This year presented the opportunity to decorate a second tree in our home – something I’ve dreamed of doing for awhile. I realized, however, that it would need a tree skirt. Rather than run out and buy one I thought I would try my hand at a diy Christmas tree skirt made out of materials I already had in my stash.
The process is quite straightforward and your tree skirt can be as plain or fancy as you’d like. Mine is made from vintage linen purchased from a church rummage sale ($3 for a whole box of fabric!) as well as scraps of lace trim from my childhood. The larger lace was the trim to my beloved bed sheet which eventually got a big hole in it. I trimmed the lace off the edges and saved it for probably 15 years, awaiting a future project such as this. The smaller lace was a stash leftover from when my mom used to sew dresses for my dolls. All of these materials combined make it a very special tree skirt for me.
How to Make a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt
Supplies Needed for a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt
Fabric for the top
Amount varies based on desired size. (About 48 inches in diameter is a common medium sized skirt but you should measure and do what works for your space – see directions for how to measure.)
Quilt batting
Or other heavier fabric for the middle layer of the skirt – same amount as top fabric.
Bottom backing fabric
Just a neutral (or not) fabric for the bottom layer. Same amount needed as the other two fabrics.
Could pick something fun for a reversible tree skirt!
Trim, if desired
Lace, ruffles, rick rack, or other embellishments
Fabric scissors
Sewing pins
Measuring tape or yardstick
Sewing machine
Coordinating thread
Directions for a DIY Christmas Tree Skirt
Step 1: Measure for your tree skirt.
Decide what diameter your tree skirt should be and write this number down.
Decide what diameter the center hole should be (for the trunk) and write that number down.
Tree skirts vary greatly in size and depend on the size of the tree and the needs of your space. I made mine on the small side because the cabinet is right next to the tree, but generally a skirt should extend a few inches beyond the bottom set of branches.
Step 2: Prepare the top fabric
(Always iron your fabric first.)
Fold the fabric in quarters (half, then half again).
Find the center fold and mark with a pin.
Measure out from that point the radius (half the diameter) of your tree skirt + 1/2 inch for seam allowance.
Mark that point with a pin.
Continue measuring and marking from one side to the other in an arc shape, always measuring from the center fold.
Step 3: Cut the top fabric.
Cut along your arc shaped pin line from one side to another.
If you feel more comfortable drawing this out with fabric pencil first, do that.
Step 4: Measure and cut the center (trunk) hole.
Repeat steps 2 and 3, but this time for the center (trunk) hole.
This measurement will the be radius (half the diameter) of the center hole measurement you took earlier.
Step 5: Cut the side opening
Unfold your fabric – you should now have a nice circle with a circular center opening.
Cut up one side, just to the center hole, so that you have a slit to get the skirt around the tree.
Step 6: Cut identical pieces from the other fabrics.
Use the top fabric as a pattern to cut identical pieces from both the quilt batting and the bottom backing fabric.
Step 7: Sandwich the layers.
With right sides facing, place the top and bottom layers together. Place the quilt batting layer on top of the top layer.
Place any edge trim you are using in between the top layers. Be sure any ruffles are pointing inward.
Pin in place all around the edge, with 1/2 inch seam allowance.
Step 8: Sew around the edge.
Using a straight stitch on your machine, sew all the way around the edge of the skirt and up one slit. Leave the other side of the slit open for turning.
Step 9: Close up the skirt.
Turn the skirt right side out through the side slit opening. The top fabric and bottom fabric will be separated and the quilt batting will end up sandwiched in the middle.
Tuck under the edges of the side slit opening and sew it shut as close to the edge as possible.
Step 10: Finishing the skirt
Sew on any finishing embellishments such as this extra lace edging. I overlapped it with the larger lace and secured it with a simple straight stitch.
All done! Now wrap it around the base of your tree and enjoy!
I hope you found this tutorial helpful and that you enjoy making your own DIY Christmas tree skirt this season!
Blessings,
Melissa
I had been wanting to make some throw pillows for my bed for quite awhile. The poor bolster pillow that had been on there – a cheap find from a big box store several years ago – had seen better days. It was all lopsided and misshapen with tassels coming unraveled or missing completely. Something more cozy, feminine, and cottage-y was my desire, so when I saw this lonely curtain at the thrift store inspiration struck!
Before I cut into it I did try it out around the house to make sure I didn’t want to use it as a curtain first. But alas, being 100% cotton it had obviously shrunk in the wash and no longer fit a standard width window. Probably the reason it was donated! The beautiful light blue toile with country scenes made my blue and white toile-loving heart sing!
The dress was a bit of an accident.
You see, I bought it intending to try it on and wear it if it fit well. What I didn’t realize, however, was that it had slits up the sides that went all the way to the hips (how did I miss that?!). How one is supposed to decently wear that I am still unsure. “I’ll cut off the bottom and make it into a shirt!” I thought. So I cut off the bottom, but it still just didn’t look quite right. The beautiful soft fabric seemed to just beg to be made into something else. Once I noticed how well it complimented the toile I knew I had to make it into ruffles!
It always feels a bit funny using intact clothing as fabric, but I figure if it all gets used then it still serves a good purpose. I harvested the little metal buttons off the dress – all 9 – for a future project. The embroidered panels from the top were carefully cut out and set aside for yet another little project I have in mind. The tiny bit of fabric I didn’t use for ruffles has been set aside for a potential future quilt (maybe someday!). Nothing went to waste.
I’ll preface this tutorial by saying I am in no way a pro seamstress. I know some basics and am always learning, but still I wanted to share this project with you in case it proves helpful or gives you some inspiration. (I also happen to be quite pleased with the results so it’s fun to share!)
Let’s get to it!
How to Make a Ruffled Pillow Cover
Supplies:
Fabric – consider thrifted curtains, sheets, clothing, and more! Amount will vary depending on the size of your pillow inserts and number of pillows you are making. (Measuring details are in the instructions.) You can make the ruffles the same color as the main body of the pillow cover or something completely different but complimentary – get creative!
Measuring Tape
Rotary Cutter & Mat (scissors will work too)
Sewing Pins
Sewing Machine
Thread – coordinating color for fabric
Sewing Needle
Scissors for trimming threads
BIG TIP: When choosing a pillow insert, down feather pillow inserts always hold their shape and last longer than fiber filled ones! Consider some like these.
Instructions
STEP 1: MEASURING & CUTTING
You will want your finished pillow cover to end up not much larger than your pillow insert. This way it will look plump and not saggy. (This is also a trick for when you are purchasing pillow inserts and covers!)
Measure your pillow insert over the fullest part (mine was 16 inches square). We will be adding onto that number for seam allowance and an overlap of several inches on the back where the opening for the insert will be. (I generally stick to about 1/2 inch seam allowance so that’s what I will use here.)
Your first piece of fabric – the front of the pillow cover – will need to be these dimensions:
Pillow measurement + 1 inch vertically by pillow measurement + 1 inch horizontally
Your second piece of fabric – the back of the pillow cover – will need to be these dimensions:
Pillow measurement + 5 inches vertically by pillow measurement + 1 inch horizontally
(If your pillow insert is especially fluffy you may want to increase the 5 inches to 6 inches. This will be determine the amount of fabric overlap at the back opening.)
Iron your fabric on an appropriate setting to eliminate any wrinkles.
Cut the two pieces described above.
