Make your own reading pillow.....

Let me first start this post by saying that I like to sew, but I do NOT like sewing machines......what should be an easy project turns into a monster because of thread tension and other various annoyances!!


So...if you have a machine that works, this is a VERY easy project!


I first saw this idea here at Southern Disposition.  I tried to find an IKEA duvet as inexpensive as her, but they are not that cheap anymore, so I went with a twin flat sheet.  The whole project then cost me under $10.00!!

I took my sheet and laid it longways or lengthwise on the floor. I then took 4 pillows and set them out so I knew where to cut off the extra length of sheet.

When you cut off your extra length you will be left with a raw (or unhemmed) edge.   You will need to fold-over that edge to hem it.

To hem, I just make a fold and iron it.  

I then "fold over my fold", iron, and stitch.

Now, take your sheet that is stretched out lengthwise and fold it into third.  Because you have folded your sheet in thirds, you will have created a pocket for you pillow....

I then grabbed my pillows and laid them out side-by-side again to measure where I needed to put my seams....each pillow will have it's own "pocket."

Pin a line against your pillow and then sew to create your pillow pocket...

You've now created a pocket to stuff each pillow into...if this is confusing to you, go grab a pillow sham off your bed.  

The back of this pillow looks identical to the back of your pillow sham if you've done it correctly.  You will just have 4 "connected" shams....

See...cute pocket!

Since I bought my 4 pillows and flat sheet at IKEA, the total cost was about $10.00....

....reading Berenstein Bears under the shade of a tree....priceless!

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Guest Post by Sparklinbecks and a Giveaway!!

{Win a vintage-inspired apron....}

So in my introduction of Rebecca, I need to tell you that she used to be in our youth group!!  Ugh...can I be that old that our former youth group members are now bloggers with 3 children??

Rebecca is a really gifted seamstress and has created many beautiful projects like this jewelry holder...

{Necklace Organizer}

...or how about this DIY birdfeeder?

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Hi! My name is Rebecca and I am a blogger over Sparklinbecks. I am so excited to be guest blogging here today! I love reading Thrifty Decorating, and its an honor to be here!


My husband and I are very frugal and love being creative in our own ways. It's amazing what you can create from different things! I love yard sale and thrift store finds and enjoy turning them into "new to me" things!

Today, I would like to show you how to turn a flat sheet or curtain into an apron over at my blog Sparklinbecks!

Using a flat sheet (because of the finished hems), an old curtain to use for trim, and ric rac and two d-rings I had here, I made up this thrifty little tutorial so that you too can make this apron.

Come by Sparklinbecks for a complete TUTORIAL with instructions and pictures.

Not a seamstress? Want to try to win it? I am giving it away this week at Thrifty Decorating!

For one entry:  Leave a comment here and you can enter to win it!

Follow me at Sparklinbecks and leave a comment here that you did so and receive a second entry!

Follow Thrifty Decorating and leave a comment here that you did so and receive a third entry!

On Friday, May 27th, we will announce the winner!

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Thanks so much, Becca!  Am I allow to comment??  I want to win one!!

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Jenny's Tutorial.....an embellished t-shirt

{Embellished T-shirts}

Finally.....part 3 of Jenny's TuTu Skirt Tutorial!

You can find Part 1 HERE....the skirt......and Part 2 HERE....the flower pin.

 

Materials Needed:

T-shirt

Iron

Decorative Fabric

Fusible Web

Scissors

Image for shirt

Embellishments

Take your image and cut it out.  Cut the fabric just a bit larger then the image. 

Iron the fabric onto the fusible web.  Trace the image onto the back of the fusible fabric.  Make sure it is turned the opposite way.  I learned the hard way and ended up with a backward letter!  Cut out your fabric with the fusible webbing on the back. 

Peel off the back of the paper and place the image on the shirt.  Then iron on to the shirt. Make sure it is how you want it.  I like to play around with it at first. 

Once you are finished I like to use a fabric fray on the image.  Or if you have better sewing skills then myself you could stitch around the edges.  I used ribbon and buttons as embellishments.  Just use the same technique for the image, on the ribbon and sew on the buttons. 

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Thanks so much, Jenny!  We've really enjoyed all of your tutorials!

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TuTu Tutorial ----Flower Pin Tutorial

A few days ago, I shared Jenny's TuTu Tutorial for how to make this adorable skirt.  Today, I'm sharing with you her tutorial for how to make the silk flower. 

