Scrap Happy

February 24, 2012 By 4 Comments

What do you do with the leftover fabric and trim from your projects? If you’ve been following our adventures, you know we’re more inclined to pick items out of the dumpster than add to it. So yes, we find a place to store every last scrap.

This week we refreshed two worn items in our home with leftover fabric and trim, proving that being packrats has privileges.

We gave a worn lampshade a facelift, using the extra fabric from Gwyneth’s dog bed:

(A big thank you to Kayla at Pet Design for sending the extra fabric along with the custom dog bed. As you can see, Gwyneth and I are both enjoying!)
And gave a mousepad a makeover, using the extra fabric from a throw pillow:
The most difficult part of these DIYs was finding our iron. So are you ready to get your scraps out now? Here are the how-to’s!
How to Recover a Lampshade
Step #1: Let’s get the worst part out of the way. Iron your fabric.
Step #2: Wrap fabric around lampshade, gluing fabric to the top rim of shade as you go.
Step #3: Repeat process on bottom rim, pulling fabric taught as you go. We used binder clips here to help.
Step #4: Fold fabric over at the end for a clean seam, tuck under and glue gun shut.
Step #5: Add your trim.

How to Recover a Mousepad
Step #1: Select and iron your fabric.

Step #2: Spray inside of fabric with adhesive, and place mousepad face down on top.
Step #3: Apply pressure with books. Quickly walk away before you open one of them and find another project that you decide must be accomplished urgently.

Step #4: Once dry, use baby scissors to cut off extra fabric and apply fray glue to edges.

Step #5: Head on over to Pinterest and find your next project.

I’m pretty pleased with how both of these projects turned out, especially considering they were done completely unsupervised. Gwyneth usually monitors my work closely, but I guess everyone needs a day off once and a while.

Gwyneth will be back to work soon, though, since we’ve got a few new projects on the horizon. We’ve found some fabric we’re loving for the chair we’re going to attempt reupholstering. We’re loving the one on the right for the chair and the one on the left for a pillow:

But first, we are going on a serious shopping trip this weekend!
Our Ikea bookcase is being delivered today, so every book, frame and accessory we own is on our kitchen counter right now. We can’t wait to get the bookcase assembled, so we can get to the really fun part – shopping the counter! The only forms of payment Gwyneth accepts are treats, so it should be a pretty affordable one!
We can’t wait to share our finished bookcase with you, and we hope you have the best weekends ever!
xoxo,
mk & Gwyneth
Filed Under: Accessorizing, Home Improvement, Shopping in my closet

Comments

  1. PetDesign says:
    March 5, 2012 at 3:18 pm

    Awesome lampshade!!

    Reply
    • Meredith Krull says:
      March 5, 2012 at 3:25 pm

      Thank you! And thank you for sending the extra fabric to make it possible! Also, this was the reminder we needed to link to your store in the post! Update coming up now!

      xoxo,
      mk & Gwynnie

      Reply
  2. Chatty Chics says:
    March 7, 2012 at 1:03 am

    Meredith, I don’t know what’s more adorable- you and Gwyneth or your projects! Love the lampshade and the mouse pad! I’m sure I’ll be referencing these sometime in the future! Too cute not to talk about! Great job!
    Melody

    Reply

Speak Your Mind

*