Dreamy DIY Daybed

Posted on September 18, 2013 by jewelsathome

I have a serious thing for daybeds. There is something so primally cozy about curling up on a deep bed, surrounded by cushions.

Daybeds are practical, too. I have one in my craft studio, which is also our guest room. It’s a twin bed for our single guests, and there is a pop-up trundle below that can be combined with the main bed to make a king bed for couples and families.

When we added built-in closets to our master bedroom, they created a little alcove under the windows that was perfect for a window seat. Rather than a narrow bench, I decided to fill this space with a deep daybed, perfect for reading, napping, or lounging and taking in the view.

This space will also work out for those nights when a nightmare brings a little one into our room in the middle of the night… see, practical!

I considered building something myself, but I was nervous that that kind of project might never get done, with three kids running around. So, I did a lot of browsing and measuring to find ready-made materials that would fit together into an almost-built-in deep window seat and then added handmade touches with the pillows and storage boxes.

I found that three of these Closetmaid 3 Cube White Storage Benches filled the space almost end to end, leaving just enough room to access the electrical outlets on the walls at either end. The benches I bought are only 14″ deep, but I was able to add extra depth with some existing pieces boxes and shelves around the house, to create a luxurious 30″ deep daybed. To top it all off, I used two basic crib mattresses which fit perfectly across and provide great support. This Safety 1st Heavenly Dreams White Crib Mattress is reasonably priced and on the larger side (did you know crib mattresses were not a standard size?!), so it fills up the bench nicely.

Although I used benches out of a box and ready-made mattresses, this project has lots of handmade touches as well:

seat cushion cover
round bolster pillows and other decorative pillows – I used a variety of fabrics that capture the color scheme of the room – warm neutral gray with accents in red and turquoise.
fabric-covered storage boxes – JJ is potty-trained now, except for overnight, and these are overnight diaper boxes, that fit perfectly inside the cubbies, with just a half inch trimmed from the top. I have complete instructions for these and other storage boxes in another post.

I’m beyond happy with out new window seat and am looking forward to enjoying many quiet moments here.

“Jewels”

Pillows for Dressing a Daybed

Posted on September 5, 2013 by jewelsathome

I’m making a daybed window seat in our master bedroom, and it makes me so happy!! This is going to sound weird, but I think I like to look at it as much as I like to sit on it…

The whole seat just about done now, so I will get the final pictures up soon. So far, I have shared the bench cushions, and today, I’ll show you some of the special pillows I sewed to dress it up: round bolsters, flanged shams, and a ribbon-bordered pillow.

I’m not going to go into the basics of how to sew throw pillows, as you can find that in this old post.

Ribbon-bordered pillow

This was just a basic pillow, and I used to add ribbon the same way I did for our master bath curtains. This time, I did sew down the ribbon as well.

Round bolster pillows

Okay, I’m pretty proud of these. I was feeling intimidated by sewing the circles, but now that they are done, I’m so pleased! I made these round bolsters out of the same fabric, Robert Allen Souk in Dove, that I used for the bench seat. They sit on either end and really make the daybed feel finished.

The pilllow design is very simple, with just three pieces and some velcro. For each pillow that has a finished size of 24″x 8″ diameter, I cut a rectangle that is 25″ wide by 27″ long. I cut two circles that are 9″ in diameter (pictured below). I hemmed the short ends of the rectangle and finished all the other edges with a zig-zag stitch.

Pillows for dressing a daybed. Instructions for sewing round bolster pillows. Jewels at Home

Three simple pieces for sewing a round bolster pillow.

Next, I joined the two short ends of the rectangle, with one inch overlapping, to make a cylinder and pinned this in place. Then, I fitted a circle into the open end, with right sides facing. I used a lot of pins, to make sure that it fit evenly (pictured below).

Form a cylinder with the rectangular piece and fit a circle into the open end.

