New Old Things

Putting away all of my accessories to make room for Christmas decorations and then having to put them back out really made me re-think some of the things I had on display.  I did some purging and was able to find places for some things that I already had, but hadn't been able to make room for because there was stuff that I'd just gotten used to taking up space.  One of the things I was able to make room for was an old typewriter that's been sitting in a closet for a year and half.  I love it and it's way cooler than what I had in it's place before.  Even just rearranging some of my accessories made my living room feel a bit fresher.  I put my mister in a new place and kept out one of my birch candles to take the place of an old accessory that I got rid of.  The best part is that I spent zero dollars, but I still have the feeling that I've changed and improved the decor in my living room.  I'd love to hear some of the free or low cost things that y'all do to keep your spaces fresh without running out and buying all new stuff.

Speaking of accessories...The Nester did a cute post about "accessories on parade."  I'm so guilty.

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Make Your Own Throw Pillows

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While I'm patiently awaiting the arrival of my crib bedding I thought I'd do a post on a very easy sewing project that can add color, texture and interest to any room.  Throw pillows can be ridiculously expensive, especially when you prefer down/feather filled pillows over the polymysterystuff-that-gets-lumpy ones.  By the time you buy a cover and an insert you're lookin' at at least 30 bucks per pillow and if you're lucky enough to find some at a store like TJ Maxx or Homegoods they might not have enough or they could still be 14.99 a piece.  Most of the pillows I've made have come out to cost about $5 each.  I buy fabric from the $7.99 fabric warehouse.  There's one in Raleigh and Durham.  Then I head to Ross and dig through all of their throw pillows to find down pillows with ugly zip-off covers.  I've bought pillows for $3.  You can't even buy a plain insert for that much.

Then it's time to sew.  I'm not a good seamstress, and there's probably a better way to make covers than the way I do it, but I've found the easiest way is to make covers that overlap in the back so you don't have to mess with zippers or trying to sew it up.  I don't have any pictures with all the details, so I'll give a play-by-play how-to when I make pillows for the nursery.

The pillows in the first picture are in my living room.  Guess which one I didn't make....yup the one with the beads.  It was on clearance at PB.  The pillows in the second picture are on the daybed in our office/music room.  So easy!  I can't wait to get started on the ones for my nursery.  Here's a sneak peak at my inspiration...that pillow is $61!

 

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Beautiful Books

Pictures like this make me wish I had some built-in shelving units. The books are so pretty and arranged no nicely. I've tried to use books as decoration on our little book cases and ladder shelving unit by using books I've gotten from Goodwill or thrift stores. The books in the Real Simple picture are so cute and colorful, but all of my books are beat-up paper backs with lime green "used" stickers on them. And while I'm very proud that I've read them they would not make for a pretty display in my living room. Hardback books at thrift stores are usually about $1.00 each. All you have to do is take a peak behind the glossy jacket and see what's underneath. It's usually easy to find colors that would look nice in any room. Here are a couple places I've used them:

The titles of some of the books I've bought are pretty funny, but they're usually in a place where you can't read them, hence the book You Just Don't Understand: Women and Men in Conversation.

I Love Target, But....

it is not always the cheaper option! These little tea light votives sell for $9.99 at Target and $4.95 at Crate and Barrel. They would be so cute for Christmas decorating.




Trix Candleholder at Crate & Barrel

You can't buy the Target version online, but the next time you're there go look in the candle aisle. My mind was blown.