Take the back piece (the longer one) and cut it evenly in half widthwise (side to side).
STEP 2: SEWING THE EDGES OF THE BACK PIECES
We want a nice clean edge to our back halves where they will overlap. Be sure to keep your fabric’s pattern in mind when folding and sewing if it needs to be kept a certain direction!
Take the top back piece, fold the bottom edge under 1/2 inch (wrong side of fabric against wrong side of fabric) and pin. Sew a straight line the length of the edge to secure. Remove pins.
Take the bottom back piece, fold the top edge under 1/2 inch (wrong side of fabric against wrong side of fabric) and pin. Sew a straight line the length of the edge to secure. Remove pins.
STEP 3: CREATING THE RUFFLE
At this point we pause work on the main body of the pillow cover to create the ruffle. The ruffle can be as tight or loose as you want it and as wide as you want it, but your decisions will affect how much fabric is needed. I will share what I did and you can tweak it as you desire.
To create a ruffle you will cut strips of fabric which will be sewn end to end to create one long strip. The width of the strips will need to be twice the width of your ruffle. I wanted my ruffle to be about 2.5 inches wide when finished so I cut my strips of fabric to be 5 inches wide.
The length of the individual strips does not matter as they will all be sewn end to end in one continuous length. This is a reason scrap fabric is so great for ruffles because you can use varying lengths of strips! Your total length will need to be greater than the total border of your pillow but will vary depending on how tight you want your ruffles.
Measure around the border of your pillow (mine was 16in x 4 sides = 64 inches).
Add on an additional 25% for subtle ruffles, 50% for more pronounced ruffles, and 75-100% for tighter ruffles. Mine looked like: 64 inches x 1.50 = 96 inches of length.
Cut strips of fabric twice the width of your desired ruffle, totaling the length you calculated above.
Sew the strips end to end, with right sides of fabric facing each other, to create one continuous length.
Now fold the long strip in half lengthwise with right side of fabric visible on the outside. You can do this as you sew – no need to pin the entire thing unless you want to! Sew along the length of it, as close to the edge as possible. to close it into one long tube.
Although we would usually put wrong side to wrong side when sewing and then turn the tube right side out, the seam along the edge will be hidden inside the pillow cover so there is no need to do this. Turning a tube that long right side out would be a serious pain!
Now that you have your long tube we are going to ruffle it up! We will do this by sewing a running stitch along the length of the tube – right along that straight line you just sewed. The pretty edge of your ruffle will remain pretty and the unsightly seam side will be hidden inside the pillow cover.
A running stitch is just a basic stitch that goes in and out of the fabric. We will pull on this thread to gather the tube into a ruffle. This can be done by hand with a needle and thread or on your sewing machine, whichever you prefer. If you use your machine, be sure to set your stitch length and tension to appropriate settings for a ruffle. I personally prefer doing this by hand and will show you that method. I find I can keep the stitch very long and loose and keep it running very close to the edge without worrying about going off the fabric.
Using a needle threaded with a very long length of thread (knotted at the end), start at one end of the long tube and sew a running stitch the length of the tube, working right along your previous straight stitch.
Pull the fabric gently into a ruffle as you go. Tie off at the end.
The ruffle will be tweaked before the final sewing into the cover, so don’t get too hung up on how it looks right now!
You may want to periodically measure your ruffle or hold it up to your pillow cover to make sure your length will turn out correctly and you are not gathering the ruffle too tightly.
STEP 4: COMBINING THE RUFFLE AND PILLOW COVER BODY:
With the ruffle finished, it is time to lay it all out, pin it together, and sew it! This is the fun part in my opinion – to see it all come together!
Lay the FRONT panel of your pillow cover right side up with the pattern facing you.
Arrange your ruffle along the entire border of the front piece with pretty edge of the ruffle INWARD. This means that the seam side of your ruffle will align with the edges of your front panel and you will be sewing the ruffle INSIDE of your pillow cover (for now). It will all work out when we turn it right side out at the end!
Tweak your ruffle so that the ruffles are spaced evenly and gathered how you desire.
Place the TOP BACK panel over the ruffle, right side of fabric facing downward toward the other panel. You should be looking at the wrong side of the fabric. (Make sure the raw edge of this panel is at the top and the nice finished edge of this panel is now towards the middle of your project.)
Pin this panel in place, catching the TOP BACK panel, RUFFLES, and FRONT panel with the pins so they are all sandwiched together.
Place the BOTTOM BACK panel, on top of the ruffles, right side of fabric downward, aligning the bottom edge of this panel with bottom edge of front panel and ruffles. The nice finished edge of this panel should be towards the middle of your project and will overlap the top back panel.
Pin this panel in place, catching the BOTTOM BACK panel, RUFFLES, TOP BACK PANEL (where it overlaps), and FRONT panel with the pins so they are all sandwiched together.
Sew around the entire outside perimeter of the pillow cover using a straight stitch on your sewing machine, with about a 1/2 inch seam allowance. It’s always a good idea to backstitch at the start and end of your sewing so it doesn’t come apart later.
Remove all pins and turn pillow cover right side out through the center opening. Shriek with joy at your beautiful creation!
STEP 5: FINISHING TOUCHES
Your pillow cover can be finished at this point if you wish, or we can add a final finishing touch!
The overlap on the back of your pillow should be fairly sufficient to cover and hide your pillow insert. If you would like to add a fun detail – or if your cover needs a little help in holding the bulging fluffy insert inside like mine did – then let’s add some ties!
The thrifted curtain I used had some thicker parts where the fabric was already folded and sewn into a rod pocket or hem. I cut apart one of these sections into strips – 8 of them for my two pillows, so 4 ties per pillow. You can add as many ties as you like or need.
You can use lengths of fabric folded over and sew for added durability and a finished look, or change it up and use some accent ribbon, preferably a sturdy one that won’t fray easily like grosgrain.
To attach your ties, pin the ties in place on the back panels so they are opposite one another. You want the end of each top tie positioned UNDER the top panel so it’s not visible. The end of each bottom tie will need to be attached farther down the bottom panel so that it can meet with the top tie. I recommend sewing on the top ties first, then positioning and sewing the bottom ties so you can see where they need to fall.
Use your machine – or a needle and thread – to secure the ties to the edges of the back panels. I ran two layers of stitches across the end of each tie for added security.
(Another fun variation on this would be to add button holes and buttons instead of ties! I won’t get into that on here though.)
All done! Put that pillow insert into your brand new pillow cover and enjoy it, taking pride in the fact that you made it yourself!
BIG TIP REMINDER: When choosing a pillow insert, down feather pillow inserts always hold their shape and last longer than fiber filled ones, which can start to look misshapen and flat with use. Try some like these.
I hope this tutorial was helpful to you and I’d love to hear if you make a ruffled pillow cover of your own! Drop me a comment below!
Blessings,
Melissa
Supplies Needed to Make a Moss Topiary
TERRA COTTA POT(S)
WHITE CHALK PAINT
PAINTBRUSH
AGEING WAX (OPT.)
WAX BRUSH (OPT.)
FLORAL FOAM BALL
HOT GLUE GUN & REFILLS
PRESERVED MOSS
FLORAL FOAM DISC
STICK(S): FORAGED
SPANISH MOSS
RIBBON (OPT.) SIMILAR or this
How to Make a Moss Topiary
- Water down the chalk paint to make a whitewash.