I sewed the circle into place by hand (pictured below). You could definitely try this by machine, but my fabric was quite stiff, and I thought I would just end up with a jagged circle and unpicking it 10 times. Repeat on the other end.

Stitch the circle onto the open end of the cylinder.

Last, I added Velcro to the long opening to hold the pillow closed (pictured below).

Add velcro for the pillow closure.

What’s inside my bolster pillows? You can purchase these forms, but I was able to construct some pillow forms from supplies I already had in the house. Yes, that’s right. While I may fantasize about being on HGTV, I think I have a better shot at getting on Hoarders. I used one thick piece of foam and two thinner strips for the core of the pillow, wrapped it all in batting and then stuffed it all in a simple tube sewn from scrap fabric (pictured below).

Making a pillow form for a round bolster pillow.

And here’s the finished bolster pillow. Something about conquering those circles is very satisfying!

Flanged pillow sham

I wanted pillows of different sizes on the daybed, so I beefed up some standard 20″x26″ pillows by sewing flanged covers.

For this project, you’ll need fabric, fusible interfacing, velcro, and thread.

I cut a large rectangle 29″ wide x 70″ long and hemmed the two short ends. I cut the fusible interfacing into 3″ strips and ironed the strips into place along the long sides of the rectangle and cut 6″ strips to sew, as show below, where the sides of the pillow will be.

Pillows for dressing a daybed. Instructions for sewing flanged pillow sham covers. Jewels at Home

Iron strips of interfacing onto the inside of the pillow cover.

I folded the rectangle as show below, so the hem overlaps on the back where the closure will be. I stitched along the top and bottom edges.

Fold the rectangle to make the pillow cover, and sew with the right sides together and the interfacing on the outside.

Then, turn the pillow cover right side out, iron, and sew around the pillow 2 1/2″ from the edge. I put a strip of painter’s tape on my machine to mark this distance (shown below).

Sew around the pillow cover on the outside, 2 1/2″ from the edge.

Ta-da! Pillow cover with edges that will stand up nice and crisp!

And here’s how the window seat is looking so far, with all the pillows and throws. I just need to finish the storage boxes to go below, and I’ll be done! This is one of the projects that got me so excited I could barely sleep, so it feels good to be almost done… I might need to catch up on sleep with a nap on this cozy daybed!

The blue pillow and knit throw tie into the art in the master bathroom. Ahhh….

Not much longer until I’ll show you the finished project with all the details!

“Jewels”

Window Seat Bench Cushion

Posted on September 3, 2013 by jewelsathome

I occasionally get obsessed with a project that I just can’t get out of my head. The window seat daybed in our master bedroom was definitely one of these! The daybed itself was easy to assemble from purchased benches and crib mattresses, but projects for this cozy alcove went on and on! One of the biggest was sewing the covers for the daybed mattresses. I love the Robert Allen Souk fabric in Dove, and I’ll show you how to make these covers yourself.

As a guideline, I used these instructions from Kate at the Centsational Girl blog to sew the covers. My dimensions are different, and I didn’t see how she did the back corners, so I’ll show all the steps here.

Supplies for covering two crib mattresses:

5 yards of 54″ wide fabric
Velcro – total of 104″ sew-on strips for both mattresses
thread, scissors, pins, general sewing supplies

Because the daybed is made from crib mattresses that are 52″ long, I was able to use the full width of a standard 54″ wide decorator fabric across the mattress. For each mattress, I cut a 70″ long x 54″ wide (full width) section of fabric and zig-zagged the raw edges of each piece.

I laid the fabric over the mattress and marked where the front seams would be. (Pictured below)

Instructions for sewing an cushion cover to make a daybed out of a crib mattress | Jewels at Home

Mark the fabric to where the front seams will be.

I then folded the fabric at the seam and sewed with a 3/8″ seam allowance to create a clean seam for the front edges of the cushion. (Pictured below)

Fold and sew to create the front seams.

