How To Print DIY Patterned Fabric | Apartment Therapy Chicago

How do you solve the dilemma of finding patterned curtains that will match your existing paint colors?  Easy.  Use the left over paint to stencil your own patterned drapes.

I saw this DIY project over at Apartment Therapy, and I thought it was a creatively, awesome idea.  This budget friendly technique gives you unlimited possibilities in helping to tie in your drapery with the rest of your home decor.  All you need is some canvas fabric, paint, and just the right stencil pattern.  

Once you are done painting your walls, just use the left over paint to do your drapes!

 With any DIY project, be prepared to put in some good ole fashion elbow grease.

By no means is this going to be easy.  But the payoff can be immensely rewarding.

Voila!  You won't have to worry about whether your drapery is going to match your wall colors. 

How To Accomodate More Guests in your Dining Room - freshome

The bench seat against the wall allows for extra people to snuggle up next to one another.

From freshome, they have some great tips on how to creatively accommodate larger dinner parties.  Whether you are looking for permanent or temporary solutions, they have a few ideas that can help in any situation.

Get creative.  Host your dinner party in a way that you can use some adjacent seating.

Share seating with the adjacent room.

Use dining areas both inside and out.  And if you have a view like this, I want to be sitting outside!

Again With The Wallpaper!

At the beginning of January I blogged about wallpaper. I wasn't sure if wallpapers had just gotten cuter or if more and more people were just using it again. I guess it turns out that both are true. I came across an article on Real Simple that mentions how wallpaper is "back in vogue" and they offered a few amazing wallpapers and tips for how to do it yourself, so I wanted to share.

This is the Antoinette Damask by Blue Mountain Wallcoverings. I LOVE pink and black together and I love damask prints so of course I love this one!

This wallpaper is beautiful and really clean looking. It's Joli Trail in Aqua by Thibaut.

How can you really go wrong with black and white? Love the chair too! This is a peel and stick vinyl wallpaper; Black Jack and Ghost Stripes by Brewster.

How Will You Make Your Christmas Tree Special This Season?

'Tis the season once again and the world is rummaging through those old and dusty decorations, but we must not forget the infamous Christmas tree. Many want to find ways they can create a tree that is unlike any other. How do you set your tree apart?


Here's a few interesting ideas to spiff up your decor for the holidays:

 

Match your tree to the decor in your home. You don't have to go overboard with colors, keep it simple. 

 Make Christmas a little different this year with some DIY projects. If you're tired of the old traditional tree here's a few interesting ideas that will make your Christmas a little more special.

Go green with your Christmas tree by recycling plywood from a construction site.

Use old Christmas lights that you have stored away or find pine cones in your backyard to create a unique Christmas tree.


Come in our store today and check out the new ornaments we have received to add to your Christmas collection.

 A. Paper Fan Ornament $3.50 (#086845)
B. Slivered Spheres SM: $6.00 (#045661) LG: $8.00 (#045662)
C. Kaleidoscope Paper Orbs SM: $9.00 (#086846) MED: $12.50 (#086847) LG: $16.50 (#086848)
D. Wood Flower Ball Green $8.95 (#087505) MED: $15.95 (#087506) LG: $30.95 (#087507)

Jenga Master

Down the street from High Fashion Home at Barcadia, Alex showcases his mastery with the oversized Jenga tower! Warning: This video is not for the faint of heart.

My New(est) Obsession

I am a person who loves to have a project.  I enjoy days when there is nothing on my plate, yes.  But I'm always looking ahead to the next project I'm going to tackle.  Call me crafty, but I love to make things.  On my list of things to try: stamp-making, french macaron baking, and Japanese Washi Masking Tape!  It's already made its rounds all over the blogs, but I'm loving that there are readymade and homemade options out now.  Here's a roundup of some of my favorites:

Brick Pattern Masking Tape from Marchare on Etsy, $8.50.

Japanese Washi Making Tape from Uguisu on Etsy, $15 for the set of 6.

Pastel Polka Dot Masking Tape from Marchare on Etsy, $8.50.

If you're more of a DIY type (which I am), here are a couple of great tutorials I've found:

This option shows you how to use watercolors to paint your own tape masterpieces.  Great for those incredibly talented artists out there.  (Not so much me, but I'll give it a shot!)  Via Julie K. In Taiwan.

With all of the great fabrics I've collected over the years, I'm antsy to try this option.  It's easy and colorful and requires zero skill with a paintbrush... my kind of craft!  I found this tutorial at annekata via Creature Comforts (one of my very favorite blogs from which to get inspiration!).  Click here to check out a free washi tape download from Creature Comforts as well.  That's another one I want to try!

Last but not least, I love this super-cute use of Japanese Masking Tape: twist ties!

The readymade option: Gingham Twist Ties (set of 80) from Marchare on Etsy, $6.50.

The DIY tutorial via Zakka Life.