2. Working in small sections, paint the whitewash onto the terra cotta pot.
3. Using a lightly damp rag or paper towel, gently buff the wet paint until desired level of paint remains and desired look is achieved. I like terra cotta still showing through on mine.
4. Lightly stipple random spots of aging wax onto the pots, buffing any harsh spots with a towel or paper towel.
5. Hot glue moss all over the styrofoam floral ball/sphere.
Be sure to cover the entire thing – and watch those fingers!
6. Trim and shape the moss ball as desired.
7. Break foraged sticks to length, then stick the stick into the moss ball. You may want to secure with a drop of hot glue in the hole.
8. Place the foam disc into the bottom of the pot.
9. Stick the stick into the foam disc inside the pot. Again, you may wish to secure with a little hot glue.
10. Fill the pot with filler of your choice. I used Spanish moss.
11. Either leave plain or finish off with a pretty bow.
All finished – enjoy your new moss topiary!
Thanks so much for reading, and I’d love to hear if you try this project!
Blessings,
Melissa
Want more Spring projects? Check out some of these!
- How to Make a Moss Topiary – Easy Spring DIY
This sweet moss topiary in an aged pot is the perfect touch to your Springtime decor! It’s quick and easy – let me show you how to make it! - How to Make an Easy Wreath With Fresh Flowers and Greenery
Want a simple but lovely wreath? Try this easy wreath project! Fresh roses and eucalyptus work beautifully together and will dry nicely for continued use. Perfect for Springtime, Valentine’s Day, or any time you want to add a fresh pop of color to your space. - How to Make a Wildflower Wreath for Spring and Summer
Learn how to make a lovely, delicate wildflower wreath that will transition easily from Spring into Summer! - Easter Printable and Phone Wallpaper
A sweet Easter printable and phone wallpaper with a joyful message! - Spring Table Inspiration: In the Garden with Peter Rabbit
Inspiration for a garden themed Spring tablescape with a nod to Peter Rabbit - How to Make a Spring Mirror Garland
A quick and easy tutorial on how to make a lovely Spring garland for your mirror! A list of resources is provided if you’d like to recreate the look. - Vintage Lace No-Sew Bunny Garland
These sweet little no-sew bunnies are a quick, easy project and make a great garland or basket filler for Spring!
My 5-year-old son wanted to help make this pillow and I thought it would be a great introductory sewing project for him. We worked together to pin, sew, and stuff this Christmas tree pillow, and it was a fun Christmas bonding activity!
How to sew a simple Christmas Tree Pillow
Supplies
- Fabric (amount depends on size of your pillow) – I used a thrifted bed sheet!
- Contrasting fabric for the back (optional – can make the back the same as the front if desired)
- Pencil or fabric marking pencil
- Sewing scissors
- Straight pins
- Sewing machine (can sew by hand if desired but will take far longer)
- Coordinating thread
- Stuffing (fiber fill, etc)
- Needle and thread for hand stitching
Directions
1. Wash, dry, and iron your fabric. This is the least fun part, but trust me, it makes your end product look much better.
2. Fold your fabric in half, right sides together. (I took this photo after the fact, which is why this fabric is so wrinkly looking – the fabric I used for my pillows had been ironed – promise!)
3. Use a pencil to draw half a Christmas tree coming out from the fold. Remember in school when you’d cut out a heart shape – you’d fold the paper in half, then cut half a heart so that when you opened it up it made a whole heart? Yep, same thing here except a Christmas tree! Make the tree whatever size you’d like.
4. Cut out your shape, keeping the fabric folded in half as you do so. You’ll end up with this:
5. Open up your tree and lay it on top of the backing fabric, keeping right sides together.
6. Cut out the backing fabric to match the front fabric.
7. Pin your pieces together in preparation for sewing. Do not pin the bottom – this will be left open for turning and stuffing.
8. Sew all along the sides, about 1/2 inch in from the edge, leaving the very bottom of the tree open.
9. Turn the tree right side out through the opening at the bottom.
10. Stuff with filling to desired firmness/fluffiness. A wooden skewer or dowel rod can be helpful in pushing the stuffing into those tricky corners.
11. Hand stitch the bottom of the tree closed, turning the edges inward to create a clean edge. I used a simple straight stitch (not a whip stitch).
All done!
I hope you enjoyed this simple Christmas sewing project! You can add embellishments to your Christmas tree pillow if you desire. The dollar store had some cute Pom Pom trim that I thought about adding to another pillow, either all around the edges or tacking onto the front as a zigzag garland. Buttons as ornaments would be another really cute addition. I opted for plain trees right now as I have a baby who would love to pull all those decorations off. I also just like the simplicity!
Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Melissa
Though this project uses a basic crochet stitch, don’t worry if you don’t know how to crochet! I’ll show you the simple steps you need to know. (If you are unfamiliar with crochet, you may want to consider watching the YouTube video below before you read the written instructions.)
I love the look of a rag rug and there are so many possibilities for personalization! You could go a very colorful route with all sorts of random scraps or a more neutral, calm route. It’s totally up to you!
Let’s jump to it!
How To Make an Easy Rag Rug
Supplies Needed
Lots of fabric – rags, scraps, old clothes, etc. (I don’t recommend anything too thick or too slippery.)
Sewing scissors (love my dressmaker’s shears by Gingher)
Rotary cutter and cutting mat, optional
Large crochet hook – size is flexible, but I recommend size N, O, or P.
Questions About Making a Rag Rug
What kind of materials should I use for my rag rug?
You can use pretty much anything, though super thick materials like towels don’t work so well and very slippery fabric like silk aren’t great either.
How much fabric do I need?
It depends on how big your rug will be and how loose your stitches are, but you will need quite a bit. For a very small rug I used several yards of fabric in the form of an old dress, an old skirt, a pajama shirt, two old undershirts, a few pieces of scrap fabric, and a good size piece of leftover curtain lining. All of those amounted to a rug about 2 feet in diameter.
What size crochet hook do I need?
A BIG one! I used size N, I believe, but you could use size M, N, O, or whatever works best for your desired aesthetic. (The bigger the hook the larger your individual stitches will appear.)
Do I need a cutting mat and rotary cutter?
No, you can use scissors but it will take longer.
How long does it take to make a rag rug?
It will get faster as you go and develop a rhythm, but plan to put on a good movie or show for a few nights. Depending on the size of your rug, it will take at least a few hours.
Rag Rug Instructions
- Cut your fabric into strips. I like to make mine about 1.5 inches wide. They don’t have to be perfectly uniform or straight- just an estimate is fine! The rotary cutter really makes easy work of this.
2. Tie your strips together. Use the “Right over left, left over right” technique. Don’t worry if there are little flaps of fabric sticking up – they’ll get tucked in. I don’t tie all my strips together right away – just enough to do one section so I can change colors as I want.
3. To begin the rag rug, make a slip knot with a prepared fabric strip. If you are unfamiliar with a slip knot, please watch the YouTube video above.
4. Place your hook into the loop and gently pull to tighten. you want to work loosely with this hole rug!
5. Loosely chain 3. To chain, wrap the fabric around the hook and draw it through the loop that’s already on the hook. That is 1 chain. Do this 3 times total.
6. Form the chain into a circle but placing the chochet hook through the first loop (farthest away from the hook). Pull the working string of fabric around the hook and pull through the first loop on the hook. Wrap the string around the hook again and pull through both loops on the hook. This is called a single crochet. You will now have a circle that will be the very center of your rug. (Shown in video.)
