Easy DIY Buffalo Check Christmas Stockings | Tutorial

Today, I'm sharing a DIY tutorial for the large buffalo check stocking that I made for The Home Depot Holiday Style Challenge.

To get inspired, I flipped through my Holiday Pinterest board and was inspired by The Makerista's amazing mantel. I had purchased this fabric from Ikea for the space, but wasn't sure how I was going to use it .. so this was the perfect spot!

Want to make your own? It's super easy and only costs a few dollars each!

- 1 yard of fabric (I only made two, but you could probably get 3 to 4 out of a yard)
- Sewing machine (you could also use permanent fabric adhesive, just make sure to keep the line super straight for crisp edges)
- Pom Pom fringe

1. Trace an existing stocking onto your fabric

2. Cut it out.

3. Trace your stocking (two sides per stocking) I traced this one instead of the original so they would be as exact as possible. 

4. Finish the top edge. Iron it 1/2" and fold that over on itself so the edge is finished secure by sewing or permanent adhesive.  (Also iron the entire stocking at this point if it needs it)

5. Sew around the outside of the stocking (right side in), leaving the top open. *Note: The direction of the finished top doesn't matter if your adding trim, but if you don't, make sure the folded edge is on the outside when sewing.

6. Turn the stocking right side out and add trim with permanent fabric adhesive. To finish it, I glued a small tab on the top right of the stocking to hang it up.

That's it!

SO easy!! I hope you'll give it a try!

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DIY Leather Tote + Tassel | Giveaway

Today I'm sharing another DIY Christmas gift idea - a leather tote! Thanks so much to The Leather Hide Store for providing the leather! I don't share a lot of non home decor related projects, but today, I'd like to introduce you to my second love - handbags. Over the years, I've developed a collection (second only to my chair collection, David just counted and we have around 28 .. yikes! Time to finish projects, figure out what we're keeping and sell the rest!)

 




Making your own tote is simpler than you may think! Since the material is a little thicker than normal fabric, you have to sew a little slower, but overall, it's actually pretty easy!

Want to make your own? Here's how:

First, pick out your leather, I'd definitely recommend samples first, so you know exactly what the color looks like. The Leather Hide Store has a large selection in the remnant section, so I started there.

1. Draw your template on a piece of paper with a ruler and pencil. (I tape a few pieces of 11x17 printer paper together). Cut it out, fold and confirm the scale and dimensions are to your liking. (Inside lines on drawing above represent the sew line, 1/2" seam allowance (3-1/2" sections fold on top of 6" section to form the bottom)).

2. Either trace your template or redraw on the backside of your leather with a pencil. Measure twice and cut once!! I used Lemon Meringue leather.

3. Cut out your pattern.

4. For both top sections, I used pinking shears for a zig zag line. Ours were pretty dull, David helped me cut it out (I'd definitely recommend ones that are sharp!)

5. Once you've cut out your shape, cut a 45 in the innermost center section, .5" in (there are 4 total) I also notched the outer corners in the center section (there are 4 total), so that there would be less material when sewing.

6. Start sewing your bag. Grab the 2 outermost corners on the right (or left, wherever you'd like to start) (right side inside) and hold together - sew straight down the side (15 1/2")

7. Next, sew the bottom. Grab the end - pull the two 45s out so that the end is flat.

8. Smooth the leather, line it up and sew across the end. Repeat on the other end.

Flip the bag so the right side is out and start on the straps!

8. Cut 1-1/2" wide x 29" long pieces of leather (x2) for the straps. 3" at each end will be used to attach the strap to the bag. Next, cut 23" piece of 3/8" cording or smooth rope.

9. Wrap the cording (leaving 3" of leather at each end) in the leather and sew as closely to the edge of the rope with the zipper foot.

10. Trim the excess leather close to the line previously sewn.

11. Measure and mark your strap placement (mark with low tack tape - to avoid pulling up the leather)

12. Sew a box around the strap and an x across the middle for added durability. Carefully, remove the tape.

Finally, work on a tassel! If you don't want to tackle sewing your own bag - this is the perfect way to personalize your existing bag in just a few minutes!

13. Cut a piece of leather (mine is 9" wide x 5" tall)  - using an xacto knife and metal ruler with cork backing, cut thin strips (I eyeballed it) scissors would work as well (leave about 1" at the top uncut)

*Note: I added a thin piece of cardboard, tag board at the bottom of the bag to keep it from looking too slouchy.

14. On the backside of the leather, place glue along the top - (I used Aleene's Turbo Tacky - it dries super fast) - Tightly roll it up.

 

15. Add two piece of thin leather strips in the center for the ties (add extra glue there).

16. If desired, add a trim around the top, securing with glue.

I wanted my tote to be large enough to be used for weekend trips, but small enough to carry around everyday.

Wouldn't this make the perfect Christmas gift?

