Place Mat Outdoor Throw Pillow

When we moved into this house, we were so excited that there was a little front porch. We have lived in our house almost four years.  First off let me just say that I can't believe we have lived here that long. Technically we have lived here long enough now that this is our second set of cushions/pillows for our white outdoor chairs (from Target).

Previously our chair cushions were gray and the pillows were coral and white. I bought them when those colors were super popular. After some wear and tear, I needed something new. When I was looking at what to get now, I decided to look at not just what was popular color wise, but to also look at what I knew I loved and would always love. That meant blue people.

I am sure you are shocked. Blue and white. I am nothing if not consistent.

I went back and forth on what to do for the throw pillows. Then I remembered a set of gray place mats I had laying around. I had originally bought them for another project, but I changed my mind. I have had them for like two years just waiting to fulfill their design purpose.

That is how the Place Mat Outdoor Throw Pillow was born. Two place mats plus some stuffing equals two perfect lumbar throw pillows for our porch chairs.

I have made throw pillows from place mats before. They are one of the easiest throw pillows you will ever make.

You just need--

a place mat (one that is layered like a quilt, basically not just one piece of fabric)
stuffing
needle/thread

On one of the short sides of the place mat, in the middle, pick the seam and create a 4-5 inch opening.

Stuff, stuff, stuff away. Make sure to really cram it full and get the stuffing into all the corners.

Hand stitch up the opening.

BAM! Done.

The throw pillows were not the only new addition this year. I got this bird cage for 60% off at JoAnn's. I then filled it with an IKEA plant and container that we already had. The wind blows something fierce around here, so something heavy has to anchor it down.

I really, really love IKEA's faux plants. If you were to walk around my house, you would find a lot of them.

Now we have the perfect place to sit and enjoy the delights of Summer. I always like coming home, but driving up to my house and seeing this little porch set up really brings a smile to my face.

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Project Master Bedroom: Embroidered Throw Pillow

A small group of people start and finish a room makeover in a small window of time. However, most of us finish a room project in bits and pieces. I won't lie, the impatient, HGTV show lovin' self would like to be able to get my rooms done in a week with all the details just so. Who wouldn't? But that is not a reality for most of us.

Bits and pieces. Save up. Buy a little at a time. That is how most of us make over a room. So no more beating ourselves up or hiding our room projects away because they aren't 100% done. We are all in the same boat. So let us cheer each other on in our various stages of projectness (totally a word).

So here is my Project Master Bedroom update.

As I have said before, in the almost 14 years that we have been married this is the very first time we are getting a lovely master bedroom. We have done all the other bedrooms and have even done a guest bedroom but have yet to even paint our master bedroom.

I have a vision in my head of how I want this room to come together. Now thanks to new white doors and trim, a few coats of paint, and a hard-working husband who put up my board and batten focal wall I am that much closer to having a super lovely and cozy room.

With the big stuff done, it is just time to add here and there. Some of my wishes are things I have to save up for. A reading chair and white bamboo shades are two items on my wish list. So while I save up for a few big wishes I will tackle the bedding.

The main bedding we have had on the bed for over a year. I added the Flour Sack Euro Sham a few months ago. Recently I added just one more pop of blue, because you all know how I love blue, with this throw pillow.

I bought this textile from IKEA and I have been holding on to. I finally deemed it time to make it into a pillow. Instead of simply cutting out the fabric into two pieces and installing a zipper, I decided I wanted to add a little embroidery detail. I cut three separate pieces for the front. I sewed the three pieces together and then hand stitched with embroidery floss on either side of each seam before I sewed together the whole pillow.

Isn't it charming?

I recently had a friend come see my master bedroom progress. When she saw my bed, she said "I bet you love to make your bed every morning." I really do. I really, really do.

Thanks for hanging out with me for my Project Master Bedroom update. There are a few things still left to be done, but no promises on how soon I will get it done. The anticipation will be worth it right? Haha.

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Flour Sack Towel Euro Sham Covers

First off, please excuse that really ugly golden tan wall. In a stupid and vain moment I almost didn't share these adorable Flour Sack Towel Euro Shams all because the color of my room is not my favorite. Basically my room is a constant work in progress and part of me didn't want to share any little project until the whole room is done.

Well, that could take years. I didn't want to wait that long to show you these Euro Shams. They are delightful. I love them and they were so easy to make. So I decided to stop being a cry baby pride bucket and just share this Flour Sack Towel Euro Shams DIY.

I have wanted Euro Shams for awhile. I knew exactly what I wanted. I wanted a vintagey striped pillow. I wanted it white with blue stripes, because I love all things blue. Eh...but...uh...these pillows are red and white.

Yes, well do you see that sweet red lamp in the photo above. That is Hubby's lamp. When we first bought it on clearance we were going to spray paint it. As time went on Hubby decided he wanted it to stay red. I tried to convince him otherwise, but as he pointed out, he probably should get a say from time to time. Haha!

So due to the lamp, a pop of vintage red needed to be added to the room. I searched and searched for the shams I had envisioned. Alas, they were no where to be found.

So when you can't find what you are looking for, you make it baby.

When I found these 28x28 flour sack towels at JoAnn's, I knew I had my answer.
 

Flour sack towels are inexpensive. They are perfectly vintage looking right out of the package. There are two in each pack, so I only had to buy two to make two shams.

Since I wanted my color to be muted and worn looking, I used regular craft acrylic paint. Normally you do not use acrylic paint on fabric without a fabric medium because when you wash it the color fades. Since I wanted my color faded I used acrylic.

I taped of the lines I wanted. I started in the middle and measure out equal distances. I used a wide tape for the first white stripe. Then I taped of another smaller area for the small red stripe. Tape off two of the towels for the two pillow fronts.

With cardboard beneath the towel, start painting with a foam brush. I roughly painted. Basically I didn't want to saturate the fabric. I let it look worn. Once you are done, wait a couple of minutes and then carefully peel back the tape. Allow to dry. Wash and dry each sham front. This will make the painted fabric softer and it will give it the faded worn look perfect for a vintage looking pillow.

I chose to make my shams close with a zipper. You could also hand sew them closed. I used a 24" white zipper. First attach one side of the zipper to the front of one towel, with the zipper tab down.

Then I did the same thing with the other side of the zipper and the back piece of the sham. After the zipper was attached to both sides, sew around the other edges of the towels (right sides facing) to create the pillow sham.

Clip corners. Turn out the sham. Iron. Insert a euro sham insert. I got mine at Ross for really cheap.

I really love the pop of red and I love the look of these Flour Sack Towel Euro Shams. Thanks Hubby for insisting we keep the red lamp.

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