Home Decor Archives | Fly and Design

Kitchen Cabinets Makeover

Carolyn — Thu, 19 Nov 2020 17:51:47 +0000

Farmhouse Kitchen Cabinet Makeover on a Budget

The kitchen in the little french country house needed a facelift. The cupboards were plain wood. There was no detail, and they were very old. But, I was a single mom on a tight budget. I needed to do it inexpensively.

I saw this paintable beadboard wallpaper at The Home Depot and got an idea! What if I applied the wallpaper to all of the cabinet doors. Then, I could use door casing/trim on top of it to give them a custom look.

It was a long process because the previous owner had painted over all of the hinges and knobs. I wanted everything to look new, so I removed all of the doors.

Then I removed all of the hinges and knobs. Everything got a thorough cleaning. I applied the wallpaper to the cabinet fronts.

Next, I let all of the hardware soak in the paint stripper in a plastic box. I used an old toothbrush to get the final remnants of paint off of everything. They looked brand new!

I purchased some farmhouse drawer pulls and a few more matching knobs. I wanted the hardware to POP, so I spray painted it all with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint. They looked so good!!!

I took the door molding and cut the ends at a 45-degree angle. Then, I used my air gun and nailed them to the doors. I applied caulk to fill in any gaps.

I painted EVERYTHING white—even the insides of the cabinets.

I decided to hang crown molding while I was doing this project. There wasn’t enough room between the tops of the doors and the ceiling, so I had to move all the doors down about 1/2 inch when I hung them back up. (That was a pain in the butt!)

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own. Please read my full disclosure for more info.

SUPPLIES

Beadboard Wallpaper
Door Casing (I used the pro pack from The Home Depot.)
Brad Nails
Caulking
White Latex Paint
Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze Spray Paint

To Clean Paint off of the old hinges and Knobs:

Paint Stripper
Gloves
Bucket
Old Toothbrush or Scrubber

TOOLS

Porter-Cable Finish Nail Air Compressor
Miter Saw
Scissors
Paint Brush

HOW TO

Step 1

The first thing I did was clean all of the cabinet doors.

Step 2

Next, I removed all of the cabinet doors, hinges, and hardware.

I used a piece of tape on the inside of each door and labeled them.

Step 3

I started this project in December and finished it in January. I did most of the work outside.

I wallpapered each door front and drawer.

Then, I used my miter saw, on the ground, in my garage. I measured and cut each piece one at a time.

Step 4

Next, using my nail gun, I nailed the trim around the edge.

Once they were finished, I caulked around the edges.

Here are all the doors before they got painted.

Step 5

I played out all of the cabinet doors in my garage and painted them using latex paint.

Step 6

Here are the cabinet drawers after they’ve been painted.

Now they’re ready for the new drawer pulls.

Step 7

Here’s an up-close of the lower cabinets before the knobs were added.

Step 8

I took all of the hardware and placed them in a plastic shoebox. I added paint stripper and let it sit for a little bit.

I wore gloves and used an old toothbrush to clean off all the paint.

Step 9

They look brand new!!!

But, I wanted all of the hardware to pop and give it that farmhouse look. So, I took the old hardware and the new drawer pools and spray painted everything in Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint.

They looked so good! (It’s been a few years since I painted them, and they’re still holding up!)

Step 10

Here is a closer picture of the drawer pulls and knobs.

Step 11

I always disliked this halogen light above the sink.

So, I took a piece of leftover trim from the cabinet doors and made a little apron around it.

I painted it black so it would stand out.

Overall, this was a lot of work. It wasn’t hard. Just time-consuming. I am so happy with the results, though!!

Whenever I had guests over, they couldn’t believe that the beadboard was actually wallpaper.

I would definitely do this again if I wanted to re-do my kitchen on a budget.

BLOOPERS

This was a very time-consuming project. And, I was on a timeline, so I had to work swiftly. I don’t recall any bloopers. But, I’m pretty sure that I had to cut some of the trim more than once. Sometimes I cut the angle the wrong way.

This technique seriously transformed the look of the cabinets and drawers. I am so glad that I did it!

If you’re considering doing something like this, you will be very pleased with the results.

The post Kitchen Cabinets Makeover appeared first on Fly and Design.

