Custom - DIY Headboard

The guest bedroom in our new house contains furniture from our previous apartment. The bed and side-tables fit right in and we added some accents - a mirror, table lamps, wall art and linen bedding, to make this a cozy retreat for the guests. We used to have a headboard that matched the bed frame, but did not work in this room...it was too long and it covered the window on the left of the bed. Not a total waste as it was repurposed as a focal point in the rec room, behind the TV (you read about it at #11 on this post)

During the months of June and July, we had a bunch of family visit us and this guest bedroom was well broken into. However, I always thought it looked a lil incomplete...like it needed a final touch to bring it all together.

I have learned to believe that fabrics, patterns and textures can make a huge difference to the space. I knew that 2 things would definitely help to warm this place up - window treatments and a headboard.

I had picked 2 beautiful, patterned, 84 inch curtain panels from World Market that were originally up in the master bedroom. But I had another idea for them and felt like they were the perfect color to fill that huge empty vertical space in the guestroom. You will see it in the final 'after' image at the end of this post...
Secondly, I started looking for an upholstered headboard across my online resources. I was pretty shocked to see that a basic upholstered headboard could cost me $250-$300 and this is without any custom detailing that I would really want in this room. Ofcourse this was a sign and I knew I had to DIY!
I looked up YouTube videos and also read about DIY headboard projects and it looked pretty doable. Then I came up with a design idea where I would have 2 square upholstered pieces, instead of 1 long rectangular piece. My pieces would mount on the wall and allow both guests to have their own separate spot to lean and rest on.
We have a queen bed and a bed that size typically has a ~70 inch width. I decided to make two 24 inch squares, allowing some spacing in between the two pieces.

I hit the craft store and picked up the following:

• 24 x 24 wood canvas stretchers. These were the perfect size, lightweight, but easy to staple on and mount against
• thick canvas to cover the wooden frame on one side
• 2 inch foam
• lightweight blanket batting
• thick, good quality fabric for the final, top layer

You will also need a staple gun for this project. I had bought one for some time now but I finally got a chance to rip it open, I was dying to get my hands dirty with this fancy gadget!

Reader Alert: this post is content and photo-heavy, but this is my attempt to give you a detailed view...so be nice and don't leave me hate comments :)

I started out by connecting the 24 inch sides and fit them together, nice and snug

 I stapled the wooden frames together at the corners, to give this a strong foundation

I did the same with the other set and now I had my 2 squares ready for the canvas

The canvas layer was mainly to give the rest of the layers a stable support and keep things in place. I cut-out the canvas by leaving a extra few inches on each side of the frame. Then I pulled at it from each side, stapling it to the wooden frame, every 2-4 inches. 

Tip: You want to the canvas to be taut, so pull it in, before you staple.

 This gives you a front and back view of the canvas layer

Tip: For a neater look, pull in the corners and fold them like you would when you wrap a gift...then staple

Then I took the 2 inch foam and marked it for a 24 x 24 square and cut it. 

Tip: I learnt this the hard/messy way, but the best tool for this job is a bread knife.

Then I pulled out the batting and cut it a little wider then the frame, on each side. I placed the batting on the floor, followed by the foam and then the framed canvas, face down. Make sure that the frame and foam are aligned correctly on each side...then staple away to glory!

Tip: the batting is a stretchy material, so be sure that you are pulling it in tight enough, so you don't have bumps and lose material on the front.

Once you are done, cut-out the extra batting from the back...

Here is a look at both my squares

Now I was ready for the final layer. I picked a great print, that worked with the rest of the room.

Tip: Iron the fabric before stapling it in; this will give your pieces a high-end, designer-store look. Ain't nobody got time for DIY ;)

Repeat the same process of cutting the fabric, a little wider than the frame. Pull it in from the back and staple it. Make sure you have neat corners.

Tip: If you use a fabric that has a repeatable print on it, make sure you align the print to the frame. In my case, I tried to center the Eiffel towers.

The heavy-lifting was done, now was the time to put it up. We purchased framing hardware to mouth these on the wall. We used key hole hangers as it would lock the frames and prevent any movement when rested against. This is when the hubby came to the rescue...

We followed the instructions to insert these on the frame

Then we used the appropriate screws and measured the distance between the key holes, before drilling holes in the wall...

One Down...

Two Down...husband waving the magic wand (its a ruler)

Some more views...with all the mess...

After cleaning up...

Here is the final look, with the curtains and headboard...I love how all the colors and patterns come together...here is living proof that you can have an accent wall, polka dots, floral print and a custom headboard in very close vicinity and still make it work!