Orange concrete wall was taken in front of a fountain that has been turned off for winter. Love the color! 

A special thanks to David for taking these photos!!

Also, The Leather Hide Store is also giving away a $50 credit to one reader! Enter on the widget below! Open to US & Canada only, giveaway will be open for 1 week.

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Good Luck!
 
This post is in collaboration with The Leather Hide Store - I was provided with materials for this project, all thoughts and content are 100% my own. 

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DIY Christmas Gifts | DIY Pet Bed

Hey! Today I'm sharing a DIY Christmas gift - a pet bed - perfect for any pet owner in your life!

Love her expression in this photo!

To get started, you will need:

1.5 yard of fabric (I used Nate Berkus)
Fuzzy throw (I found one at Wal-Mart for $5 or $6, cheaper than buying it by the yard!)
1" foam (about 14" round piece)
Poly-fill
Sewing machine

(I added a few measurements as I went, Annabelle weighs 21 lbs)

First, flip you fabric over and draw a circle with a pencil or a disappearing ink pen on the back side. I marked the center and used a measuring tape to draw the radius (my circle was 40", so the radius was 20") I just marked small dashes and then connected the dots.

Then I cut it out with scissors.

Then I repeated with the fuzzy fabric, cut a circle of foam (16" circle) (I actually cut and glued two scraps of foam together so I wouldn't have to cut a new piece) I layered the foam with a piece of batting  to cover the seam.

Then I layered the fuzzy fabric on top and pinned around the foam to hold it in place. With the zipper foot on the sewing machine (so it could get closer to the foam) I sewed around the foam circle (removing the pins as I went)

Then I added a ring of poly-fill batting around the foam circle. I loosely pinned the batting in place.

Then I sewed around the outside (removing the pins as I went).

Then I repeated for a second ring.

I cut a long strip of fleece (to go around the outside of the bed with extra to tie). (Though I would recommend something a little stronger than fleece, there is a good bit of tension when the bed is pulled tight).

I layered it around the outside.

I folded the fabric up and hand stitched to close (be sure to not sew the tie). I left an opening (~3" for the tie to come out).

To finish, I added a few subtle tufts (just by sewing through the bottom of the circle) with upholstery thread. This should help keep the round section from flipping in the wash (an issue that I've had with other beds).

Pull the tie tight and tie. That's it!

Full disclosure, My sewing skills are limited - I did have issues with the fabric bunching up in places, working with bulkier things is more difficult .. but once it's tied, you don't really notice it.

Annabelle enjoys beds with side walls! Adding a third row to make it even taller would have been great too!

I hope you'll give it a try!

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Leaf Stencil + Faux Roman Shade

Hey!! Today I'm sharing the final details on our entry. If I miss something that you're curious about, let me know!

First up, the stencil. If you've been following for a while, than you know that I love stenciling. It's time consuming, but it's super inexpensive! Several weeks ago, I mentioned to David that I'd like to recreate Katie Ridder's leaf wallpaper in a stencil. We spent a few days coming up with variations on the design, but we didn't come up with anything that we liked better, so we decided to go with the original. It's balanced, has contrast, organic/hand drawn look. Love it!! We knew right away that it would be tricky since the shapes in the center were floating (stencils need to have connecting pieces) so one shape would need to be done with two stencils.

To get started we traced the pattern in Adobe Illustrator, and then David figured out how to split it in two.

As you can see, it looks pretty different..

Then we imported to cut on our Silhouette Cameo, one stencil at a time.

You can see the finished shapes on the bottom and top left and the half stencil on the top right.

I wanted something organic to 1. contrast the geometric lines of the floor and 2. since there were several wall beams to work around, we wanted something that didn't have to be perfect to look good.

Here's a few issues that we had with the stencil ..

1. Since it took two stencils to make one shape, they had to line up perfectly. Which was tricky once the stencil had paint on it ..

2. Since the shapes were so tiny, they would get clogged with paint easily. We used Sherwin Williams test paint and it peeled easily off the stencil (as long as it didn't sit overnight)

We used a smooth foam roller, rolling off all excess paint first, making sure that it was even on the roller prior to applying. You want to use as little paint as possible. You can always add more paint later, but you can't (easily) take it off.

We used 4 stencils (2 complete shapes) but we should have cut more .. for the edges, we cut one set  so that it would fit easier, but we definitely could have used more since they clogged up with paint.

I wish this was a complete tutorial but unfortunately that's not really possible since everyone doesn't have access to Adobe Illustrator and a Silhouette.. so it probably wouldn't benefit too many people. Right? If you'd like to try something similar, I'd recommend trying out Gus & Lula's method with a sharpie!

Next up, something much simpler! A no sew faux roman shade.

We didn't need privacy or light blocking so a non functional roman shade was perfect!