Kitchen Conversions Chart

Carolyn — Fri, 06 Nov 2020 00:07:47 +0000

Make Your Own Kitchen Conversions Sign for Your Cabinet

I love to cook and bake, which is good because we have many mouths to feed! I’m always changing up recipes, and this handy little chart is just so convenient to have on the inside of my spice cabinet door.

I have wanted to do this for a long time. I have had pages cut out of magazines, handwritten notes, or pictures taped to the inside of my spice cabinet for years.

This looks way better than any of those. It’s such a nice visual!

SUPPLIES

Vinyl
Transfer Tape
Cardstock
Laminator Pouch

TOOLS

Cricut (or you can cut out your design with scissors)
Scissors
Laminator
Weeding Tools

Click Here

HOW TO

Step 1

First, I designed this graphic in Cricut Design Space.

Step 2

Next, I designed this cute little image in Design Space.

Step 3

I placed a piece of vinyl on my strong grip mat.

Step 4

Next, I cut out the first design on my Cricut.

I also cut the second design out but decided that the letters were so tiny, and there were so many of them.

I didn’t bother weeding them. Instead, I printed it out the dry measurements on card stock.

Step 5

I used a large piece of transfer tape. My transfer tape is very strong, so I use a blanket and rub the transfer tape on it a few time to make it a little less tacky.

Step 6

I used rubbing alcohol to clean the inside of the cabinet door.

This removes any dirt and grease.

Step 7

The first thing I did was apply the card stock measurements. This way, I know where to place the vinyl.

Step 8

Here is the vinyl on the cabinet door with the transfer tape still on.

I used my Cricut tools to make sure the vinyl was on the door very well and then peeled off the transfer tape.

When I was done, I wasn’t happy with the card stock on the bottom.

So, I printed it out again and put a frame around it.

Step 9

This time I used my corner punch to round out the corners.

BLOOPERS

I would have rather had the measurements that I printed onto card stock cut out of vinyl instead. But those darn letters were so small! And there were so many!

But, the print out was an excellent alternative.

The post Kitchen Conversions Chart appeared first on Fly and Design.

Farmhouse Stacked Books

Carolyn — Thu, 29 Oct 2020 23:09:49 +0000

Make Your Own Farmhouse Stacked Books

I jumped on the Farmhouse Stacked Books bandwagon! I just love how they look! We have a billion kids, and my soon-to-be grandson, Ryder, is due in a few weeks! I am so excited! So I had to add one for him, too!

They turned out adorable and are super easy to make!

The ones that I have seen online are usually all the same size. But, because I needed to stack seven of them, I thought I’d try doing them in sizes that range from big to small.

I had most of the books sitting on my bookshelves already. But, I did purchase the two smallest ones at the Dollar Tree for this project. One of them is actually a little journal. It was the size I was looking for, and it was going to be painted anyway.

SUPPLIES

Books
Waverly Chalk Paint (Wal-Mart)
Permanent Vinyl, Black
Jute or Twine

TOOLS

Paint Brushes
Sanding Block
Scissors
Cricut (or you can scissors)

Click Here

HOW TO

Step 1

Collect your books and clean them with a damp cloth.

Step 2

Lay your books out and paint with Chalk Paint.

After you’re done painting the book covers, you can shabby them up by sanding the edges a little.

Step 3

Measure the spines and cut out each name or word with your Cricut. You can also use a stamp or pre-cut letters.

Step 4

After cutting the names out with my Cricut, I weeded out the extra vinyl.

Step 5

I used a piece of transfer tape on each name and applied it to each book’s spine.

Step 6

I used my scraper tool and rubbed all of the letters onto the books.

Step 7

I felt like the letters were too glossy for the shabby books.

Step 8

So, I used a small makeup brush that I keep in my paint supplies and dabbed on a little of the chalk paint over the letters.

Step 9

Next, I took a dry paper towel and wiped some of the paint off. It worked like a charm!

Step 10

Let the paint dry. This chalk paint only needs a few minutes to dry.

Step 11

Wrap in jute. (Twine) Then, tie a bow on the top.

I put little knots at the ends of the string and then frayed them.

BLOOPERS

I thought it would be fun to use this old typewriter font on the books.

But, after I applied the names and stacked them all up, I didn’t like how it looked.

