We had a beautiful weekend! The sun was shining and the air had just the right amount of crispy cool to warrant being able to just wear a vest. My kind of weather.......I would be happy if our winters were just like this weekend. Wishful thinking!
My husband and I worked diligently this weekend. Checking off our outdoor list. The garage is cleaned and all of the patio furniture is in. The planters are emptied and stored. We even stacked the wood he ordered for the fireplace. Preparing for winter, yuck, but it is done and something else is checked off my list.
Speaking of lists, I have been gathering my list of DIY's for the upcoming holidays. I thought I would start this early while the selection is fresh and available in the stores. By doing so I can share with you and maybe even give you a nudge to start early too!
I have always loved Tartan plaids, but this year I am really inspired by them. So inspired I am going to use them in my home decorating this year. I couldn't wait so I got a head start on a fun little project.
It just so happens that Tartan seems quite plentiful at the moment. I saw red, green and white plaids, with the red being my favorite. I did a bit of shopping today at Michaels and JoAnn Fabric. I was able to find spools of Tartan plaid ribbon in various sizes, one of them a flannel 1.5 inch from JoAnn Fabric is what you will see today in my DIY pillow project.
Last year my friend Sharon loved a Christmas pillow that I have on one of my sofas during the holidays. I had purchased it from Horchow a few years ago and it is beautiful, but expensive. When Sharon told me how much she loved it, I mentioned that I thought I could make a similar pillow myself if I just took the time to do it.
Although, it is not quite the same holiday design as my Horchow pillow, it is a festive pillow that cost a fraction of what mine did.
Materials you will need:
1--12 x 16 Pillow form ($4.50) (You may use loose stuffing instead also)
1- 14x16 inch piece of fabric (I used unbleached muslin-$2.78)
1-County Red Stencil Paint ($2.99)
1- spool Tartan Plaid Flannel Ribbon ($7.79)
1 set of stencils $6.99
1 set of small sponge spouncers (applicator for paint) 4.99
***I have plenty of ribbon, applicators, stencils, and paint left for other projects, so taking that into consideration the final cost of my pillow is approx.
$15.00
Directions:
1. Cut 2 pieces of 14"L x 18" W pieces of fabric. (Unbleached Muslin)
2.
Measure and locate the center of the fabric and mark. Place the letters
to be stenciled evenly spaced across the material working from the
center outward.
3. Tape the stencils in place to avoid shifting.
4.
Pour a small amount of paint into a shallow bowl and dip the sponge
applicator coating the sponge with paint. Dab off a bit before applying
it to the fabric. Apply as much or as little as you like.
5. Let the paint dry completely. Then put the piece into the dryer for a few minutes to seal the paint.
6. Trim one piece of tartan ribbon measuring from end to end of width of fabric.
7. Stitch ribbon in place and press on reverse side.
8.
With right sides together stitch the perimeter of the pillow allowing a
1-inch side seams AND a 6-inch opening so that the pillow may be
stuffed through the hole.
9. Cut corners on an angle before
turning the fabric right side out. When turning the fabric right side
out, gently use the point of fabric scissors by pushing the point into
the point of the corner of the pillowcase. This allows for a nice crisp
point.
10. Press.
11. Stuff the form into the pillow case.
12. Blind stitch the opening closed....touch up with iron if necessary. YOU ARE FINISHED!
I love my new Holiday Pillow.........
and I love the fact that I saved so much money!
I hope you are inspired to start making some of your upcoming holiday projects yourself. You truly can save alot of $$ by setting aside a bit of time and revving up those creative juices. The end result can be so rewarding!
Share your projects with us on our Facebook page The Lavender Bouquet. Please pass my link along to your friends too!
I would love to see what your ideas are for the upcoming holidays. See you Wednesday!
ENJOY!
K