There are several tutorials out there, so I'll just give a brief overview of my process. I cut a piece of white fabric to the size of my window (and planned it to be bunched up about half of the window) Finished the edges, I sewed them, but they could just as easily be glued with permanent fabric glue.

I cut three 4" bands of Neo Toile from Tonic Living, two to run down the sides and one at the bottom. I ironed a .5" section under on both sides.

I used Fabri Tac, permanent fabric glue to attach on both sides of my fabric and then overlapped the the edges, placing a strip at the bottom.

I cut that strip long, and secured the edges on the backside.

Then I ironed it really well with starch and installed it with tiny nails on the window. First, I secured it on the top (one tiny nail on each side, folded it in two even sections and under the fold used a tiny nail (on each side) to secure it again. I didn't want to glue my layers so I would have the option to take it down and reuse it, but looking back, I probably won't do that .. it would have been easier to glue the folds together prior to installation.

And a little more info on this wall, LOVE Pottery Barn's collapsible baskets - perfect for holding umbrellas, bags, dog leashes, etc. Garden stool is from Home Goods, Bag is Kate Spade Saturday found at TJ Maxx, and Chevron duck coat hook is a DIY project.
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Finally, a wrap up of how I feel about the space (and DIY in general) .. Overall, I'm SO happy that it turned out just like I imagined in my head (Love it when that happens :) It makes all the bumps along the way worth it! This was our first room renovation (not in a rental) so learning along the way was to be expected .. we had a few more learning moments than I anticipated, but looking back that's ok. If I'm not learning .. I'm not moving forward. We'll take what we learned from this project to the next and hopefully continue to learn! I know that some of the tutorials from this space weren't clear cut (built-ins and stencil ..), but just wanted to thank you again for allowing us to share all aspects of our DIY process! Thanks so much for your support, it means SO much!!

Thanks to Pottery Barn, Kenroy Home, and DLawless Hardware for providing products to help this space come together! As always, I only share products that I really love!!

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Creating with the Classics | Online Fabric Store + Premier Prints

If you're stopping by from the fabulous White Buffalo Styling Co., welcome!! So glad that you're here!

When Online Fabric Store approached us with the challenge to create something inspired by a classic book and the Premier Prints collection, we were instantly game. After all, I love a challenge!


We were randomly assigned a classic book .. I was gifted the theme of Huckleberry Finn .. My first thought was I don't have a boy or outdoorsy / cabin style so I was stumped initially. What I am going to do!? But, looking further, the main theme is the conflict between civilization and nature. Contrast? Now that's right up my alley! 

Using Premier Prints Zippy Cloud Denton, the fabric refers to the straight guidelines of society while the pom pom trim is more free form. The Black and White Vertical Stripe also shows the contrast between nature and civilization and the path between the two.  

I made a few envelope pillow shams. You won't believe how easy it is!

Envelope Pillow Sham Material and Cut list (for 18"x18" pillow):

36"x18" for two pillow fronts (cut in half and then cut half again at a 45, 4 pieces)
10" x 18" (back piece)
14"x18" (back piece)
2.5 yards of cording per pillow

Sewing machine
Thread
Fabric scissors
Iron
Pins

* For a fuller pillow, cut the the to the size of the pillow form and sew half inch seams, so the finished pillow size will be 1" smaller than the pillow form. 

Here's how I made the mitered stripe pillow, inspired by this gorgeous pillow by the talented Kassapanola.

1. First, cut a 36"x18" piece of fabric.

2. Then cut it in half (2 - 18"x18"pieces). Tip: fold in half, iron a crease, then follow that as a guideline - it's easy to cut a straight line!

4. Then create the pillow fronts. Cut each half at a 45. Reconfigure using the pieces as shown.

5. Put the faces together (right side in), line up the stripes and pin. Sew the pinned edge.

6. Apply cording the the edge. I opted to purchase pre-made cording, but it's easy to make your own if you'd like! On the face of the pillow front, hold the cording to the edge (finished side of cording towards the center), sew along the existing stitching.

For the corners, bend the cording (cutting a small slit on the edge helps it bend) 

7. Cut the back panels, 10"x18" and 14"x18" - On the 18" length of each piece finish the seams on one side of each piece. Fold the end 1/2" and fold over on itself (1" total) and sew. 

8. Place the front face (right side up) and layer the back pieces on top (right side together), pin and sew following the existing sewn line. 

9. Trim the corners with scissors and turn the sham right side out pushing out the corners. 

and that's it!

I reconfigured my vertical stenciled panels (tutorial on Houzz) as a horizontal feature wall.

Here's a peek into my office - it's coming together!

Love the pom pom and thin pink trim! It's super easy and gives a polished look!

A special thanks to Online Fabric Store for providing us with this fun challenge! Want to see more amazing prints from Premier Prints? Click here to see the full line!

Make sure to stop by Jennifer Rizzo, you won't want to miss her amazing project!!

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