One last view of the husband playing some magic tricks (no really...he is casting a DIY spell)

I will end this post (finally!) with one last highlight...this ENTIRE project (cutting, stapling, mounting) took me 4 hours and a total of $75 (minus the staple gun). I still have left-over foam and batting for a future project... Not bad, huh?

Saved by the cork board...

I am guilty of owning wayyy too many accessories! There needs to be a bracelet, necklace and earring in every color on the spectrum. In this department, I believe in quantity over quality. I don't necessarily splurge on this stuff, but I definitely seem to never get enough. I feel strongly attached these random pieces of junk and they have stayed with me over a long period of time.

From the last big move into our new house, most of this stuff was sitting in boxes, all entangled and hard to find. It took way too much time to dig through these things and I could never find what I was looking for. I finally decided to tackle the box full of necklaces and find an easy/cheap way to organize them.

I was definitely inclined towards a vertical display, something that is easily accessible and most importantly, a fun DIY project. I decided on a 17" x 23 " framed cork board ($4.50)...it met all my criteria!

I wanted to add a fun element to it, so I grabbed my sharpie and doodled some polka dots, making it an anchor for my pins. I did not worry too much color as I knew that the necklaces would offer that.

filled the dots...

inserted the pins on the dots...

added command strips on the back to adhere it to the wall...and found a perfect location in the closet to put it up!

Now as I pick my outfits, I can find a match right there...at my arm's reach...

This whole project came together in 20 mins and at the end I felt very accomplished! Do you dig?

SPOOOOOKY!

Well...not that spooky! The only reason why I get excited about Halloween is the candy! I do not like the bloody/gory/inappropriate costumes, but I do appreciate all those moms that get creative with amazing DIY costumes. Now that we have moved into a townhouse community with a whole bunch of kiddos, I look forward to all the trick-or-treaters.
With a simple/DIY touch, I wanted to make the front door welcoming and ensure that the kids stop by for some candy. My own kiddo, unfortunately, cannot grasp this concept and limits my decor options. I definitely cannot have anything on the floor as I have to keep the patio area open for him to run around. I did not want to add any spider webs or creepy crawlies cos Mojo would think it is real and actually destroy it. I also wanted a light-fun-not too scary theme as some of the kids are under 5.

At my bi-weekly visit at the craft store, I found these foam cut-outs and it was love at first sight. The first thing that came to my mind was to make a garland/banner to go over the patio railing. This is what I started with:
1 pack pumpkin cut-outs, pack of 12, $1.50
1 pack bat cut-outs, pack of 12, $1.50
long orange crafting yarn, $1.99
pack of 60 googly eyes, $2.99
black marker, round card stock for the Boo! signs
crystals for bat eyes

Here is the starting point:

 Then I added the goggly eyes on the pumpkins and gave them all different facial expressions, By the 5th pumpkin, I was running out of ideas, but then my husband came to my rescue. These random goofy things get him really excited:

Then I added the crystals on the bats to give them 'bat eyes':

I had measured the different areas for hanging this garland, and I cut the thread to size. Then I lay the thread on the floor and placed all the items in an alternating fashion. I was just trying different layouts, especially since I had a limited number of items and 3 different areas to cover. I had to make sure I don't run out! Also, remember that this is DIY stuff, it doesn't have to be perfect!

The pumpkins came with holes, but I had to make them on the rest of the items. I spaced out the items and kept adding each one, and then tying a knot for each item so it would stay put.
Once all 3 garlands were ready, I just used the orange thread itself to hang it up.

I already had Mojo's human friend stop by and tell me that he likes it (he is a 6th grader and very hard to impress).

I saved a couple of bats and gave it an orange background, that along with the Boo signs, I put it up on the windows and above the fireplace. I also have all these remaining googly eyes, so I plan to use them around the house by sticking them on existing objects (bottles, doors, refrigerator, etc.)

You can get so much more creative with what goes on the garland - you can print black and white images of spiders, spider webs, etc. and add them. This can be a fun craft project that kids and grown-ups can work together on...the best part, it is reusable!

Privacy with a Punch!

This post is looong overdue. I worked on it in July and just haven't had the time to share it with all you lovely folks :)
In our living room, we have a big wide window that lets in a lot of natural light. But it also gives our entire neighborhood a sneak-peek into our living room. OR we could shut the blinds, giving us no light at all. The goal for this project was to add some window treatments that not only added the much needed privacy screen, but also allowed all the light to come in.