Each mattress required two 6.5″x 32″ side panels, and I again zig-zagged the edges. These are longer than the width of the mattress, so they can wrap around the back to keep any of the mattress from showing.

To attach the side panels, line up the end of the side panels with the front of the main panel (between the seams) and sew that small section with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. (top left picture below)

Next, turn and pin the long edge of the side panels in place and sew with a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Since the side panels are longer than the mattress, I marked on the main panel where the back edge of the cushion should be and sewed up to that point. (top right picture below)

Adding the side panels to the cushion cover. Sew the front edge first and then the side seams.

After attaching all the side panels, I finished the ends of the panels by folding under a 1/2 inch hem and stitching. (Top left picture below)

For the back closure, I had one short flap and one long one, so the closure was along the edge of the cushion. While this looks very neat when finished, in retrospect, I would have centered the closure on the back, so I could flip the cushion over if it gets worn without any of the closure showing at the edge.

I sewed one side of the Velcro to the outside of the short flap and the other side to the inside of the long flap. (Top right picture below) It looks very neat when done!

Finishing the cushion cover. Finish the edges of the side panels, so they can wrap around the back of the cushion. Sew velcro to the inside of one back flap and the outside of the other. Ta-da!

I’m so happy with how these new cushion covers fit and look! A neat tip: to keep the cushions from moving around, I used a rug pad underneath.

We’ve already started hanging out on our new window seat already, and there are just a few more projects left to finish up this cozy alcove!

I’ve got more cushions planned, including round bolsters to finish off the ends of the bench. I’m looking forward to showing you the finishing touches soon!

“Jewels”

Mad Men Party Wrap-Up

Posted on May 16, 2013 by jewelsathome

I did not want the night to end when we threw our Mad Men-themed birthday party a few weeks ago. There are more ideas in the first post about our Mad Men party and the retro menu can be found in another post as well. Here are some of the finishing details that pulled it all together – not the least of which were the fab costumes of our guests!

Lucky Strike cigarette boxes

Mad Men would simply not be Mad Men, without all the smoking, particularly the Lucky Strikes. At the same time, I’m not such a devoted fan of the show that I was about to start up a carcinogenic habit. As a compromise, I printed up some empty Lucky Strike cigarette boxes and filled them with Hershey’s Ovation Dark Chocolate Mint Sticks, which have that long thin cigarette shape.

There’s a great printable Lucky Strike box from Namida on Deviantart.com. It has a fun disclaimer on the side and otherwise looks quite authentic.

To save ink and paper, I printed two copies and then placed just the box images side by side, so I could make additional copies with two boxes per page. I printed mine on heavy Index Card Stock (110 lb paper) and then set them up in the front hall, under a vintage Lucky Strike ad, for guests to enjoy. I will say that this project was more time-consuming than I had anticipated, but they helped set the tone at the party and made a fun party favor, too!

Party favors: Lucky Strike boxes filled with mint chocolates and displayed under a vintage ad.

Mad Men Photo Booth

I love photo booths. I still have favorite strips from my school days and when Steve and I were young and goofy (now we’re not-so-young and still goofy). With today’s technology, it’s so easy to make your own photo booth, and that giddy sensation of not knowing exactly when the flash will go off, of trying to squeeze all your friends into the frame, is easy to recreate in your own home.

DIY photo booth with great accessories.

To make the photo booth, I used

large cardboard boxes spruced up with fabric panels around the outside
a custom Mad Men photo booth sign
iPad with Picibooth app, attached to the inside of the box with Command Picture-Hanging Strips
three different backdrops
- city skyline graphic (mine is Spirella Skyline shower curtain purchased on eBay. Another good options is this Design Home Cityscape / Skyline Print Shower Curtain)
- Mod 60s print fabric
- Solid green (our own curtains – clever, huh?)

I hung all the curtains from our regular curtain rod, so it was easy to switch backdrops, just like the traditional photo booths!

DIY photo booth with iPad mounted inside

DIY photo booth with three fun backgrounds hanging on a curtain rod.