7. Now you will single crochet into the middle hole. Stick the hook through the middle hole, then single crochet loosely as many times as it takes to get around the circle. Single crochet is just like we did in the previous step – string around hook, pull through one loop, string around the hook again, pull through both loops.
8. Working into each single crochet, make 2 single crochets into each spot. This will add stitches and help to expand the rug. If you don’t add stitches you will end up with a tube instead of a flat rug! If you need assistance with this step, please reference the video.
9. Do the same for the next round, but there’s no need to make 2 single crochets in each spot. This time try alternating 2 in one spot, 1 in the next, keeping your stitches nice and loose.
10. As you continue around the rug, you won’t need to add so many stitches. Try to add just a handful of stitches per round (row) after the previous step. Maybe do 2 single crochets in one hole every 6 inches on your rug. Otherwise, just one single crochet per hole.
10. Continue working around and around the rug, tying on and changing your fabric as needed to create your desired rug aesthetic. Work until rug reaches your desired size or you simply run out of fabric!
11. To tie off, cut your string and pull it through the remaining loop to knot it. Trim the tail, leaving a bit to tuck into the rug.
12. Tuck in any fabric tails that are sticking up through the rug.
Honestly I’m still not finished with this rug! I ran out of fabric that I liked. I have plenty of other scraps but they just don’t fit the color scheme I’m going for. Guess I’ll have to make a trip to the thrift store or ask my family if they have any beaten up clothes lying around!
Have you ever made a rag rug or is this a project that you would try? Let me know in the comments below!
I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! If you have any questions please drop them in the comments section below! Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Melissa
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The post How to Make an Easy Rag Rug appeared first on Hymns & Home.]]>We’ll cover every aspect from start to finish in order to equip any beginner with the knowledge and confidence they need to reupholster dining chair seats.
After I posted this photo of my dining room to Instagram a few weeks ago and mentioned that I reupholstered the chairs, I got a few inquiries as to how to do that. So I thought it would be worth writing a step-by-step tutorial on how to reupholster a dining chair seat!
Let’s jump right to it, shall we?
How to Reupholster a Dining Chair Seat – Step by Step Tutorial
Choosing Upholstery Fabric for a Dining Chair
Before you can reupholster a dining chair you will need to consider your fabric! There are several factors you need to consider when choosing an upholstery fabric:
- How often will this chair be used (every meal, special occasions, just for show…)?
- By whom will this chair be used (adults, small children…)?
- How large is the seat and what scale of pattern do I want (lots of small detail, one large flower per seat…)?
Upholstery fabric durability is rated according to “double rubs” and fabric weight.
What is meant by “double rubs?”
Double rubs are the number of times a mechanical arm is moved back and forth over the fabric before the fabric fails. It’s estimated 3000 double rubs = approx. 1 year of use.
So what double rub count do you need?
Upholstery fabric durability is also defined by weight: Lightweight, Medium, Heavyweight, or in ounces per square yard.
Heavy duty upholstery fabric is usually more than 12 ounces per square yard.
How much fabric do I need to reupholster a dining chair seat?
To determine how much fabric you will need to purchase, follow these steps:
- Remove the seat from your dining chair by loosening the screws on the underside of the seat.
- Using a flexible measuring tape, start the measuring tape on the underside of your seat in the middle of the wood where you would staple; measure over the fullest part of your cushion, wrapping around to the opposite side of the wood frame under the seat.
- Take that number and add at least an inch or two for “wiggle room.” I prefer to add 2 inches.
- NOTE: If you are replacing the cushion with a new cushion you will need to add more according to the height of your new cushion.
- Do the same in the opposite direction on your seat.
- Take these numbers and calculate how many seats you can cover per yard (or whatever measurement you use). Keep in mind which direction the pattern runs on the fabric in relation to how it will appear on your seat.
- Most upholstery fabrics come in widths of 54″ or even 60″ or 72″ – it just depends on the manufacturer.
- TAKE PATTERN INTO CONSIDERATION. Consider what part(s) of the fabric pattern you want to have present on your seat or if it matters. For example, you may want a certain section of toile on each chair but the toile scene is only repeated once per yard. You may need more fabric to achieve that look.
Supplies Needed to Reupholster a Dining Chair
To upholster a dining chair seat there are a few supplies you will need. I’ve described them in great detail so you know why you need them and what I recommend or don’t recommend.
Sewing Scissors/Shears
Don’t attempt to use office supply (paper) scissors to cut your fabric – especially heavy upholstery fabric! You will risk getting unclean cuts and even snagging your fabric threads. I really love my 8″ dressmaker’s shears by Gingher. They have no trouble gliding right through the heaviest of upholstery fabric. Inversely, don’t ever use your sewing scissors on paper – it will dull them!
Staple/Tack Remover
This is for removing staples or upholstery tacks when you are removing the old fabric for your chair. Even if you’re not removing old fabric, it’s a good idea to have one of these for removing mistakes when stapling! I have a simple wooden handled one from Joann Fabric, but this one I recently found looks awesome.
Needle Nose Pliers
These are in case you need to remove broken staples or bits stuck in the wood. It happens more often than you’d think!
Screwdriver
You’ll need a screwdriver for detaching the seat from your chair – Philipps head or flathead depending on your screws.
Iron + Ironing Board
This is my least favorite part but very necessary! You’ll need to iron your fabric before you begin to remove any wrinkles. Trust me, it’s important!
Upholstery Stapler – Either Spring-Loaded or Pneumatic (plus air compressor)
It’s totally up to you which way you go on this. If this is the only upholstery project you will ever do, you may want to get an inexpensive spring-loaded stapler. They often have them at craft stores and on Amazon. I will say that the cheap ones from places like Joann are NOT my favorit. I find that they jam frequently. If you have many chairs to do or plan to do more upholstery, I recommend borrowing or purchasing a pneumatic stapler.
Don’t forget you’ll need an air compressor to power it! This pneumatic upholstery stapler I got from Amazon has been amazing! It has never jammed on me – even through my vintage chair project – and it comes with everything you need to get started (stapler, different sizes of staples, lubricating oil & maintenance kit). I bought a “long-nose” stapler to upholster vintage chairs that have a groove in which the fabric rests. You’ll see I’ve linked both my long-nose stapler and a crown stapler (more of a standard stapler) below.
Upholstery Staples
These are typically sold in the same aisle as the spring-loaded staplers or you can purchase them online. While it depends how thick your batting & fabric are, typically anything 1/4″ to 1/2″ is more than sufficient. You don’t want something too long that’s going to split your wood or be impossible to get out if you make a mistake.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
You should most definitely wear safety goggles (or similar) whenever you’re messing with staples – when removing and when stapling. Anytime you have sharp little metal bits potentially flying about you want to protect your eyes! Make sure you have goggles that you can clearly see through to be able to work safely.
You may also want to consider hearing protection if you are using an air compressor and potentially thin work gloves if you have sensitive hands and find the rubbing of scissors and pliers irritating. This is totally up to you – use your own judgement.
Upholstery Fabric
If you missed the part above on how to choose an upholstery fabric and how much you’ll need, scroll on up in this post! Did you know you can buy fabric on Amazon? Here’s the heavy duty fabric I used on our dining chairs.