So, I had to use my weeding tool to take all the letters off and try again.

And…I painted them so quickly that I got paint all over the edges of the pages. I let it dry and used sandpaper to get it off. :/ Phew!

And, And… one of the books was red when I started and it took at least 5-6 coats to cover it because it kept bleeding. I think it still has a hint of pink. If you’re trying to figure out which one it is, it’s the one that says “robert”.

The post Farmhouse Stacked Books appeared first on Fly and Design.

DIY iPad Stand

Carolyn — Thu, 22 Oct 2020 22:42:54 +0000

Make Your Own Monogrammed Ipad Stand

I started using a digital planner on my iPad and thought it would be nice to have an iPad stand. So, I took some things that I already had lying around and made one. It turned out so cute!!

I had purchased an iPhone stand from IKEA, but my phone didn’t fit with the case on. So, it just got tossed aside. I had some wooden plaques from the Dollar Tree in my stash and tried out a few until I found the perfect one.

I used a leftover piece of wood and nailed it to the front so that the iPad didn’t slip off.

I wanted it to match my craft studio, so I used some leftover latex paint that matches the walls.

To finish it off, I designed an adorable monogram in Cricut Design Space. I used glitter Heat Transfer Vinyl. I ironed it onto the painted wood.

Finally, I painted one coat of ModPodge to seal it and protect it.

SUPPLIES

Ikea iPhone Stand
Plaque from Dollar Tree
piece of wood
Wood Glue
Latex Paint
HTV
Nails

TOOLS

Hammer
Paint Brush
Cricut (or you can cut out your design with scissors)
Saw

HOW TO

Step 1

The first thing I did was cut this piece of leftover wood down to 3 inches for the front of the stand.

Step 2

Next, I cut off the bull-nose of the stand from Ikea. I needed a flat surface to nail the wood to.

Step 3

I used a little bit of wood glue and then nailed the small piece to the stand’s front. It was a perfect fit.

This gives it a little lip so that the iPad doesn’t slip off.

Step 4

Next, I used wood glue to glue the little plaque to the stand. I inserted it where the phone would usually go.

(This is the view from behind.)

Step 5

After the glue dried, I painted the iPad Stand.

I wanted it to match my craft studio, so I painted it with the leftover sample of latex paint that I used on my walls.

Step 6

When the paint was dry, I added this monogram that I cut out of Heat Transfer Vinyl (HTV).

I ironed it onto the wood. Then, I applied one coat of ModPodge to the front of it.

Step 7

Here it is holding my work iPad. It’s at the perfect angle, and it’s just what I needed! I love it!

BLOOPERS

After giving the whole thing a coat of paint, the little plaque started coming apart. I think it’s just a bunch of layers of thin wood stacked and glued together.

So, I added some wood glue and some clamps, and we were back in business.

The post DIY iPad Stand appeared first on Fly and Design.

Doormat How To

Carolyn — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 00:34:38 +0000

Hey There, Pumpkin!

Friends! This doormat was so easy!! Let me show you how to make your own!

You really only need two things. A coir doormat and Flex Seal. Have you heard of either of these? LOL, sure you have! A Coir doormat, also known as a Coco mat, is made for the outdoors. It’s made from coconut husk fibers. The Flex Seal is black rubbery glue. I didn’t realize what it was until the Little Hunter pointed it out.

Little Hunter: You’re using Flex Seal?!? Cool!
ME: How in the world do you know what Flex Seal is?
Little Hunter: Cuz, it’s that stuff that guy uses on the commercial to make the glass boat!
ME: Oh, yeah!

I found the coir doormat at Wal-Mart for $5.97. It has a couple of flaws. You can see them under the word “pumpkin.” But it was the last one on the shelf, so I bought it anyway. I purchased the Flex Seal at The Home Depot for $4.98.

They are so inexpensive and easy to make. I plan to make ones for every season!!

SUPPLIES

Coir (CoCo) Doormat
Flex Seal Aerosol (2 oz)
Freezer Paper
Duct Tape (2 inches)
Masking, Blue, or Duct Tape (1 inch)
Latex Gloves
Sewing Pins
Paper Towels

TOOLS

Iron
Scissors
Cricut (or you can cut out your design with scissors)
Weeding Tools for Cricut

Click Here

HOW TO

Step 1

Start with a new Coir (Coco) Doormat.

