Pepper Design Blog

Building a Bathroom: Chevron Cloth Bag

I left this out of yesterday’s post! But just in case any of you are interested in taking advantage of a sweet little offer from Nicole over at NikJDesigns for a cloth bag (a seriously awesome storage solution), please check out her site and use code: PEPPERDESIGNBLOG15 for an extra 15% off.

I wasn’t paid or perked to share this, but loved her work so much that I wanted to be sure I extended to you the promo code that she offered up for all readers .

This bag can serve so many functions for us (you should see her adorable patterns for kids rooms, etc – great way to wrangle toys) but the subtle grey and white is just the right color scheme for the space and to hold a few extra towels for guests.

Here are a couple of additional shots:

The top edges roll down to reveal the fabric inside:

And the entire bag is actually reversible, which is pretty cool too:

Check out Nicole’s store here, and tell her I sent you : ).

PS You can see the finished guest bathroom and read abut the renovation process right 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:

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{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!

Shabby Chic {Handmade Paper Rosettes}

I love when you find inspiration in the most unexpected of places… the other day I was thinking about those little accordion paper fans I used to make as a little girl by folding up 8 1/2×11 sheets of white printer paper. They might turn into turkey tails for Thanksgiving or maybe even folded hearts for Valentine’s Day.

I found this lovely inspiration board (below) at Paper Crave and it brought me right back to the 2nd grade. The grown-up version of paper accordions comes in the form of folded maps, book pages or antique wallpaper.

I really love the simple way these accordion paper poms fit into every type of party decor. I can imagine them delicately hung above a wedding reception dance floor, lined neatly over a bridal shower dessert buffet or in bright & bold hues for a child’s birthday party.

The rosette ‘table confetti’ is my favorite. And how pretty are the button and brooch centerpieces? A little pearl bead would be perfect.

Once Wed designed an entire grey, green & pink dinner party around this theme (see top top photo), and design*sponge shares it here. To make your own paper accordion rosette, Paper Source provides a free downloadable pdf. And finally, a super easy DIY awaits after the jump! Read more »