and headscarves. Stripes + bows make it better.

10. DVDs {30 Rock, Breaking Bad and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia}: I have an obsessive need for completion when it comes to owning TV shows on DVD. For the record I still need seasons 3 and above of 30 Rock and Breaking Bad, and Always Sunny season 8.

11. Zebra Print Scarf: There are tiny zebras all over this scarf. No further explanation needed.

12. Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl: I REALLY want to try these pencils and Alle on xoVain raves about this shade constantly.

13. Salted Caramel Yankee Candle: I need better quality candles and this scent sounds wonderful.

14. Twin Peaks 'Diane' Broach: Genius. I love the look and cleverness of this pin.

15. Kitschy Deer Hair Comb: Adorable and pretty weird, which is my mantra.

16. OCC Lip Tar in Stalker: Kind of obsessed with red lips, but whatevahhh.

17. Grilled Cheese Fabric: Just think of the magical things that could be sewn from this fabric. Grilled cheese pantsuit coming through!

18. Benefit They're Real! Mascara: Amazing. Ruined me for all other mascaras, but so spendy.

19. Charlie Kelly Spaghetti Watercolor Portrait: It's hard to read, but the caption says "What is your spaghetti policy here?" and he's eating spaghetti out of a Ziplock bag. Art is important.

And now that I feel sufficiently like a spoiled brat/consummate consumer, I must ask: what's on your wish list? What awesome stuff are you gifting to other people?

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DIY Bangles from a Pringles Can

I was eating from a can of Pringles a few weeks ago (which is something I really don’t do nearly often enough) and while my hand was stuck inside trying to reach the chips in the middle of the can, I had the epiphany that it fit just perfectly around my wrist. We’ve all seen a Pringles can before, right? Long tube, plastic top. BANGLE FACTORY.

By slicing rings from the can I was able to make a bunch of cool and eco-friendly bangles in just a couple of hours from stuff I had laying around my apartment. Too cool, yes? Wanna make some too? Of course you do! Here’s how:

WHAT YOU NEED

Pringles Can

Scrap of felt

Hot Glue 

(oops Craft Glue pictured – I switched plans halfway through)

Ribbon

Knife

Cutting Board

Scissors

Buttons or Embellishments (optional)

HOW TO MAKE IT

1. Carefully slice a ring from your washed and dried Pringles can with a sharp knife.

2. Cut two rectangles of felt: one just long enough to just wrap around the inside of your bangle and one just long enough to wrap around the outside and both slightly wider than your slice. Hot glue the felt strip on the inside of your bangle. Cut several slits in the felt, making it easier to fold and glue excess width onto the top of the bangle. Repeat with top layer, cutting, folding and gluing excess width onto the inside of the bangle.

3. Put a dot of hot glue on the inside of the bangle and place one end of your ribbon onto it until dry. Wrap ribbon (either straight or diagonally) around the bangle, covering the top and inside, securing periodically with hot glue as you go.

5. When you’ve covered the entire bangle, secure the end of your ribbon with hot glue on the inside of the bangle.

I also made some vintage fabric covered bangles which I lined with ribbon on the inside to hide my seam. For this look, simply line with felt like before and glue over it with enough fabric to cover the top and the inside, seems meeting in the middle.

Here is one I made that’s covered in felt and decorated with various buttons. I cut this one and then added bits of ribbon to tie it closed.

It’s that easy! These are totally cute and no one will ever know you’re wearing potato chip packaging on your wrist unless you want them to! With one can of Pringles you can make about a dozes bangles (more or less depending on width and how many “accidents” you may have).

If you make some please share a picture – I’d love to see them!