How To Create An Easy Window Treatment
One of the things I really enjoy doing is making kitchen window treatments. If this is something you have never attempted to do, then I encourage to take a step and try it out. Everyone seems to spend a lot of their time in the kitchen and by changing the window treatment often, it can really change the look of your kitchen and brighten up the surroundings. You can even add accessories to match. Here is a simple way to sew an easy window treatment to add color and brighten up your kitchen.
First, pick out the material that you want to use. Usually you can find inexpensive material at your local store. You can use a sheer or opaque material. If you going for opaque, don’t forget to take a look at bed sheets. A twin size bed sheet is more than what you will need for the average window. For a basic valance you will need three times the width of the kitchen window for fullness.
Measure from the top of the rod for the length that you need. Usually the length is about 15 inches. Add two inches to the bottom and two inches to each side for the hem. The extra amount needed for the top of the valance is determined by the style you want to achieve and the type of rod you are using. For a regular one inch wide rod, add five inches for the top hem to create a ruffled top. If you are making a tab top valance, add only two inches because you will be adding tabs.
After you have completed your measurements, lay the fabric out on a flat surface. For me, it always ends up being the floor. Mark your measurements with sewing chalk. If you don’t have sewing chalk, you can use your ruler as a guide or use masking tape which comes off easily. Once you have done this, you can go ahead and cut the fabric. Remember and old rule, measure twice and cut once.
Now you are ready to put it together. If you have a sewing machine, a regular straight stitch is all that you will need. You can also use the iron on tape sold in the fabric department instead of a sewing machine. You must first do the each side by folding the fabric l/2 inch and folding again l/2 inch. You will end up with a l/2 inch hem that does not fray. Do this for each side. Use straight pins to keep it in place and sew removing the pins as you go along. If using fabric tape, then just iron each fold. Once the sides are done, go ahead and do the bottom hem repeating the same instructions.
For the top of the valance, fold over l/2 inch of fabric and sew or iron with fabric tape. Now fold over 4 inches and again sew or iron. For a ruffled top, measure down two inches from the top and sew a straight line across the width of the fabric. This will create a two inch pocket for the curtain rod to slide through.
For a tab top valance, repeat the same instructions as you did for the sides and the bottom hem. Then you will need to cut and hem strips of material about 8 inches and length and 3 inches wide to create the tabs. Hem the sides and ends each tab and sew on to the top of the valance. The tabs should be about 4 inches apart.
Now that you have created your own kitchen window treatment, you can use the remainder of the material to make cloth napkins or placemats. With enough material you can even make a matching table cloth. That’s what make this a fun project. Once you have the hang of it, it doesn’t take long and you can have everything in the kitchen match.
Window Cornices
We all have those little things that make us want to cringe. One of those things that just does it to me is when I go through all of this work ironing drapes or curtains only to have them look disheveled up by the rod. So I made a major decision to make wooden cornices for my windows. My parents did it way back when and the windows always looked so nice. So now I did it. Turns out that this is another one of today’s window trends.
Measure your window from side to side and add three inches to each side. Now add an additional five inches for the depth of each side (a total of 10 inches) which will give you the total length of wood that you need for making the cornice.
The length of the cornice from top to bottom is up to you. Usually six to eight inches is sufficient.
The top piece which is the shelf of the cornice will be the same measurement as the front piece in length from side to side. The width (from front to wall) should be 5 inches.
Remember to measure twice, cut once.
Assembling
Do a test run. Put the pieces together to make sure they fit right. It basically will look like a box without a bottom or back attached.
Using wood glue, glue each piece together. Then hammer small wood nails or finishing nails at all joints.
Finishing
At this point, you can paint it the color of your choice or stain it or you can get creative and paint a design on it. I used a decorative stencil, trace the pattern, and then used a dremel tool to carve it out. After doing this, I stained and polyurethaned the entire piece. You can also add a piece of decorative molding to the top or a medallion in the middle.
Another idea is to place a piece of foam on the board and cover it with fabric. You can use fabric that matches your upholstery or drapery.
Hanging
I found that the best way to hang these is on a piece of wood. Measure the cornice again from side to side and subtract 6 inches. Cut a small piece of wood (2 x 2 ) the length that you have measured.. Make sure that your drapery hardware (curtain rods) are already in place so that you leave enough room to work with drapes after the cornice has been installed. Place this piece of wood against the wall at least three inches above the drapery hardware and nail to wall beams. Now place the cornice on top of that and nail or screw into the board making sure that the overhang on each side is even.
You can also use “L” brackets, which can be found at any store, to attach the cornice to the wall.
There you have it. It really is easy to do and just makes a window look complete. No more messy tops of curtains or drapes that are buckling on top. Now if they do, who cares?! You won’t be able to see it anymore. That’s why I made wood cornices for every room of my home.
How To Decorate With Flower Arrangements
Sometimes, when you look around a room in your home and it can be any room, there seems to be something missing. Many times, a simple flower arrangement can bring the room together and give it the personality that is missing. Usually if I keep looking around one of the rooms in my home and feel that it is just not right, I will take a flower arrangement from another room to see if that is what is needed. It is the one thing that will make it look finished. That’s when I know that I need to get another flower arrangement.
There are many ways that you can use plastic or silk flowers around your home. I have at least one arrangement in each room and no more than two. Here are some unique ways to use silk or plastic flowers around the home.
Some kitchen cabinets do not go up to the ceiling. Some people tend to use the top as a shelf for kitchen gadgets or to display dishes. Instead, I purchased large silk flowers, about 5 inches in diameter each and the same color as the kitchen. I placed them at the top edge of the cabinets about twelve inches apart and filled in between each flower with green ferns. It really did bring some life into the kitchen.