Our living room walls are a light tint of gray, with one dark gray accent wall above the fireplace. I was pretty sure that I wanted curtains that had a light-airy feel to it; nothing heavy or too ornate. I am a big fan of those sheer panels and I bought a pair of white, 84" linen sheers from Bed Bath and Beyond. Even though the material was sheer, they had a very rich look and feel, perfect for the living room. To tie the curtains with the rest of the living room decor, I decided to add a custom stencil motif on the curtain. Let me break it down for you, this project needed:

1. An awesome assistant - my mom :)
2. Two 84" sheer linen panels (white)
3. Black fabric paint (~$3/bottle at Michaels. I used less than half of the contents)
4. Plastic stencil (~$5 at Michaels)
5. Paint brush
6. Painters tape (to adhere the stencil)
7. Music and lots to gossip with mom (this entire project took 6 hours to complete, you will need some background noise to get you through it. Don't let this discourage you, the outcome is totally worth it, I promise)

Awright! let's get started.

First, we found an empty surface in the house that was large enough to spread a panel, we just used our office/craft area. I gathered my paint, brush, stencil and tape. Mom and I spent some time to visually design how we wanted to add the print. We did not want to fill it all up, so we decided to start at the top and make three vertical strings (left edge, center, right edge) of the motif. The panel was 84" tall and the motif itself was 5". We did some math and worked our magic - we made some markings so that each motif would be 6" apart. Now remember, this is a DIY project and it depends on how perfect you want your markings and measurements to be. For mom and I, we prefer eyeballing vs. tape measurements...but thats just our style.

*Key take-aways:

• the painters tape helps you to adhere the stencil to the curtain. but you will still need to hold on to the stencil as you paint around the area
• each time, remove all the excess paint from the brush before you start smudging away on the stencil. If it helps, practice this move a couple of times on a different surface till you feel like you got the hang of it
• use an extra pair of hands to hold the rest of the fabric nice and tight
• insert a sheet of cardboard or thick plastic under the area you are about to paint. This will protect your work surface from any stains
• clean the stencil with a wash cloth after a few uses to remove any paint stuck on the surface

We kept adding one motif at a time and saw the transformation right in front of our eyes.

The 1st panel took 4 hours to complete and then our patience ran out. We wrapped up for the day and decided to tackle the 2nd panel later. The 2nd panel was done in half the time; with the measurements and technique in place, we knew what we were doing. We temporarily hung these in the office to allow it to dry...but mainly because we wanted to put it up and OOOH and AAAH at our hard work! You may also notice that we added 6 extra motifs between the 3 vertical strings...just to break up the design and fill in the emptiness.

The next day, these panels were ready to go up in the living room. We had to coax Amit to help us with putting up the curtain rods. We indulged in some swanky rods that matched the hardware of the curtains.

*Key take-aways:

Hang the curtain rods a little higher than the window. We purposefully bought longer curtains that almost reached the floor, to give the illusion of a larger window.

Be aware that painting on sheer panels can be tricky. The motifs look light gray when the light passes through them during the day, at night, they become black. Works for my space because those are the colors that I have on the walls and amongst the decor.

Here are some different angles for you:

We love how it turned out and the fact that it met all our criteria. You will be amazed at what a stencil and paint can do! If you have any fun window treatment projects from your home, do share...

Garbage Trucks...Cars...Puppies!

The month of June was dedicated to 'family time'. With visits from my cousin, uncle, aunt, mom and grandpa (not all at once, that would get out of control), I could not take on a full-on DIY project for the house. But I couldn't help but talk myself into some DIY projects for some kiddos!

Kids these days are lucky to get their own lil bedroom and/or playroom and there are so many amazing decor options out there for all age-groups. There are girly themes and sporty themes and then there is stuff that they can grow older with and would still be practical. My projects were for some of my favorite boys:

1. My 3-year old nephew, Aaryan
2. My friend's son, Nachiket, who is 4
3. My puppy, Mojo, who just turned 1

Let me break it down for you...

1. My brother-in-law and his wife just bought a new house and Aaryan has his own playroom. It is an open space with lots of walls and windows. He is at an age where he is curious about EVERYTHING and loves dump-trucks :) I decided to add a personal touch to his space, with lots of colors and a lesson or two to learn.