Batting
I just use regular old batting from the quilting section of the fabric store. Batting just helps smooth everything out like the corners of the foam. You’ll need roughly the same amount as your upholstery fabric. You can purchase it at fabric stores or online here.
Foam (if replacing)
While I didn’t replace any foam for this tutorial (my chairs did not need it), you can reference step 3 of my vintage chair project to see how to cut foam to size. You can purchase foam at fabric stores like Joann Fabric or order it online, like this on Amazon.
Push Pins
These are not absolutely necessary, but they are helpful to hold fabric in place while you check placement.
For your convenience, here is a printable supplies checklist!
Now let’s reupholster a dining chair!!
Reupholstering a Dining Chair: Removing Old Fabric
Step 1: Prep your workspace
You will want to work in a space that does not have small children or pets present, if possible. You may want to spread out a drop cloth or floor covering to catch any flying staples or metal shards. (It makes for easier cleanup!) If you are using an air compressor make sure it is plugged in and pressurized. Gather all your supplies and turn on your music!
Step 2: Remove the seat from your dining chair
Turn your chair over and loosen the screws on the underside of your seat. Set them aside in a safe place like a jar or other container.
Step 3: Remove all staples or tacks
Use your staple/tack remover and pliers to remove the existing staples or tacks. Make sure you’re wearing eye protection for this! Slide (or wedge) the staple remover under each staple and pry it up. Use your needle nose pliers to pull out any broken staples or bits. Don’t feel badly if you break staples while trying to get them out. This happens all the time!
Step 4: Remove the existing fabric
Remove the existing fabric and batting (if you’re replacing the batting). Set it aside but don’t throw it away yet. Sometimes it’s helpful to reference the old fabric for making special cuts for corners.
Reupholstering a Dining Chair: Attaching New Fabric
Step 1: Iron your fabric
Trust me, you don’t want to skip this step! I personally don’t like ironing but it’s worth it to have smooth, taught fabric for a professional look. Be sure to turn your iron to an appropriate setting for your fabric. I like to keep mine around medium – just hot enough that it produces steam but not scorching. If your fabric came with care instructions be sure to read them first.
[If you are replacing chair foam, do that part now.] Visit this tutorial to learn how to cut upholstery foam to size.
Step 2: Lay out your batting
Lay your batting out and place your seat upside down on top of it (you are looking at the underside). Give yourself enough room around the edges to be able to wrap the batting and secure it to the wood frame, but not so much that you’re wasting a bunch. Cut your batting from the roll and set the roll aside. It doesn’t need to be perfectly precise.
Step 3: Lay out your fabric
Lay your fabric on a smooth, flat surface with the right side (printed side) down. Be sure the fabric pattern is oriented the correct way. Pick up your seat and batting (still loose) and place them on top of the fabric. Try to get it as straight as possible (don’t worry, we’ll check in a minute!).
Leave enough room around the edges that you can wrap the fabric up to the wood frame, but not so much that you’re wasting a lot of fabric. If you have a particular part of the fabric that you want centered on your seat, you may want to lay the seat right side up and place your fabric on top before turning everything over. That way you can get a better feel for pattern placement. Cut the amount of fabric you need and set the remainder aside.
Once you have everything as straight as possible, pull the fabric over the frame both at the top and bottom of your seat and place two pushpins through the fabric into the wood to temporarily hold the fabric in place.
Flip your seat over to the front side to check for placement and straightness. Make adjustments as needed.
Step 4: Prep the stapler
Make sure your staples are loaded correctly in your stapler. If you are using a pneumatic stapler, be sure to check the recommended PSI (pounds per square inch) of your stapler and set your compressor accordingly. My pneumatic stapler requires a minimum PSI of 60 (needs at least that amount to function) with a maximum PSI of 100. I typically set my compressor around 70.
If this is your first time using your stapler, you may want to practice a few times in a piece of scrap wood just to get a feel for the trigger.
Step 5: Attach your fabric and batting
When stapling you want to work from the middle of the frame outward. For this tutorial the “top” of your chair will be the part furthest away from you and the “bottom” will be the part closest to you. We are working on the underside of the seat (the part you don’t see when it’s attached).
Working at the top middle of your seat, pull the fabric taught over the wood frame. You want it to be tight but don’t pull it so tight it skews the pattern. Place one staple in the middle of the wood to secure.
Go to the bottom of your frame and do the same, securing with one staple. I like to pause here and flip the seat over just to make sure everything looks right before I continue.
Note: As you are stapling, be sure not to cover up the screw holes used to attach your seat. If this happens, you can always trim out a little notch for them. No big deal, but better to avoid.
Continue pulling the fabric taught over the frame and securing with staples across both the top and bottom of your frame. Stop before you get to the corners.
Turn your seat 90 degrees and repeat the process, beginning in the top middle with one staple, then the bottom middle with one staple. Work all the way across but stop before you get to the corners.
Step 6: Securing the corners
Note: There are many ways to “do” corners. This is just one way, but I personally find it the easiest.
If your chair is all squared off on the corners and has no weird posts or notches, lucky you!
To secure the corner, trim off any excess bulky batting that may be in the way on the underside of the chair. If there is too much bulk, the chair won’t sit flat on the chair frame. Don’t trim it so short that it won’t cover the corner though! You still want it to have a nice smooth edge.
Pull the corner of the fabric straight in. This will be at a 45 degree angle to the sides of your chair. Hold it taught (or secure with one staple or a push pin).
Next fold the fabric on the side straight up as if you were continuing to secure it like you did a minute ago. Secure it with a staple.
You will next be folding the adjoining side’s fabric upward but take a moment to trim any bulky excess fabric that may be in the way. Now fold the adjoining side upward and secure with a staple or two.
Secure everything with a few more staples. Trim off any excess fabric from the underside of your dining chair. Don’t trim too close to the staples. I like to leave an inch or two.
Step 7: Weird corners and notches
Oh why must there be weird corners, right? I try to think of notched cutouts like several littler corners just back to back. I still pull the fabric up into the notch at a 45 degree angle, fold it upward at the sides, and secure, but I have to do that twice. It’s easier to see in the YouTube video above. I couldn’t possibly address every type of corner and chair situation in this tutorial, but quite honestly sometimes you just have to play around with folds until it looks right. Do be cautious making any cuts or slits to your fabric, as you don’t want them to show when your chair is reattached!
Step 8: Reattach your seat to the chair frame
Use your screwdriver and screws to reattach your seat to the frame. If you can’t access the holes due to fabric being in the way, you can carefully cut little notches to expose the screw holes.
Yay! How exciting! You just reupholstered a dining chair seat!
Reupholstering a Dining Chair Without Removing Old Fabric
It is entirely possible to just skip the part about removing the old fabric and batting and to put new fabric right on top. This may be a good option for you if:
- The existing foam and batting is in good condition.
- Your new fabric is thick enough that the old will not show through.
- You want to save time and money.
Here are some occasions on which this would NOT work:
- The old fabric is filthy and smelly (it will eventually come through the new fabric).
- The old fabric and batting are very thick. Adding new fabric on top will make the seat too thick to sit properly on the chair frame.
- The old fabric will show through the new fabric.
I once reupholstered a pair of dining chairs that had FIVE layers of fabric on them! Yes, five! I could literally see the decades going by as I peeled away each layer – the 2000s, the 90s, 80s, 60s, and most likely the 40s! It was fascinating to say the least.
