jennifer, Author at Hopeful Homemaker

Placemat to Pillow: DIY

February 6, 2010 jennifer Decorating, Quilting and Sewing

I was on the hunt for pillows with some turquoise in them when I found these placemats on clearance at TJ Maxx.

I liked the colors and the pattern but I didn’t need more table linens. And then I thought: wait, there are four of them. Why not make pillows with them?! So they came home with me.

I already had some 11 by 14 inch pillow forms in my basement. They were the perfect size. I didn’t want to cut up the placemats because the seams would be so thick. I also liked the back and the gentle scallop around the edges.

So I decided to just sew the pillow inside the two placemats. If I ever get tired of them, I’ll just unpick the seams and have placemats again. It was the easiest pillow I ever made (as in, 5 minutes per pillow.)

I figured out where on the placemats I needed my seams to be so the opening would be the right size. Then I simply sewed the placemats together on three sides, leaving one of the narrow ends open.

Then I simply stuffed the pillow form inside.

I carefully sewed the opening shut, making sure I didn’t sew the pillow form into the seam at all.

That’s it! Done.

Nobody would ever guess that these were clearanced placemats. They’re perfect for my space, and they have a nice shape to them BECAUSE of the floppy scalloped edges all around.

The fact that you can see the striped back if you peek only adds to the charm.

You can’t beat $4.00 per pillow, either! As far as I’m concerned, it’s a success all around. It was inexpensive, I used materials on hand (pillow inserts), it was quick (10 minutes) and I was able to be creative. My new pillows are now at home in this room .

Try it sometime! They’re fun and easy to make.
This post is linked to Kimba’s DIY Day .

4 comments blue, Decorating, DIY, sewing, thrifty

Mirror transformation: Before and After

February 6, 2010 jennifer Decorating

Three years ago I purchased this vintage mirror at a yard sale, intending to use it in my girls’ room when our house was completed. Well, we moved in, and it just didn’t fit the space. So it’s sat in my basement for the last 2.5 years. Until this week. Here’s the before:

A close up of some of the detail.

Go ahead and say it: totally gaudy and overdone. But I always pictured it painted in a deep pink. Enter this pillow:

I ran to Ace Hardware and picked up one of their little sample sized paints, called Paint Pods, in a color to match the pillow. The one I chose was called cupid. I’d always intended to spray paint this mirror for better coverage, but I couldn’t find a pink in the right shade. So I settled for the headache of painting it by hand and having the coverage not be as good.

Anyway, 3 coats of paint later, here’s the final product:

I must say, I’m thrilled with the result! I really love it. Now it’s a formal sort of mirror, but the pink makes it fun and happy, not to be taken too seriously. Perfect!

4 comments Decorating, DIY, pink

Vintage Tablecloth: Black and white lattice with flowers

February 6, 2010 jennifer Linens

I love the boldness of this tablecloth. When I first saw it, I thought of Mary Engelbreit and her well-known illustrations (this cloth was obviously made long before ME was illustrating, and I found it long before she began designing fabric). Black and white with touches of red will always be a classic color combination.

The cloth measures 47 inches by 44 inches. It has a tag on it that identifies it as being produced by a company called Dunmoy. This cloth is printed on linen, and it has a nice heavy weight, but no stiffness at all. It drapes perfectly.

The border is checkerboard style, with red roses and white daisies alternating around the entire cloth. I love that the lattice lines are set on the diagonal.

The cloth is in very good condition overall. It does have a small run in the fabric in the center which creates a thin white line going through the lattice design, but it doesn’t detract from the boldness or the beauty of the piece. The edges are still very white with just one spot that has some browning (which I might be able to soak out if I put my mind to it, but I also don’t want to make the black or red fade at all).

It’s a really lovely tablecloth, and very unique. I don’t have another one that’s at all like it. So pretty!