Step 2

Outline the edge of a doormat with 2-inch Duct Tape.

NOTE: At first, I used this cheap stuff, but you’ll see later on that I switched it out for strong quality duct tape.

Step 3

Place 1-inch tape inside the border.

This is just a placement piece that will be removed after the next step.

Step 4

Add another inner-border of 1-inch tape.

Be careful not to overlap the other tape. Try and butt it up as close to the other ones as possible.

Step 5

Now remove that placement piece of tape. This is where it’s going to get painted.

Step 6

Cut your design out using Freezer Paper.

You can use a Cricut or Scissors.

I only had scraps of Freezer Paper in my stash, so I had to do it in several pieces.

Step 7

The Freezer paper curls after you remove it from the Cricut mat.

I used sewing pins to secure it to the mat temporarily.

Step 8

Iron the freezer paper to the mat. I used the “cotton” setting.

Using Duct Tape, secure any exposed area that you do not want to get paint on.

Step 9

Using Flex Seal, spray straight down so that you don’t get it under your stencil.

Make sure you do this outdoors.

Spray two coats.

Step 10

Pull up the stencil as soon as you’re done spraying it with Flex Seal.

Do not wait until it dries to pull it up.

Step 11

Let it dry for a couple of hours before moving it. Then, let it dry 24 hours to cure.

Take pictures of your accomplishment!!!

This mat was so simple and fast.

BLOOPERS

I don’t this really qaulifies as a blooper, but the mat had some imperfections in it when I purchased it. You can see it in the picture. There’s one spot under the “u” and one under the second “p”.

It was the last mat on the shelf, so I bought it anyway. Oh, well.

The post Doormat How To appeared first on Fly and Design.

Sweater Pumpkins

Carolyn — Mon, 05 Oct 2020 04:03:51 +0000

Make Your Own Sweater Covered Pumpkins

DIY Pumpkin Sweaters

This was such a fun project! This post is jam packed full of different techniques!

I love the look of the sweater covered pumpkins for my fall decor. I had a sweater that I thought would be perfect to make some pumpkins out of.

Picking Pumpkins

I picked up two Dollar Tree foam pumpkins. I already had one in my stash but never used it because it looked so cheap. I purchased a black glittery one at the Good Will for $1.49 and a nice carvable one that someone colored all over for $1.00. It was an excellent assortment, to begin with.

I Didn’t want the orange to show through. So I gave them a quick spray with white spray paint.

Natural Dye from Onion Skins

I didn’t want all of the pumpkins to be the same color. So, I decided to dye some of the fabric pieces brown. But, I didn’t want to spend any money on dye.

I went to our local Nugget Market and asked the produce guy if I could have the onion skins from the bottom of the box. He didn’t have to think about it, and I didn’t have to explain myself. He immediately said, “Yes! Help yourself!”

I was able to collect a whole brown lunch bag full. I put them in a pot of boiling water for 30 minutes. Then, I added the sweater pieces and let them simmer for an hour. Then, I let them cool.

The Sweater

I had five pumpkins to cover. I used the sleeves for four of them. But, I really wanted to use the cable knit and buttons on the front of the sweater for one of them. So I just sewed the front closed and stitched the back closed to sort of form a sleeve.

Then, I cut holes in the tops and bottoms of the pumpkins and glued the sweaters on.

The Ribs of The Pumpkin

I used some old jute/twine that Had in my stash. I glued them at the top of the pumpkin and followed the rib around to the other side. I glued the other end to the top of the pumpkin.

The Leaves

I used some old jute/twine that Had in my stash. I glued them at the top of the pumpkin and followed the rib around to the other side. I glued the other end to the top of the pumpkin.

The Tendrils

I purchased a package of wired jute from the Dollar Tree. One package was the perfect amount.

I just curled them around a pen and added them with hot glue.

The Stems

While the onion dyed fabric pieces were cooling, I got to work on the stems.

I had this clay in my stash. I knew I had it a long time. But, I was surprised that it said 2005 on the package! I’m not a packrat, I’m not, I’m not, I’m not! Also, do you know how many houses I’ve lived in since 2005? Seven! I have packed and moved that clay seven times!