Attaching new fabric over existing fabric is exactly what I did for my vintage desk chair (which is actually a dining chair). I explain my decision in the video.
I hope this has been a useful and informative tutorial and that you now feel confident to reupholster a dining chair!
If you have any questions on how to reupholster a dining chair, please feel free to drop a comment below or message me on social media and I will do my best to answer it for you.
If you found this tutorial helpful, please be sure to save it for later or send it to a friend who would enjoy it!
Sharing is caring!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/702491241888922977/sent/?invite_code=d87c4f0f27a84342a5d05634b5bd9ebc&sender=702491379284215250&sfo=1Thanks for reading!
Blessings,
Melissa
Two and a half years I ago I bought this cabinet at an estate sale with the intention of painting it, but never did. Here’s why:
You know how there’s this certain guilty feeling that comes around when you really want to change something, but the thing you want to change is “nice” or “good quality” or others would probably be upset by the very fact that you did such a thing? That was me with this cabinet.
I found out about this particular estate sale via a Facebook ad on the last day it was going. Usually by the third day all the good stuff is gone or there’s a herd of people throwing elbows to get the remaining stuff clearanced. It was pretty sparse when I got there – with only an hour left to the sale most everything was gone except for a few furniture items. I had gone to the sale specifically looking for this cabinet and a black Windsor chair – both of which I had seen in the ad – totally expecting them to already be gone…
…lo and behold they were both still there! Not only were they still there but they were half off. The original asking price for the cabinet was $300. It was down to $150, so I offered $100 figuring they’d probably like to get it off their hands…and they accepted! It was definitely a close call, though – I had taken the tag off the cabinet and carried it with me to the front table. Just as they accepted my offer, a gentleman came up behind me asking the sales people how much the cabinet was and if it was still for sale! Yikes! Guess it was meant to be.
I bought the cabinet with the intention of painting it. As soon as I got it home (with the very generous help of my In-Laws!), my husband cried, “don’t paint it!” seeing the lovely tiger stripe wood.
I admitted it was nice vintage wood.
And so it sat, in my basement, for 2.5 years, piled with stuff, with me never really loving it and it feeling too dark and heavy and uninspiring….
…until a few weeks ago when I finally said, “You know what? It makes no sense – keeping something a way I don’t like it just because I’m supposed to value and like it that way.”
And so I painted it.
And I love it.
This was my first time working with milk paint.
I used Miss Mustard Seed’s Milk Paint in “Lucketts Green” for the exterior and “Linen” for the interior. I wanted something cheerful and fun and this definitely fit the bill! I purchased the paint from a lady on Ebay who was clearing out her supply after closing her shop. Mine was the original formula; they’ve since changed their paint formula to be completely natural and eco-friendly. You can find retailers that sell the paint here.
The paint was super easy to use – you literally just mix the powder together with water in a container, wait a few minutes, mix again, then paint away! I used a 1:1 ratio of paint to water but you can adjust according to what amount of coverage you want. I just used a regular old paint brush from the hardware store.
One thing I did find was that keeping a light hand while painting produced a better result – pushing too hard seemed to rub the paint off as I went.
Also, be sure to clean your piece before beginning. I like to give my furniture pieces a quick wipe down with Simple Green All-purpose Cleaner – it takes away grease, odors, and dirt.
I am seriously enjoying my cabinet so much more now! It makes me smile when I see it. I’ve even intentionally gone over to my craft area for no other reason than to just smile at my cabinet.
I hope the biggest take away you get from this post is not so much painting furniture or using milk paint, but to stay true to your style – to make your space one that makes you smile, no matter if other people like it or not.
I mean, if other people live in your house you have to respect that…but you know what I mean!
Happy creating!
Blessings,
Melissa
My mom and I watched many old movies together as I was growing up. She would sit and fold laundry and I’d either help with laundry or would work on some project of my own – usually crocheting. I always loved the women’s outfits in those movies and especially loved their frilly aprons!
When I think of those aprons I particularly think of Marjorie Reynolds in Holiday Inn when she helps in the kitchen – she’s wears a gingham apron with pockets, trim, and buttons up the back. Of course with all those buttons, Bing Crosby has to help her unbutton it when it’s show time – terribly impractical, but also terribly cute!
I’ve been collecting true vintage aprons for awhile now – mostly half aprons – but have always wanted a frilly full apron that would fit my modern day [read: not 1940’s petite] body.
One of my favorite places to purchase true vintage aprons is from my friend, Elizabeth Tuttle, over at Pretty Vintage Linens – she gets so many cute ones in her shop!
About a year ago I purchased some red and white gingham from Hobby Lobby. I didn’t know what I would do with it, but I loved it so much I bought it. I almost made it into Christmas throw pillows…now I’m glad I didn’t!
The thing is, though, I’m not big on sewing. My mom did her best to teach me when I was little, bless her, but I was not the most receptive or patient student. One time I tried making a teddy bear – the kind where you cut the printed pieces out of the fabric and just sew them together. That poor bear…I had to re-sew his head on so many times that it left a scar. We covered it over with a ribbon, haha!
My point in telling you this is that I’m not the world’s best seamstress nor do I even pretend to be. I know a few basics about sewing and that’s about it. I’m sure there are things I could have done differently or better if I really knew what I was doing, but here we are…with an end product that I am pretty proud of no matter how we got there!
Alright, so you’re probably ready for me to quit rambling and get on with it – I understand! Let’s hop to it.
Vintage Inspired Apron Step-by-Step Photo Tutorial
Supplies needed:
Packing Paper (or other large paper)
Pen or Pencil
Sewing Tape Measure
Yard Stick or Ruler
Scissors (for paper)
Fabric (how much you need depends entirely on your size and how you want your apron to fit)
Lining fabric
Sash Fabric
Lace/Trim
Fabric Shears
Straight Sewing Pins
Sewing Machine
Thread to coordinate with your fabric
1 Button
Sewing needle (for sewing a few stitches by hand)
1. I used several sheets of packing paper taped together to make my pattern.
2. First let’s make the skirt pattern. You’ll need to take some measurements with a sewing tape measure. Measure around the narrowest part of your waist and write that number down.
Loosely measure around the fullest part of your lower body. Write that number down. We’ll just reference this as “hip measurement.”
Make sure to leave this measurement roomy as this will determine how full your skirt will be and how much it will cover you. The bigger the number the looser fitting the skirt.
Measure from your waistline (the first spot you measured) to wherever you want your apron to end (I chose right above my knee). Write that number down.
3. Cut a piece of paper at least as wide as half your hip measurement + 1 inch and at least as tall as your skirt length + 2 inches.
(We’re adding extra inches for seam allowance.)
4. We’re going to make a half-skirt paper to ensure your skirt ends up symmetrical. You will fold your fabric in half when cutting which will result in a full skirt.
Starting at the top left of your paper, measure to the right half your waist measurement + 1 inch. Draw a straight line out to that point. This is the top of your skirt.
Now measure down the left side using your skirt length + 2 inches. Make a mark.
Measure out from that mark using your hip measurement + 1 inch – mark that point. This is the bottom of your skirt.
(You may wish to label them top and bottom to avoid confusion.)
5. Draw a straight line connecting your waist mark to your hip mark. This will be the gradual flare of your skirt out from your waist.