If you have picture window or alcove, purchase a five foot or longer swag made with large flowers and place it over the middle of the window.
Use the top of a china closet or hutch to display flowers. The taller the ceilings, the taller the arrangement. You want the eye to go up to the ceiling. Use tall vases and place long bamboo sticks in them to reach the height that you need. If using a flower arrangement, place it on top of a decorative box to make it taller.
If you have vaulted ceilings, hang a large silk plant in a corner of the room. Make sure that it takes up at least three to four feet of space from the ceiling down.
Use six foot or higher trees in corners or behind furniture. Again, these can be placed on boxes (if hidden) or on end tables for a taller effect.
Use a four foot silk tree with flowers on an end table.
When using flower arrangements on dining tables, make a statement. Tall flower arrangements tend to be very elegant. Even just a tall vase with bamboo sticks in it is pretty to have on a dining table or end table.
The idea here is that when using flower arrangements, the fuller and taller the arrangement, the less you need to use and the prettier they look. A lot is not always better. Make a statement with just a few but make those few memorable.
How do you use flower arrangements around your home? If you would like to share your ideas or have any questions, please post in the comment section. I always enjoy reading comments.
How To Make A Decorative Rug
Are you ready for a custom made decorative rug? Several years ago when I was living in a different home, we had wall to wall carpeting put down in each room. At that time Berber carpeting was the big thing. So Berber it was for every room. I personally love Berber carpeting because it keeps much cleaner than regular rugs. For one of the rooms I had picked a remnant since it was cheaper and the size was well within what I needed. After it was put down, I had a very large piece of leftover rug. What do you do with leftover rug pieces? Throw them in the garage, put them in front of a door, throw them out? If you have a large piece of rug, you have to try this. It’s time for a decorative rug created and made by you.
The house had high gloss tile in the entry way, the halls and the kitchen. I was always worried that someone was going to go flying when coming into the house when it had been raining and their shoes were wet. We all know how slippery wet tile can be. Well, when I had that piece of extra rug I decided to try something.
I took the rug and turned it over and with a marker I outlined a design. It was an irregular pattern, free flowing, with no square edges. The only straight line was the part that was up against the door threshold.
I then took a rug knife and very carefully cut along the design I had made. It does take some time to do because any rug can be difficult to cut.
After the cutting is done, trim away any stray pieces of rug weaving or knot any loops that may be unravelling.
Now take cording or seam binding to match your décor and hot glue it to the rug. You will need to hot glue it to both the front and bank of the rug creating an neat edge. Since the rug is free flowing, you will have to overlap or pleat the binding several times. Take your time and make sure it is fully glued.
When this is done, take a hot iron and go over the edge to flatten it out.
Turn over and take a look at your new rug. Believe me, you won’t be able to find this in a store. It is your creation. When I made mine for my former home, it was a stopper when you first entered the home. People would come in, step on it, look at it and ask me where I bought it. They loved it and wanted one. So I would have to get down on the floor and show them how to make it. I know for a fact that this rug is still there in the entry hall and still looking good. I just wish I had taken a picture back then.
If you have a large piece of rug left over, I really encourage you to try making your own decorative rug. Or you may even find a small inexpensive remnant that you can use.
If you ever tried making a decorative rug like this, please share your experience in the comments below.
Recycling Home Decor
Today I found myself looking around the house for something I could recycle to use as a small office cabinet. All I could find was an old dresser that we plan to sell at a garage sale. It’s really too big for what I need. But then I started thinking about some things we had done in the past with furniture. Maybe I could make it work since I love recycling home décor. Here’s a list of things that are easy to recycle.
Fabric
If you are cleaning out things like sheets and tablecloths, take a second look at them and consider using them for something totally different. Sheets can easily be made into café curtains and valances. Or make pillowcases out of them. We can never have enough pillowcases. I use tablecloths to make cloth napkins. You get quite a lot of them out of an old tablecloth.
Bedroom Dressers and Chests
If you are going to get rid of an old dresser, take a look and see if any part of it can be used. We had an old armoire that had a two door cabinet on top and two drawers on the bottom. The whole piece got a little bent out of shape from being moved to often and the bottom drawers would not stay on the track. So we cut the top part of the armoire off and kept it. We now have a very nice cabinet that I use to store fabric in.
Another thing I have done is keep the drawers from old dressers that are being tossed. Use the drawers for under the bed storage. You can put small wheels on them so that they are easier to pull out from under the bed.
Shop Liquidators, Tag Sales and Flea Markets
Sometimes odd and ends can make wonderful one-of-a-kind pieces of furniture. Since there was an area between our pool room and our kitchen that needed to be finished, it was in an odd place and very hard to find something that would flow with the rooms. I wanted something very tall with a old tavern look but this type of piece was not easy to find. We happened to stop at a liquidation store and came across a couple of good finds. With a little imagination this is what we did. We bought two tall stereo cabinets, the top of a china hutch and a dining room table top (lots of nice carving) all for $200. We cut the stereo cabinets down so that when we put the china hutch on top it would be the right height. We also cut the dining room table in half to make a bar top. For a total of $300 and a little work, this is what we got and the room was done.
The best part is that it can’t be found anywhere else. It’s a one of a kind. People are always asking us where we bought it from.
So before getting rid of anything or when looking for something special, take a good look at the item whether it is a piece of furniture or a tablecloth. You never know what you may come up with as far as using it for something else in a totally different way. Recycling home décor from your own home or buying odd pieces with an idea in mind, whether at a store or a tag sale, actually gives you a new, unique new item. It’s just like going shopping but more rewarding.