I provided some props, like costume jewelry, a fedora, fake cigarettes, and Lucky Strike boxes, all arranged under Peggy’s breakthrough Belle Jolie ad. Our guests had plenty of their own themed accessories, too!

The photo booth got a lot of action that night. I loved going back later to see all the sassy poses, and I especially loved discovering that our seven-year-old had gone up several times to take pictures himself!

Guys and Dolls – Fab Costumes

I cannot take any credit for the following photos, but I just had to share all the great looks that crossed our threshold that night. Honestly, it was like opening a birthday present every time I opened the door! It was enormous fun for us to see how much fun our friends had creating their costumes. From crinolines to bouffant hairdos, bow ties to patent pumps, every one looked perfect!

More Mad Decor

I wanted to feel immersed in the Mad Men world everywhere I looked, starting with our front door, where I hung a large framed Sterling Cooper Draper Pryce logo:

Another logo was prominently displayed over the buffet table:

This vintage typewriter sparked a lot of conversation!

Leading up to the party, I became obsessed with collecting vintage barware in thrift stores and on eBay. I love the collection of Dorothy Thorpe silver-rimmed glasses displayed at our kitchen bar area and the classic California-themed tumblers gathered on a tray.

Mad Men Party. A complete guide to decorating and entertaining | Jewels at Home

If you’re looking for some fabulous artwork to display, this book has fun illustrations Mad Men: The Illustrated World by Dyna Moe, including this one that I framed to put next to the dry bar area.

I said I didn’t want the evening to end, but it did end perfectly. After most of the guests left, some of our college buddies hung out with us in the living room to catch up some more, and one of them snapped this pic of me and Steve at the end of the night.

Good night!

“Jewels”

Decoupaged Mirror Frame (Ikea Malma)

Posted on April 14, 2013 by jewelsathome

These wide-frame mirrors from Ikea have so many possibilities! You could hang them as they are, of course, but what fun to decorate them with a tile mosaic, paint, or paper!

In setting a theme for our tween boy’s new room, I found this fun and colorful Heroes and Villains wrapping paper. I’m using it for some DIY pencil tins and also covered some Ikea Malma mirror frames for his wall.

This is an easy project. You’ll need a mirror, wrapping paper, Mod Podge, and a brush. I started by using painter’s tape (okay, I guess you’ll need that, too) to cover up the mirror in the center, so it wouldn’t get glue on it. (pictured below, left). I then spread a layer of Mod Podge over the mirror frame and carefully lay the paper on top, lining it up and smoothing out the wrinkles. (pictured below, right)

Decorating an Ikea Malma mirror frame. Decoupage with wrapping paper. {Jewels at Home}

Cover the mirror with painter’s tape (left). Spread Mod Podge over the frame and lay the wrapping paper on top (right).

To fit the paper around the mirror, I cut an “X” shape and then trimmed the paper with a craft knife (oh yes, you need that, too!). (pictured below, left) To wrap the paper around the edge of the frame, I cut squares out from the corners and then applied more Mod Podge and wrapped the paper around, smoothing out the wrinkles and bubbles. (pictured below, right)

Cut an “X” in the center and trim the paper with a craft knife (left). Cut squares out of the corners and apply the paper around the frame with the Mod Podge (right).

I finished off the mirror with a few coats of Mod Podge to seal the paper and give it a glossy finish. I hung the mirrors with my favorite Command Picture-Hanging Strips.

Here’s how the finished mirror looks:

And below are some pictures of the entire wall. Also featured on this wall are

DIY oversized wall initial
DIY art gallery clip frames, great for quickly rotating art and photos
Vintage Comic Calendar. They have several years of these beautiful calendars with different covers.

This sweet tween’s room is almost ready. His desk is on order, and I look forward to showing you the completed space, soon!

