DIY Slipcover...Worth The Hassle? Absolutely!

I scored this settee at a local yard sale after checking it out thoroughly. The frame is solid and it has good lines tho the very pretty brocade fabric is just shattered. I put it on the back deck and deep deep cleaned and sanitized it to a fare thee well. 

Slipcover time!

I totally scored a pair of lined canvas drapes at the thrift store. After deconstructing them and laundering I started draping and dinking around with the fabric. I ended up with about 10 yards of canvas plus the same amount of the softer lining fabric. The best part? Total fabric cost $5.00!

I cut rectangles roughly the size of each area and started pin fitting each piece. There are countless tutorials online on the pin fitting technique and I read lots of them before diving into this project. I marked the actual seam lines with pencil then pinned each piece. Then I trimmed the seams leaving a generous seam allowance. This sounds harder than it is, trust me!

Smooth your fabric and pin pin pin along the seams. Clip your curves to make fitting easier and don't stint on the pins.

This is before I trimmed the seams on this side. Start with plenty of fabric, you can always trim it down. If you don't start with enough material your project is screwed! Don't ask me how I know. 

Ahem.

Three hours in I knew this cover was going to look AWESOME. So before I even sewed it together, I did this....

Because that is what I do! I get excited as a project comes together and leap ahead to the logical end use...settee as photo prop!! I LOVE how all the textures and pale colors of the pillows from my Etsy shop look against the canvas cover.

LOVE THIS!  I'm sewing the seams this morning and adding a pleated flounce to the bottom
 so  my daughter can use it in a family photo shoot. 

I still have to add the flounce and sew it together so I'll have about 6 hours into this project. 

So worth it to me! This does not include the time it took to clean and sanitize the settee and deconstruct the drapes and launder the fabric. Even buying a new drop

 cloth instead would still make this an affordable project.

And here she is ready for a photo shoot. 

GORGEOUS!

I'm so enthused that I still have over 6 yards of canvas left. I scored a large throne chair 

for cheap and it's gorgeous and sturdy and stylish and it's PINK. But my 

living room is brown, red and turquoise.So guess what 

gets the next canvas slipcover?

Make Faux Moss Decor Balls

I saw these natural moss decor balls used in a wedding centerpiece and

 I wanted some for my own home decorating. Ballard has 6" diameter balls for $8 but

 I figured out a way to make fake ones of my own for much much less.

I made a trip to the Dollar Store and found everything I needed.

I grabbed an oversize Christmas ornament ball and a few packages of their faux moss rocks. 

Then I painted the big ornament brown.

At first I thought I'd cut the moss rocks in half and glue them to the ornament but it looked bad. Trust me on this. Then my grandson showed me how to peel the mossy covering loose.

Brainstorm!!

Using hot glue I attached the moss scraps to the big ball and held them tight while the glue cooled.

I liked the way each piece made the ball a bit uneven looking, just like moss growing in the wild. Already this looks so cool!

Are you starting to get the idea yet?

Ooh ahh!

I made several in different sizes in less than an hour.

LOVE these! Especially in the winter when everything outside is grey and dark and damp.

 I arranged them with natural rocks and driftwood and tiny spruce cones

 in an old wooden bowl. Everything about this arrangement 

says "Oregon springtime" to me.

And here's the kicker. 

When my sister got married we used these same faux moss balls and Dollar Store rocks 

for her table decor. The fake succulents and a mix of moss, twig balls, 

stones, glassware, driftwood, ceramics and lady tablecloths made her tables look great.

I just love the way these came out and besides the ease and low cost 

to make them, they look so very real. 

That's a win win in my book!