DIY Lamp Shade Re-Do

We decided to re-do this lamp and shade we picked up at a local thrift store. This was super easy and actually pretty fun- that is if you like making things. What you will need:

Needle 

Thread 

Strips Of Muslin

Glue Gun

Lamp Shade 

and a bit of burlap or other fabric.

Start with a circle patch of fabric and begin sewing the strips in tiny circles branching out until you reach the desired size.

When your done tuck the end under your rose and stitch in place. Knot your thread and snip. You can add a leaf of burlap if you want but be careful because burlap frays a lot. 

Figure out where you are going to put the roses and heat your glue gun. 

Dab a bit of glue either on the roses or the lamp shade itself. Either will work. Press the roses quickly onto the lamp shade and hold in place until the glue hardens. And your done! You have a brand new lamp. 

Shabby Roses, Burlap, Muslin, Shabby Chic, Cottage Chic, Feminine, 

DIY Throw Pillow Slipcovers

What you need:

Old Throw Pillows (The ones I was covering were 19"x19")

Tape measure 

Fabric Scissors

Fabric (in the shade, color, pattern etc. you are wanting to cover your throw pillows with)

All Purpose Thread (Matching your Fabric)

Pins

Chalk

Sewing Machine or Needle & Thread

A ruler or something straight

 We laid the pillows on the fabric and then measured them to just above the seams. Then used the chalk and ruler to draw a straight line on the fabric so we knew where to cut. Measure and cut (for my pillow) a 19x19" piece of fabric. Set this aside.  Then we cut out one 19" x 16-1/2 piece of fabric and a 19" x 8 pieces of fabric. This will be for the back of the pillow. Take your 19x 16 1/2" fabric and on the 16 1/2 " side fold over your fabric at 1/2 inch one time and press with a hot iron. Then fold over one more time and pin down and press.  Sew that seam on your machine or hand stitch with a running stitch across the fabric.  When finished knot and move on to the 19x8" fabric.  On the 8" side repeat the step and make another seam.  If you use a striped fabric like I did MAKE SURE YOUR STRIPES LINE UP!  Very important!

Pinned seam ready for stitching.

Sewing the pillow side seam.

After you are finished with the hemming of the back you are ready to grab your 19x19" front piece.  Set it in front of you on your table.  Make sure the part you want on the outside of the pillow is facing up to look at you.  Then grab your two smaller pieces.  Line up your corners and sides and begin pinning them.  Make sure the back pieces are facing down (meaning that you are now looking at the wrong side of the fabric.  The hemmed sides of the fabric will overlap (see below).  One side of the hemming will be tucked under, this makes an envelope for your pillow to slip in and out.  Pin all around the edges.  

When finished pinning take your machine and do a simple stitch 5/8" all the way around the pillow, removing pins as you go.  Make sure to make a knot at the end of your work to reinforce the stitches or go back and forth slightly at the end and it will do the same thing. 

Back of your pillow slip showing the "envelope" opening for your pillow to go in and

the wrong side of the fabric.  Note it is a more light color on the wrong side.

Here is the back view of the pillow pinned and ready to sew.

And that it! An old pillow with a new look! If you try this we would love to see pictures you can post them on our Facebook page here.

DIY Feed Bag Christmas Stockings

So I have all these feed bags laying around with nothing to do with them and well I decided to play around with them. I had seen a photo on Facebook where someone had taken theirs and cut them into stockings to use to decorate there coops. So I grabbed a stocking from the mantel and used it for a pattern cutting around it and leaving enough room for a seam allowance. 

I zig-zaged around the edges. 

flipped it right side out so the seams are on the inside and flipped part of the top over to make a cuff. The weave of the bag was really loose and it kept raveling so I put a seam at the edge of the raveling part letting it make a fringe. 

Then I decide to add some embroidery to the cuff. 

This is the whole stocking.

This is the embroidery. 

Making Stockings for Christmas

Making Stockings For Christmas

Beautiful tie dye batik fabric stockings

Ok,  so I may or may not have totally winged this pattern (or as we say it I may have "taken my own route" with it). 

Tan ticking fabric stockings for that vintage feel.

We just love to craft and make things from scratch here at the cottage and last year we made some

stockings for our friends.  We thought we would do a blog post about the stocking making process

for everyone to see how fun it is to make stockings for yourself and for others.

Cowboy Stocking out of a faux suede fabric.

Here are some great rustic stockings that would look wonderful for your little (or big) cowboys.

I took an old stocking that we had that had seen better days.  We traced the outline of the stocking then added 5/8" on all sides for the seam allowance.

After this was traced on newsprint or tissue paper we placed it on our fabric of choice and pinned it on.

Put right sides together and sew along the edges except the top.  Unpin as you go and put your pins back in the pin box so no one gets a very sad Christmas surprise (OUCH!). Here is a stocking we traced and cut out of batik fabric from our local JoAnn's.

At the top, fold your fabric slightly 5/8 " toward the outside of the stocking.  Tuck the 5/8" under one more time to hide your raw edge and pin it and press with a hot iron to help set the seam and then sew.  We then took a small piece of the fabric and with the right sides together made a tube.  Sew the long end and one short end together.  Use a pencil and push it against your stitches on the short end and it will turn the tube right side out.  Place both of your short ends together and pin to the top back of your stocking.  Sew it on well because the weight of your goodies will all be pulling there on that loop.

I hope you enjoy this and that you try it.  It was so much fun to make!

If you have any questions or need help with your stockings

feel free to send us an email.

rosevinecottagegirls AT gmail DOT com