Anyway, I used the clay to make cute new stems for the pumpkins! Mrs. Wallace, my ceramics teacher at Casa Roble High School, would be proud. I think they were the icing on the cake! I love them!

The Finishing Touches

After gluing the fabric onto the pumpkins, I added the twine around the ribs. Then, glued on the leaves and tendrils. Finally, I glued on the stems. They look adorable!!!

SUPPLIES

Foam Pumpkins
White Spray Paint
Sweater(s)
Jute or Twine
Polyform Clay
Wired Jute
Green Felt
Hot Glue Sticks
Brown Acrylic Paint

TOOLS

Exacto Knife
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Sewing Machine (If you are need to piece the fabric together. Or, you can sew by hand.)
Small Paint Brush

HOW TO VIDEO

BLOOPERS

I forgot to add the twine around the pumpkins to form the ribs. I could have left them without it. But I thought it would be cuter if I added it. So, I took off the stems and some leaves and tendrils. I added the twine and then replaced anything that I removed.

The post Sweater Pumpkins appeared first on Fly and Design.

Burlap Wreath

Carolyn — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 06:32:57 +0000

How to Make a Burlap Wreath

This style of a wreath is very easy to make. It took less than 10 minutes. I purchased the 6″ wide burlap ribbon from Hobby Lobby when it was 50% off. The price has gone up over the last couple of years. The ones that I grabbed off the shelves in the ribbon aisle were $6.99. I had the cashier ring me up for one more while I was paying and got it from the end of the register. It was labeled $5.99.

I purchased the 2 1/2″ wired ribbon from Joanns with my 40% off coupon and 20% off the entire order. Gotta love a good deal. The wire wreath frame, pipe cleaners, and the wire came from the dollar tree. The whole project cost around $13.

SUPPLIES

Wire Wreath Form 14″
Burlap Ribbon 6″ x 35″
Ribbon 2 1/2″ x 3 yards
Wire or Pipe Cleaners
Staples

TOOLS

Scissors
Lighter
Ruler
Stapler

HOW TO

Step 1

First, fold the end of the burlap ribbon in half. Then, in half again.

Next, pull the wire or pipe cleaner through the end.

Using the wire, tie the burlap onto the wireframe. I like to tie it around one of the six wires that go from the center to the outside of the wreath.

Step 2

Now, starting with the inner ring, pull a loop of burlap through.

The loop should be about four finger-widths long.

Step 3

Next, pull the burlap through the center ring and then the outer ring.

You should have three loops all about four finger-widths long.

(Stick your four fingers into each loop to measure.)

Step 4

Once you have your three loops, push them over so that they gather.

Step 5

Turn the wireframe over and twist the tail of the burlap in the back about three times.

Step 6

Continue by pulling the burlap through the first ring again.

Repeat this two more times. Twist in the back.

Then, start from the first ring again and continue tow more times. You will now have pulled it through 3 columns of rows.

Step 7

There should be three columns of 3 rows per section. The wire wreath is divided into six sections. Do this for every section.

Step 8

Cut the excess burlap ribbon.

Step 9

Use the wire or pipe cleaner to tie off the end of the ribbon, just like you did in the beginning.

Add a bow or accessory.

Keep your eyes peeled for step-by-step instructions for this easy cheat bow!!

Or, check out the Youtube video to see how I made the bow.

BLOOPERS

I didn’t have any bloopers. But, it took me forever to decide what kind of bow or accessory to add.

Here are all the different things I tried. I was going to paint any of the wooden signs that I used.

But, as you can see, I ultimately went with a simple black bow.

The post Burlap Wreath appeared first on Fly and Design.

Office Chair Makeover Part II

Carolyn — Tue, 15 Sep 2020 00:13:51 +0000

How to Finish off the Back of an Office Chair

This is Part II. You’ll definitely want to check out Part I of this tutorial. CLICK HERE to see the transformation process!

To finish off this office chair’s back, I had to try some techniques that I’ve never done before. But when has that ever stopped me? The back of the chair was reasonably easy to do.

So, step out of your comfort zone and just go for it!

This is the same upholstery tack strip that I purchased and used for the back.