“Jewels”

Beach-inspired Kids’ Bath

Posted on March 29, 2013 by jewelsathome

The kids/guest bath was a part of our big renovation when we moved into the house. It was originally a Jack-and-Jill (aka Brady Bunch) bathroom with no tub, and like much of the house, it was pink! We wanted to turn it into a hall bath, which would be much more practical, especially because we were adding a new bedroom – the nursery – upstairs. The reconfigured area also allowed us to move the laundry up from the basement, which is vastly more convenient.

It’s a simple space with a feel that’s the perfect blend of classic and contemporary. Since its also a guest bath, and these little boys are fast becoming little men, I didn’t want to make the decor too cutesy. My original idea was to have a “Three Men in a Tub” theme, with a gallery of bath photos. Wet babies are so adorable, so why not a gallery wall in the bathroom? I still love that idea, but with our recent vacation in Hawaii, I hit on a beach theme instead.

As for function, there’s a lot of practicality in this small space.

When the architect first proposed the double vanity for a kids bath, I wasn’t sure it was necessary, but hubby, who comes from a family of four kids, assured me it would be put to good use, and he was right!

My kids never seem to successfully get their towels back on a towel bar, so I opted for these robe hooks. The adorable monogrammed hooded towels from Pottery Barn Kids were a gift from a dear friend when our youngest was born, and they fit perfectly here.

The Hawaiian “honu” sea turtles were ceramic coasters I found at a crafts fair in Honolulu, and our little family adds some color and whimsy to this wall.

And finally, some pictures of life by the water, to transport us every day. Every time JJ sees this wall, he yells, “Beach!”

A few more pictures:

Let’s make a splash!

“Jewels”

Living Room Tour

Posted on March 26, 2013 by jewelsathome

After some peeks into the small spaces in our house – the powder room, the nursery, the laundry, the master bath – I’m glad I can show you our living room. It’s actually only one half of the original living room – we are using the other half of this enormous room as our dining room, and we turned the separate dining room into a family room.

I am not sure quite how to describe the style – it’s a little bit contemporary but classic. It has Chinese elements, but more of a Regency Chinoiserie feel than traditional Chinese. Is this the Asian fusion of the decorating world? Anyway, I love the cool soothing blues and grays warmed up with some green. It satisfies my desire for a grown-up space but is still a very comfortable spot to hang out.

Not much more explanation needed, so I’ll get to the pictures. I’ve included links to the many DIY projects in this room.

A view of the living room side of our living-dining room, from the foyer.

The bamboo brush paintings are by my mom. I sewed the living room pillows and repainted the vintage marble-top coffee table.

This picture was from the Holiday House Tour:

I love this elegant old Chinese chair that I picked up at the flea market. It’s sitting by the window, next to a craigslist-find chest that I painted in teal.

Here’s another sunny view of our living room. I love that it has so many windows.

Living room tour. Classic contemporary space with Asian elements. {Jewels at Home}

To the left of the piano is an antique wooden window screen that I painted, and on top is a repurposed shoe box, decorated with paper.

These nesting tables are from a consignment store, and the silver box is a rummage sale find that I painted in silver.

This vignette on top of a bookshelf includes some art from a favorite calendar, an antique Korean vase given to us by Steve’s parents, and a little Japanese dish I picked up years ago while shopping with my mom and sister.

The bookshelf on the other side of the window has a similarly sentimental display – art from a calendar and from an old friend, a small blue and white Chinese vase from my grandmother’s house, and some candle sticks I found in thrift store.

Thanks for visiting!

“Jewels”

DIY Paper Art – Heart and Butterfly Silhouettes

Posted on March 21, 2013 by jewelsathome

Just every once in a while, I plan a project, and then I actually do it! Yes, really! I recently collected some fun ideas for art projects involving paper, and now I’m excited to unveil my own paper creations.

I have a great weakness for pretty prints on paper and fabric, and these easy projects were a great way to display them and create inspiration in my craft studio.

