Pepper Design Blog

Whirl It, Twirl It Custom Lampshade

This is such a clever project! Pickles made this diy lampshade for her dining room with a single bulb pendant – and it turned out great! I would love to create one of these for my office, or a series of smaller versions for an outdoor party.

Who knew that a giant balloon, wallpaper glue, yarn and vaseline could create this?

I’m back from my beautiful week in Canada and it feels like the projects are taking over… but it’s good to be home and back to work with so much to do! We break ground on the kitchen renovation soon – very excited to get moving on this one.

Diy instructions for the Whirl-It Lampshade found here.

DIY Fabric Headboard for the Master Bedroom

My first project for the master bedroom was to create a fabric headboard for our queen sized bed (see room inspiration board here!). I found this great Calico Corners print and knew it would work perfectly as a neutral backdrop for the rest of the room. Next I needed to find a frame with a bit of architectural detail… and I scored a white wooden headboard from Craigslist that was perfect.

Here’s my step-by-step:

*******************************************************************************************

{DIY Fabric Headboard}

a
Materials: Headboard frame, sand paper, spray paint, fabric, foam (1″ – 2″ is easy to work with), quilt batting, staple gun, hem tape, utility knife

1. I asked Kevin to cut off the bedpost knobs since they would get in the way of my vision for a sleek, rounded form. 2. Then I sanded and painted the legs (at least the areas that would show) the same mahogany color as my platform bed.

Forgive the messy workshop… but I was in crunch mode and brought my big project inside for some late night work.

3. After painting, I traced the line of the headboard frame onto my 1 1/2″ foam pieces (one for the front and one for the back). One foam form was about 6″ longer on each edge to allow for folding over the bedposts so that the sides would be just as soft and cushy as the rest of the headboard.

A heavy duty staple gun and utility knife were the perfect tools for the job.

4. Because my rolls of foam were only a couple of feet wide, I also added thicker 3″ foam just below my foam forms so that my fabric headboard would extend at least 2/3 of the way down the frame (this may or may not be necessary if you try this project yourself). Be sure all foam is even and patch where necessary.

5. My final foam finish was a simple strip across the top of the headboard to match the sides.

(Don’t mind the sun discoloration… my foam is faded but it’s a bit cheaper and it doesn’t affect the project!)

6. The next step was to cover the entire headboard frame with quilt batting. This should hide all seams and create a sealed, soft look (especially around the edges and corners).

7. We repeated step 6 but this time with fabric, working from edge to edge and pulling the fabric taut as I stapled. This would be a great time to add tufted buttons (super easy, check out the process during this ottoman tutorial) but I wanted to keep a more modern shape and thought they might be a bit distracting and competitive with the pattern.

8. We finished the headboard by applying a lining across the back to hide all folds and staples (the one picture I don’t have!). The lining was cut just a few inches shorter than the headboard outline on all sides (it followed the staple indentation for a cleaner finish) and was hemmed (hem tape works great) before it was attached to the back.

And here she is! I can’t wait to see how it will look in the room… once we get that put together and decorated.

My DIY headboard set me back a mere $100 for a Craigslist frame, spray paint, foam, batting and fabric (try a complimentary solid shade for the backside lining if you choose an expensive print and don’t forget to take advantage of 40% off Jo-Anns coupons since foam can be pricey). I actually purchase most of my foam for projects from a nearby discount store that collects Jo-Ann rejects (usually because of sun discoloration). It doesn’t hurt the project and brings my overhead down even more.

The labor and time was definitely worth it, I love the look and I know it will tie in so well to the finished bedroom!

Friday Guest Blog Interview: Thrifty Decor Chick

I’m always inspired by today’s guest blog – whether it’s a $3 Goodwill makeover or a handmade mirror, Sarah makes thrifty DIY decor look so easy. Her blog, Thrifty Decor Chick shares everyday finds and the how-to for transforming them into your favorite Pottery Barn or Williams Sonoma look-alikes.

Loving this recent transformation of an old clock into a cloche:

Every post is inspiring! Whether Sarah is redoing an old desk, updating a lamp or putting up molding I love watching her projects and then learning how much she spent. After catching up with her posts each week, I’m always feeling a tad bit too guilty for that recent West Elm splurge when I should have been able to create {with much patience} the same look for just a few dollars {ha! lesson learned}.

So let’s jump out to the interview – and PDB’s four quick design questions – and learn more about Sarah, about her blog and what inspires her. You won’t be disappointed! {For more great Guest Blog Interviews, check out this link.} Read more »