SUPPLIES

Upholstery Tack Strip
Staples for staple gun
Cording
Needle and thread

TOOLS

Scissors
Sewing Machine
Staple Gun
Hammer

HOW TO

Step 1

Once I was done stapling the vinyl all the way around, it’s time to add the piping.

NOTE: This is an image of the seat bottom, but I wanted you to see what it should look like. I forgot to take a picture of the actual seat back at this point.

Step 2

Cut your vinyl in 4 inch wide strips on the bias. The length will be determined by how much it will take to go around the chair’s back.

Sew your strips together on an angle.

Step 3

Fold your vinyl in half with your cording sandwiched between the fold.

Using your zipper foot, sew close to the cording to form the piping.

Step 4

Starting at the bottom, staple the piping/welting around the edge of the chair’s back.

Once you get back around to the bottom, cut your cording slightly shorter and overlap the vinyl with the other edge. Staple.

Trim any excess vinyl.

Step 5

Slip the bar under the piping—you many need to take out some staples to get it just right.

Once you have it in place, secure the piping around the bar.

Step 6

Next, start stapling your upholstery tack strip around the edge of the seatback. Make sure the teeth are facing outward. Place a staple in each hole, all the way around.

Using clippers (I just used wire cutters), clip the tack strip when you get to the end.

Using a hammer, hammer the teeth closed slightly.

Step 7

Cut your final back piece of vinyl with a 1-inch allowance around all four sides. This will be the main piece that covers the rest of the wood.

On the edge that will be at the bottom of the chair, cut two slits about 1 inch up and about 2 1/2 inches apart.

Fold the small edge over and double stitch.

Step 8

Cover your hammer with a piece of vinyl. This way, when you hammer the teeth all the way closed, it won’t damage the vinyl on your chair.
Starting with the bottom, fit the edge of your vinyl into the teeth. Hammer the teeth down.

Go to the top of the chair and fit the vinyl into the teeth, stretching the vinyl a tad.

Tuck the vinyl into the teeth all the way around and hammer down.

Go around one more time and hammer all of the teeth closed.

Step 9

Assemble the rest of the chair.

BLOOPERS

This was the first time for me to use this upholstery tack strip. Here is the photo of how far along I got the first time before I realized that I was putting it on wrong.

It is supposed to go on with the teeth facing out.
So I had to pull all of the staples out and redo it.

The post Office Chair Makeover Part II appeared first on Fly and Design.

Baseball Chair DIY

Carolyn — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 04:13:48 +0000

Baseball Chair

Little Hunter recently inherited his Great Grandfather’s desk chair. It was perfect timing as we are in the middle of distance learning, and he has to sit at his desk all day. Goodbye, dining chair!!

One of Little Hunter’s favorite activities is baseball! So, I thought I’d give this chair a little makeover, baseball style. I thought the leftover white vinyl from my Tufted Desk Chair would be the perfect material to use since it looks like the leather of a real baseball. But, after making a few mockups, I ended up using white duck fabric.

I was able to make an image in Inkscape to iron onto the fabric to use as a guide for the stitches. I then hand-stitched all of the stitches. Then, I covered the whole thing in clear vinyl to protect it. Little Hunter loves it!

Don’t get rid of those old chairs; just give them a little makeover.

SUPPLIES

Desk Chair
White Duck Fabric
Clear Vinyl 137 CM thick
Red (817) Embroidery Floss (I used 3 skeins.)
Black HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl) or Iron-On

TOOLS

Cricut (or you can cut out your design with scissors)
Embroidery Needle (or large sewing needle)

Click Here

HOW TO

Step 1

Disassemble your desk chair being sure to document where all the screws and pieces go. TIP: Take pictures as you go so that you’ll know how to put everything back.

Step 2

Strip all of the material off of the seat bottom and seat back.

Mark the center of your foam with crosshairs so that you can put the fabric on straight.

Step 3

I created this design using Inkscape. I imported it into Cricut Design Space and split the design in half. I cut them out using black HTV (Heat Transfer Vinyl).
I then ironed it onto the duck fabric 4 inches apart.
The dots were the little holes that the stitches on a baseball make. But, I used them as a template so that all of my stitches were uniform. The line was the seam of the stitches on a real baseball.