Here’s a diagram of what I mean by all that:
Cut out your pattern piece.
6. Now to make the upper portion of the apron pattern.
–> Let me take a moment to comment that you can certainly make the front of your apron all one piece if you choose. I did it this way because my fabric was not wide enough to cut it all out in one piece. <–
Loosely measure around the fullest part of your chest, stopping halfway under your armpits. Write down that number.
Measure how far it is from the middle of your armpit to where your shoulder strap will begin. Write that number down.
Loosely measure from the top of your shoulder, over the fullest part of your chest, stopping at your waist (where your skirt will meet up). Write down that number.
Decide where you want your neckline to be. Measure to that point also from the top of your shoulder. Write that down too.
Decide how wide you want your neckline to be. Write that down.
Decide how thick you want your straps to be. I wanted mine wide – roughly 4 inches. Write that down.
7. From the edge of a large piece of packing paper, leaving yourself room both up and down, measure out half your chest measurement + 1 inch. Make a mark.
Go back inward the length of your armpit-to-strap measurement (+ 1 inch) and make a mark. Then draw a straight line upward the length of your strap. Draw a line inward the width of your strap, then another straight line down the length of your strap. It should look like, well…a strap!
Now draw a straight line back inward to the edge of the paper.This will be half the width of your neckline.
Shame on me for forgetting to take photos in-between, but here’s the gist of it. (Ignore the squiggled out lines – I was experimenting.)
The bottom of your front panel should be one quarter the width of the waist of your skirt + 1/2 inch. (In other words, the bottoms of the front and back panels will add up to equal the width of the waist of your skirt.)
Here’s another diagram:
Before completely cutting out my front panel I traced it onto another piece of paper to make my back panel. They will be the same, except I personally wanted the back neckline higher than the front, so I adjusted that measurement as you can see in the photo below.
8. Here is your friendly albeit annoying reminder to always iron your fabric before cutting out your pieces. It matters in getting accurate measurements – really it does.
(I don’t enjoy ironing – that’s why I said annoying. Haha)
9. Carefully fold your fabric in half, ensuring that it is straight and there are no ripples on the bottom layer.
If you are working with a pattern be mindful of orientation.
Place your pattern flush along the folded edge and pin it in place with sewing pins.
Carefully cut it out (if you’d prefer to trace it and then cut it out, by all means do, but I’m impatient I guess…)
Do the same with your front and back panels.
10. I wanted my apron lined as my gingham is not a very heavy weight. I didn’t want it to cling to my clothes as I moved about.
I found this old sheet from my childhood – the elastic had crumbled from age, so I cut out the elastic and ironed the whole thing.
11. Lay out your pieces on the lining fabric. I just cut it out directly, but if you feel more comfortable tracing & cutting, do that.
Allow me to introduce you to my favorite sewing shears!
They’re awesome. I do have to wear work gloves when I use them, though, as my hands get sore after awhile.
12. Pin your fabric pieces and lining pieces together, wrong sides facing.
Before sewing your back panel, cut it exactly in half. This will give you the split back of the apron.
Sew along all sides of your pieces EXCEPT the bottom.
13. Turn all pieces right side out (be sure to get all those little corners popped right side out).
Press them all with an iron.
14. Pin front and back panels together along the armpit seams, wrong sides facing, and sew.
It should look like this when spread out.
[Notice my bottom lines don’t meet up perfectly. It’s fine – no big deal. The skirt will cover it.]
15. Pin opposing shoulder straps together, wrong sides facing, and sew. This forms the arm holes.
16. Line up the waist of the top piece with the waist of the skirt, wrong sides facing.
Be sure to leave enough seam allowance that there will be no gaps between the two, especially if your top piece didn’t have a perfectly straight bottom edge.
Pin and sew.
17. Try on your apron and decide how much to hem the bottom.
Fold under the edge, pin, and sew.
It’s looking like an apron! Let’s add some details now!
18. Choose your trim – this was some vintage lace my mom had given me a long time ago. It’s off-white, just like in my gingham fabric.
Sew your lace right along the outside edge of your straps.
Like this.
19. Let’s make pockets!
Cut two identically sized squares of your fabric, making them a little larger than you actually want your pockets.
I would have liked my pockets a little larger but I was almost out of fabric.
I purposely made my pocket fabric line up with the skirt fabric, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.
Pin and hem all sides of your pocket squares to give them nice, clean edges.
Make sure to keep your folds uniform so your pockets remain the same size!
Sew a piece of trim to the top of each pocket square.
Sew pockets to the apron skirt, only on the bottom and sides – don’t sew your pocket shut!
Lift the lace as you sew, so as not to sew over the lace.
20. Time to make a sash! I made mine from some vintage linen I bought at a rummage sale – it was a whole box of vintage fabrics for $3!
Again, the off-white color of the linen goes with the color in the gingham.
Decide how wide you want your sash. Double that number and that’s how wide your strip should be.
Now decide how long it should be – long enough to go around your waist, tie a generous bow, and leave some hanging.
Center your sash strip on your apron.
Tuck the top and bottom edges of the sash strip under, so that they meet in the middle under your strip (hidden). Pin.
Sew along the top and bottom edges of your sash, only from one edge of the front panel to the other edge. Leave the rest hanging freely.
I decided to do it this way to allow for more flexibility in how tightly (or not) I tied the apron.
I wanted a big, flowy vintage bow in the back of my apron, so I purposely left the linen unhemmed, knowing it will probably fray a bit more over time.
21. To close up the back, I sewed a short, straight line (maybe 2-3 inches long) just at the top edge, overlapping the back pieces about 1.5 inches. Then I sewed a decorative button over the top.
To put the apron on, I slip it over my head. I decided I didn’t want to mess with having to button and unbutton the apron every time. You are welcome to put in a real button and button hole if you wish!
22. Finally, to avoid the neckline looking too boxy, I created a pleat from the chest up to the corner of the neckline on each side, as you can see below.
It’s helpful to be wearing the apron when you decide where to make a pleat.
Just a gentle fold of the fabric and a few stitches by hand.
And there you have it! I hope it made some sense…
Thanks for reading through my little tutorial! If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to drop a comment or send me a message and I’ll do my best to help out!
I’m rather excited I got this done in time for Valentine’s Day. I guess that means I have to make a nice dinner now, eh?
Want to save this for later or share with friends?
Pin it!
Blessings,
Melissa
I’ve had this dresser since I was a young girl. I distinctly remember getting it for Christmas one year (I was the type that asked for furniture and decor – go figure, ha!). I loved it for many years and it served me well. Once I got married and it moved with me into our house, however, it was a huge, heavy piece in our little master bedroom. (The poor wall and curtain choices didn’t help, but that’s a discussion for another time!)
We lived with it like that for nearly 6 years. When it came time to finally makeover our bedroom, however, I knew something about the dresser needed to change! I was going to either make over the existing dresser or find a new one entirely.
I should just tell you that this is going to be a short post because it was such a simple makeover! But that’s a good thing, right?!
The first simple step in lightening up the dresser was removing the trifold mirror and replacing it with a free-hanging round mirror.
I fell in love with this one from Homegoods:
The second step was patching, cleaning, taping, and painting. That’s several steps but they’re so brief that we’re grouping them.