There are a lot of tutorials and ideas out in blogland for these flowers.  You can make them from organza the same way and attach them to barrettes and headbands or sew them to t-shirts.....endless possibilities!

Materials Needed: 

Fabric
Scissors
Candle
Needle/Thread
Bead, button, or any kind of embellishment
Felt
Hot glue/gun

Take your material and cut out different size circles.  You can trace jars, cups, anything round and in different sizes.  I used four circles, but you can use as many as you like.  (You can also alternate your materials..... silk, organza, silk, organza.....that's Nikki's sidenote!)

Using a candle, gently burn the edges of the circle.  Be very careful to not get the fabric too close to the flame.  If your edges happen to burn, you can trim that black part off.  You just want to fabric to curl up.

After you have curled your circles, stack them in layers.  You can then stitch the flower together using any type of beans, buttons, or embellishments.

To attach your flower to your skirt (or headband, barrette, etc) take a circle of felt and cut out a circle smaller than  your flower.  Glue your felt to the back of your satin flower.  At this point you can glue, pin or sew the flower to your skirt or your can glue it to a barrette or headband.......wherever you'd like to put it!

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Easy Tutu Tutorial

My friend, Jenny, is from the South....the "y'all" South......the I'm eat'n boil'd peanuts South.....and her daughter is always dressed so beautiful on a Sunday mornin'!  She has started making some adorable outfits for her daughter (and niece) to wear.


Over the next few days I will be posting Jenny's tutorial for how to make this complete outfit:

She is a beginner when it comes to sewing so you CAN do this!

Today.....we'll learn how to make the tu-tu!

 

Materials:  Tulle (2-5 yards depending on child's size)
                  Elastic
                  Needle and Thread

To make the waistband....cut a piece of elastic and measure it around your child's waist.  Find a comfortable length and sew the ends together.

Take the tulle and roll it up or fold it to a 3-4 inch width.  Cut 3-4 inch strips of tulle. These will become your strips to tie around the elastic.     

Once you  have your strips of tulle cut you are ready to tie them around the elastic.  Just tie the strips in a square knot.

To keep the tulle out of your way, loop the band of elastic around your leg like a garter and just keep rotating it around your leg.

Once you are finished you might want to trim up the bottom to even your skirt.  The more tulle, the more "foo-foo" (Is that a word?) it will be.  Super easy.  Hope you have fun with it:)

--Jenny

Over the next couple of days I will be posting Jenny's tutorial for the flower and the shirt!

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Last minute Valentine shirt...

Truly, this project took all of 15 minutes and I am not even good at sewing!  I know that it's late for Valentine's day, but I was also thinking that green fabric and a clover would be a good idea for St. Patrick's Day!

Grab a white shirt from Goodwill and trace a heart....I folded my shirt and heart so that it would be centered. (Sorry, everytime I load this picture it flips it....grr!)

I just traced with a pencil....you will be sewing fabric over the lines so they will not show...

Cut strips of red fabric.....I folded over about 2 inches and cut a strip....

Then, cut your 2 inch strip down the seam so that you have 2 two-inch strips.

Follow my Ruffle Tutorial for how to make the ruffles....Now, I only had about 10 minutes at this point because I had to make lunch before our afternoon at basketball......if I had more time, I would have pinned the heart ruffles down to the pencil markings....I just eye-balled it along the pencil line...

I may just rip the heart off tomorrow and then put a clover on for March.....who knows, maybe I'll just keep recycling it.....Easter egg, American flag......



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Ruffle Balls

I saw the idea for a ruffle ball  HERE at Classy Columbus Designs.

Here are the super easy instructions!  This is all that you will need:



Glue gun

Crepe and/or tissue paper

Styrofoam ball from the Dollar Tree



Take your piece of crepe paper and wrap it around your pencil eraser....

Put a dab of hot glue on the end.....press into your styrofoam ball...



It will start to look like this as you fill it in....



I stacked them in my Goodwill Fruit Stand on a burlap runner....



The runner was SO easy to make!  I went to my True Value hardware store and bought a foot of burlap for $0.99.  I got my fabric scraps at the most amazing store....the Gift and Thrift where they sell scraps of fabric for $0.60!!  I just sewed on ruffles.  A tutorial can be found here for the ruffles.....it's just like my shower curtain.

Total cost:   $6.00 for everything!

styrofoam balls:  4 @ $1.00

fabric:  $0.40 if that!
burlap:  $0.99
red crepe paper: $0.50 (I only used half a package)

pink tissue paper:  free...leftover from my Romantic Wreath!



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