Step 4

I then ironed it onto the duck fabric 4 inches apart.
The dots were the little holes that the stitches on a baseball make. But, I used them as a template so that all of my stitches were uniform. The line was the seam of the stitches on a real baseball.
The dots were the little holes that the stitches on a baseball make. But, I used them as a template so that all of my stitches were uniform. The line was the seam of the stitches on a real baseball.
Using your red embroidery floss and needle, start with one end and sew the stitches onto the fabric.

Step 5

Fold your fabric in half and iron down the middle making crosshairs on your fabric. This will help you line it up onto the crosshairs on your foam.

Begin stapling your fabric on the wood

Step 6

Next, add a piece of clear vinyl over the top to protect it.

I used a blow dryer to heat the vinyl around the edges, as I was stapling, to give it a smooth finish.

Step 7

I just reused the piece of cardboard that was on the chair previously. I flipped it over so that the faded side wasn’t showing. I stapled that on.

Step 8

Then, I reused the black rubber piece to finish it off.

Once the seat bottom was done, I did the same thing to the seat back.

Then I reassembled the chair. Voila!

Do you have an office chair that you can give a mini makeover to? Post pics!

BLOOPERS

So many bloopers, where do I start?
First, I had to try to iron the iron-on in many different ways. What I finally ended up doing, which I should have done from the start, was to import a picture of an actual baseball and use those measurements. It worked perfectly after that.
I was all done with everything and ready to put the seat back together when I realized that I had no idea where all the bolts went. I didn’t take enough pictures when I disassembled the chair. I elicited the help of Superman, and we were able to get it all put back together. But the lever to make the chair go up and down wasn’t moving. It kept hitting the seat bottom.
That’s when I noticed that the seat bottom was upside down. Meaning, I put the foam and fabric back on the wrong side. The wood boughs a little bit, and, well, I had to take everything apart, including redoing the fabric and vinyl and rubber edging.
The following photo is a picture of the chair with the seat upside down. In them, you can see that I stapled the vinyl so tight that it creased the fabric. So not only did I take the seat bottom apart, but I took the seat back apart as well so that I could redo it and try and get some of the creases out.
I’m pretty sure I disassembled and reassembled that chair a half-dozen times. I’m glad the Little Hunter loves it so much; it was worth it.

The post Baseball Chair DIY appeared first on Fly and Design.

Ribbon Bulletin Board

Carolyn — Fri, 28 Aug 2020 02:13:08 +0000

Ribbon Bulletin Board Mini Makeover

I have had this little mail organizer with the ribbon bulletin board for years. It used to be near the entryway of my little house. It was great for dropping the mail in when coming in the front door. I don’t have a place for it in my home now.

We’re still in the middle of a pandemic, so the kiddos are doing distance learning from home. Everyone has a desk in their room. It was the perfect little piece to go over Miss P’s desk. She can hang her Zoom schedule on it and keep essential school items nearby.

This was such an easy makeover. I simply took everything apart and put it back the way I found it. This is an excellent example of repurposing something in your home. It’s usually a lot simpler than you think.

SUPPLIES

Ribbon Board
Fabric
Ribbon
Staples
White Spray Paint

TOOLS

Flathead Screwdriver
Philips Screwdriver
Pliers
Staplegun
Lighter

HOW TO

Step 1

Unscrew everything and take it apart.

Step 2

Paint the wooden pieces.

Step 3

Using your tools, remove the old ribbon and fabric.

Step 4

After removing the old fabric and ribbons, cover the board with your new fabric.

The foam glued to my board was GREEN. So, I had to use 2 pieces of fabric to cover it.

Staple your new fabric onto the board. I didn’t use a lot of staples. I’ll finish it off after I staple all of the ribbons in place.

Step 5

Cut all of your ribbons and lay them out on your bulletin board.

Step 6

Melt the ends of your ribbon so that they don’t fray.

Step 7

I started with the center and worked my way out one direction at a time.

Measure equal distance between each ribbon.
Staple each ribbon to the back one at a time.

Once I was finished stapling all of the ribbons, I finished securing the rest of the fabric with staples.

Step 8

By now, your wood pieces should be dry.

Gather all of your pieces and start reassembling everything.

BLOOPERS

Sometimes you get lucky and a project goes smoothly. This was one of those times!

Look around your home, do you have something that you can repurpose?

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