Before I painted, I removed all the hardware and filled the hardware holes in just the top drawers. They had 2.5 inch spacing while all the other drawers had 3 inch spacing. I had already chosen my hardware and wanted to use all the same size. I highly recommend selecting specific hardware before you paint. That way you’ll know if you need to patch holes, sand, etc. I used Varathane Wood Filler in Natural. Just fill in the holes and sand down the excess at the top once dry. You may need several coats depending on the depth of the hole.
I then gave the dresser a good cleaning. I love using Simple Green Cleaning Spray for prepping furniture pieces. It removes dirt, residue, and smells.
Next I used some Frog Tape to tape off the top of the dresser. I wanted to leave the wood top as it was and just paint the body.
For the paint, I chose Fusion Mineral Paint in “Victorian Lace.”
If you’re not familiar with Fusion Mineral Paint, it’s a fantastic line and I definitely recommend checking them out. You can visit their website to view the color selection, read about the benefits of the their products, and find a local or online retailer.
I ended up needing three coats to completely get rid of brush strokes over the dark finish. It dries to the touch quite quickly, so re-coat time is pretty fast. I just use whatever decent quality paint brush we have available in the house – nothing terribly fancy or expensive.
I painted the drawer fronts separately out on the driveway.
Finally, after everything was completely dry, I attached the new hardware.
My husband sweetly surprised me and drilled new holes in the top drawers for me while I was napping one day (I was very pregnant), so I didn’t need to do it.
For the hardware I chose a vintage-inspired yet simple pull in “Antique Bronze.”
Then I spent a ton of time deliberating over the top of the dresser – Refinish it? Leave it? Stain it darker or bleach it natural? I finally decided just to leave it for now.
Is it slightly more red than I would like? Yes. Is it unthinkably vile? Haha, no – at least I don’t think so. Plus, it currently has a very smooth and durable factory finish which I’d hate to destroy if I’m not 100% positive what I want.
There’s definitely something to be said for taking the time to be certain about a decision and knowing one’s personal limits. Refinishing a dresser top at 37 weeks pregnant was not something I really wanted to take on. I’ll live with it for a few months and if I would still like to change it then I’ll refinish it later.
In working with my decision to keep the existing top, I purposely chose a tall vase that has a similar dark rusty color around the top. This continues the dresser hue upward and connects it with the natural wood trim of the mirror, helping to better harmonize the contrasting tones.
It’s amazing how so simple a makeover can yield such big results. The piece feels so much lighter in the room now – it’s like a weight has been lifted.
In case you’re wondering about sources for decor and the room, I’ve listed them here:
Mirror, Tall Vase, Short Vase, & Lamp: Homegoods
Faux Eucalyptus Stems: Target Hearth & Hand
Faux Potted Fern: Target
Books: Cozy White Cottage & Wild Creations
Rug: Boutique Rugs
Bed Skirt: Amazon
Dresser Paint: Fusion Mineral Paint Victorian Lace
Dresser Hardware: Amazon
Wall Color: Winds Breath by Behr
Thanks so much for following along – I hope you found this simple makeover inspiring. Sometimes it’s the simple changes that make a big difference!
Found this inspiring? Pin it!
Blessings,
Melissa
Sometimes inspiration comes to me in the most random places. My little girl and I were in the kitchen section of Target the other day looking for dish towels my mom wanted. My daughter picked up a pack of white dish cloths that were on the shelf in front of her (I was being brave and letting her walk instead of ride in the cart – she’s 2 1/2). At first I said, “Oh, we don’t need those.” but then quickly discovered I liked how they felt. My mind immediately jumped from “I could use these in the kitchen” to “I bet I could make pumpkins out of these.” Don’t know why – that’s just how my brain works I guess!
The dish clothes I used were a pack of 6 white 100% cotton cloths for about $4. I already had the other supplies in my stash, so it cost me less than a dollar per pumpkin to make! Pretty budget friendly!
I absolutely adore the look of these pumpkins – the soft, subtly fuzzy texture, the clean white combined with a natural twine and earthy brown cinnamon stick. I feel like they would fit right in with just about any decor.
One of the best parts, in my opinion, is that there is no sewing involved. If you’ve been around here a while you may know I’m not the biggest fan of sewing. I know how to and I”ll do it when necessary, but if I can get away with not sewing, even better! Also a plus – they only take about 5 minutes apiece to make! That’s a huge win in my book as a mom of two (soon three) little ones!
They are not difficult to make, but I’ve indicated some specific folds and have tried to provide clear photos and directions on how to perform those folds. You can certainly reference my Youtube video if that is helpful to you. If you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll try to help!
Let’s get started on some easy dish cloth pumpkins!
Supplies
- White Dish Cloth – I used these from Target – these from Amazon look somewhat similar
- Fiber Fill Stuffing
- Natural Cotton Kitchen Twine
- Cinnamon Stick
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
Tutorial
1. Lay out the dish cloth “wrong side” up (the side with the seam) and cut off any tags.
2. Place a large ball of stuffing in the center of the dish cloth.
3. Choose one corner and fold it over slightly; secure with a bead of hot glue.
4. Take the “pointed” corner (opposite the folded corner) and fold it up and over the ball of stuffing.
5. Pull the opposite corner (the folded one) taughtly over the pointed corner and secure with a line of hot glue.
6. Take another pointed corner and fold the long sides of it inward, as pictured below, to make it narrower and hold the stuffing in.
7. Fold it up to the top middle of the ball.
8. Fold the sides of the opposite pointed corner the same way to make it narrower and hold the stuffing in.
9. Fold the tip of it over and secure with hot glue.
10. Fold that section up to the center of the ball and secure with hot glue.
11. Cut a long length of twine (enough to wrap around this ball 4 times, plus about 6 inches extra). Place it under the ball and bring the ends up to the middle, leaving one end about 6 inches long and the other end very long.
12. Tie in a double knot. (You should have two lengths of twine coming from this knot – one just a few inches and the other very long.)
13. Wrap the twine around the ball again, this time perpendicular to the first wrap. Bring it up to your starting point and slip the long length of twine under the knot.
14. Secure with a knot, using both the long and the short lengths of twine to tie it.
From the opposite side, it will now look like this:
15. Do the same as before, wrapping the twine around the ball, but this time catty-corner (on the diagonal). Slip under the knot and secure by tying.
Looks like this from the opposite side:
16. Now do the same to the opposite corner.
17. It should look like this. Cut off the excess twine once knotted.
It will look like this from the opposite side:
18. With the pumpkin turned “right side up” (knots on the bottom), find the center (in the middle of all the criss-crossed strings). Snip a very small slit in the fabric, being sure not to cut the twine.
19. Place the cinnamon stick into the slit, allowing the strings of twine to go around it on all sides. To secure, add hot glue to the bottom of the stick before inserting.
20. Take a length of twine and wrap it around the base of the cinnamon stick multiple times – however thick you’d like – leaving enough length on both ends to tie a bow.
21. Finish with a bow and trim ends to desired length.
All done!
While that probably seemed like a pretty lengthy tutorial, it’s only because I tried to really break it down step by step so there was [hopefully] no confusion. It actually goes really quickly once you know how to do it!
These pumpkins would look adorable all lined up on a shelf or hutch, tucked into a bowl as filler, on a table as part of a Fall tablescape…so many possibilities for them!
I hope you enjoyed this quick, easy, and inexpensive Fall DIY tutorial and that you’ve been inspired to whip up some dish cloth pumpkins of your own!
Blessings,
Melissa
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