• I started with a black white canvas, and added a border to it with a red masking tape. 
• The letters are paper-cut but have a black felt backing. They are not stuck completely flat and the corners stick up, as I wanted to give it a 3-D/edgy feeling.
• I found a 'when i grow up' kit at the kids-section of Michaels that has cut-outs of fun things that lil boys always dream about. Some things I just drew myself to fill the space up!
• I just played around with colored stock paper, felt cut-outs and marker pens and placed/replaced things till I was ready to mod-podge the whole thing together.

The end product was quite a hit and Aaryan's gave me a BIG smile and said 'WOW'! when he saw it!

2. Nachiket is such a cute kid and like most boys, he has a deep love for cars! His room is full of car toys, posters and even a car bed!? His mom and I are good friends, but I needed to break the ice with him and bond with him one-on-one. I decided to put together a car-themed wall art for his room.

• I painted a canvas with a green gradient, to give it a bright background. I used green acrylic paint for that, left-over from a previous project.
• Similar to Aaryan's project, I used felt cut-outs from a 'Car' kit for kids.
• I placed things around and mod-podged everything once I felt good about how it looked.
• The final, personal touch was is name on the top-right; I used vinyl letters for that.

When I handed this off to Nachiket, he said a shy 'thank you' and ran away with it. He told his mom that he will decide where to put it and kept staring at it while the rest of us chatted :)

3. Last but not the least, I wanted to put together a scrapbook for Mojo, to create a memory of his first year. He was such a cute lil puppy when we got him and now he is 55 pounds of muscle and energy. We, as a family, have had such great moments with him that it deserved its own lil collection.

• I started with a bright/chevron covered scrapbook album. It was on sale and hence a no-brainer.
• I hand-picked sheets that went with the color-scheme and/or had doggy-themed prints on it. There was one with a paw-print and I knew I HAD to have them.
• From all the random pics that we clicked on our phones, we hand-picked all our favorite ones and got them printed (size = 4x6). We wanted to make sure that we not only hit all the milestone moments, but also capture his growth in shape and size.
• I cleared out my dining table and with my box of scrapbooking materials (glue, scissors, markers, vinyl letters, stickers/labels), I was ready to go!
• I first arranged all the pages and photos out, without glueing anything. Once it all fit in, I it glued everything down.
• Final touch were stickers and vinyl letters to bring everything together.

Here is a glimpse into a few pages (there are 24 sheets total, you let me know if you want to see the rest and I can add them).

That is all for this post. Having my mom as my assistant on these projects and seeing all the smiling faces at the end made this such a fun experience for me! 

Sunburst Mirror with an Edge

For the longest time I wanted to have a sunburst mirror as part of my home decor. I went through hours and hours of online and in-store browsing, but could not find the right  mix of color, size and price. I had a couple of potential spots for such an art piece in the house, but was in no rush to 'just buy something' and get it done with.

However, when one of my wall art pieces fell and cracked (mentioned as #14 in my first post) I found a good enough reason to amp up my search. Since the cost ended up being the most important driving factor (some of these can go up to $200-$300), I just knew that I had to DIY it and make something in a fraction of the cost, then those available in designer stores. I looked up DIY blogs and pinterest for ideas and headed to my second home (Michaels) in search of the raw materials.

My recipe for awesomeness:

• Even though sunburst mirrors have a round mirror at the center, I decided to break the rules and bought a square mirror
• A couple of packets of craft sticks to make the rays
• Black acrylic paint (already had that from a previous project)
• Left over jewels from the vinyl/decal project
• A glue-gun with dual-settings (I used the high setting for this one)

The most fun part about this project was having my mom to assist me. Putting this whole thing together took me back to my childhood, and made me realize that I get my creative gene from her. In the house that I grew up in, every nook and corner was covered with DIY projects by my mom. She jumped right into the groove and with her help, we were able to wrap this up in an hour!?

Since this piece was going up against a light gray wall, we painted the sticks black to add contrast.

To give the sticks some dimension, we decided to alternate the longer sticks with shorter ones. Starting with the corners, I glued the sticks on the back of the mirror, trying to get the right angles and filling up the empty spots.

Once the sticks were glued on, we flipped the piece, with the mirror facing up and added the jewels. We stuck with the square theme and used square jewels. We played around a bit with the placement, till we both felt it was 'full enough'.

It was ready to go up on the wall. This photo shows the scale of this piece with the rest of the wall. There is a big window on the wall across from this piece, so there is a lot of light bouncing back and forth. I really liked the way this one turned out and mom's approval was the cherry on the cake!

A couple of my neighbors saw this and have asked me to make one for them too. I might experiment with different colors and width of the sticks. With the total cost coming in under $25, I feel like this project can take endless shapes and forms :)