Art Hearts

I was feeling girly when I collected these pink and red papers – a mix of scrapbook paper, origami paper, scraps from card, and even some paper I made myself! (second row, center) – and cut out rows of matching hearts. Very easy – I made a heart template out of scrap paper and then traced and cut out this collection. I glued them onto a plain background and popped them into this frame I already had. I had also thought of folding the hearts and making them three dimensional, but I’m happy with how this turned out.

Butterfly Collection

No butterflies were harmed in the production of this pretty display piece. While I have fallen in love with pink and red only recently (some kind of reaction to having three boys), I’ve long had a love for the color blue – in fact, my dad still talks about how much I love blue (do your parents also remember you exactly as you were twenty years ago?).

Anyway, unlike all the identical hearts, I wanted to make each butterfly unique. Again, I love the mix of papers many of which have stories behind them – an old stationery set, some wrapping paper, and more paper that I hand made (second row, left). These are mixed with some more scrapbook and origami papers for a soothing and pretty work of art.

And now, there is finally something to adorn the blank wall in my “studio.” Along with my new paper art, I framed a section of the hydrangea wrapping paper that I used for my desk accessories and added some botanical prints from a calendar.

I love how putting something up on the walls makes a space feel like home!

“Jewels”

Vintage Find: Marble-topped Coffee Table

Posted on February 4, 2013 by jewelsathome

I think you know by now that I love a great vintage find – what a great way to add character to your home, save money, and keep things out of the landfill.

My latest treasure is a marble-topped coffee table I found on Craigslist. I looked for a few weeks before finding something the right size and style for our space. This table has just enough curves and details to show its history – the seller said, it was his grandmother’s from the 1950s – without being overly ornate or fussy.

A quick paint job in glossy black gave the base of the table an elegant new look, and there was a small chip in the marble top that I repaired.

I think our living room is finally complete, so I will post some more pictures of the space soon!

“Jewels”

Fabric-covered Magnet Board

Posted on January 21, 2013 by jewelsathome

It’s long overdue for me to spruce up my craft studio. It’s packed with piles of paper, fabric, and half-done projects, and I know that if I could just establish more order, I’d be able to get a lot more done. Not to mention, this space is also our guest room, and it’s a bit embarrassing to have visitors bunk up in the mess!

So, in my efforts to spruce up my craft space, I decided to cover some large magnet boards in fabric. The boards are from Ikea – SPONTAN. I got them many years back, but I am sure there is something similar available currently. For the fabric, I chose this large floral print that has the bright blues and greens I want to use in this room.

Here’s the step-by-step for this easy project.

Cut a piece of fabric about 1.5 inches bigger than your board in each direction. If you want to add some interest – or you don’t have enough of your fabric, or both! – you can join multiple pieces together. Iron it thoroughly. (pictured below)

Easy steps to create a beautiful fabric-covered magnet board. {Jewels at Home}

Easy steps to create a beautiful fabric-covered magnet board. Cut your fabric a little larger than the board you want to cover. I mixed two fabrics.

Coat the face of the magnet board with spray adhesive and lay your fabric on top, smoothing out the wrinkles. Use a glue stick to wrap the fabric around the sides and back of the board. (pictured below)

Use spray adhesive to mount your fabric on the board and a glue stick to wrap the fabric around the sides and back.

I added some ribbon as a finishing touch and ta-da!

Mix fabrics and ribbons to create a beautiful one-of-a-kind bulletin board.

DIY fabric-covered bulletin boards are a piece of art in this home office.

These feel like works of art in themselves, but they’re also great for organizing pins and supplies and displaying ideas and keepsakes. I turned a lot of sentimental objects – gifts from the kids and my friends – into magnets, so I get to see and use them every day.

Glue a magnet to the back of a sentimental object, so you can see and use it every day.

Here’s hoping these fabric-covered display boards kick start beautification of the rest of the studio! Also pictured are the Queen Anne chairs I painted and reupholstered and the DIY pencil tins upcycled from food cans.

“Jewels”