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Cutting with scissors and designing and edge without showing is something you can do with pinking shears from any craft store. Cut with scissors and design and edge without sewing with help from an experienced crafts expert in this free video clip.
While it may seem counterintuitive to use sharp metal staples to achieve a soft and comfy reupholstering result, most chairs – even expensive, high-quality ones – are partially held together with staples. Cotton batting adds an extra layer of softness and comfort between upholstery foam and your fabric covering. Attaching cotton batting to your chair frame with staples is a quick and efficient way to ensure that it won't crease or bunch.
You can decorate a pillow with ribbons, lace and a wide variety of different gorgeous items depending on the piece in question. Decorate a pillow with ribbons and lace with help from a florist, interior decorator and party planner in this free video clip.
When decorating with an accent pillow, you're always going to want to keep a few basic things in mind. Decorate an accent pillow with help from an interior and life designer in this free video clip.
When making fabric birds to put on pillows, you're always going to need to keep a few key things nearby. Make fabric birds to put on pillows with help from an artist and crafts expert in this free video clip.
Tulle fabric opens up an entire world filled with great design opportunities. Decorate with tulle fabric with help from an award-winning, celebrity interior designer and design psychology expert in this free video clip.
The microblogging platform Tumblr offers two options for changing the appearance of your blog: installing a theme that someone else created, or creating your own custom theme. The site offers hundreds of premade themes, but if you’re familiar with HTML and CSS, you can design your own to give your blog a unique look. After you’ve created your theme, click “Edit HTML” and paste in your code to use it.
Ultrasuede is a registered trademark for a type of microfiber, a nonwoven fabric. It's marketed as stain-resistant, fade-resistant and easy to clean. It's made from polyester, a synthetic fiber, so unlike real suede, there are no animal products in Ultrasuede. It's been a popular material for upholstery on couches because of its durability and suede-like texture. Ultrasuede is machine-washable, but the cushion lining might not be. If in doubt, try a non-washing machine cleaning method recommended by the Ultrasuede website for washing your Ultrasuede couch cushions. This method is also safe to use on couch cushions that don't have removable…
A pillow sham is a pillowcase with a more secure enclosure for pillows. It can be constructed from practical fabrics for functional use or delicate fabrics for decorative purposes. You can enhance the appearance of a decorative pillow sham with embellishments, such as pleats. Pleats are an arrangement of fabric into decorative folds using one of several techniques. Knife pleats are straightforward, and the result is a series of cascading folds. For best results, use fabric that is stiff enough to hold the folds without support.
Professional and dedicated nonprofessional auto restorers make every effort to use OEM material in their projects. Non-original material detracts from a restored vehicle aesthetically and, very often, financially. There are a number of reference manuals and corporate entities that are dedicated to identifying and supplying the correct fabrics for vehicles manufactured in the 1940s and, in many cases, even earlier.
Buying new furniture to replace old, tired-looking dining room chairs can end up being costly. If your chair frames are still in sound condition, you can breathe new life into them by reupholstering them. Before you can change the upholstery fabric on your dining room chairs it's important to make sure the seating portion of each chair is able to bear weight and is comfortable. You can ensure both of these prerequisites by properly securing webbing and batting to the chair frame and seat area prior to reupholstering.
Vintage sofas belong to the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, and include a range of styles, colors and materials. This was the era of the groundbreaking Eames husband and wife design team, and a time of rapid technological and social change, bridging the post-war sense of style with the Space Age as American astronauts first walked on the moon. To create a retro decorating scheme or evoke it with a key piece of furniture, learn how to make a sofa vintage.
Zebra fabric is a great tool to have when decorating your own t-shirts. Find out about decorating t-shirts with zebra fabric with help from an award winning fashion designer in this free video clip.
Recovering a dining chair is something that you have to do in a very specific way. Recover a dining chair with help from an interior designer, home staging expert, and Allied member of ASID in this free video clip.
Not everyone has time or sewing skills to make pillow covers from scratch. While constructing pillow covers for throw pillows is a good beginning for novice sewers, there is an even simpler way to do it. Instead of purchasing material, turn a large pillowcase from thrift stores or forgotten ones hidden in the closet into a pillow cover for throw pillows. The task requires less sewing and has the same result as making a pillow cover from scratch. Stuff the pillow cover with an old throw pillow or fill it with cotton.
Mitered edges create a neat, finished look on sewing projects. You can make a simple table runner that's finished with mitered corners. This touch can be all the table runner needs, or you can embellish it with tassels or trim when you're done. Creating mitered corners on a table runner is a little more challenging than on a square object, such as a handkerchief, because the angles are a little different. Work carefully to get crisp press marks for the best results.
There are several types of looms used for knitting and most are either round or rectangular. Round looms are used to make tube shapes for socks, stockings or even sweaters and hats. Long looms are long and rectangular and are used to knit flat, square or rectangular panels. You can use long looms to knit blankets or to knit panels together for quilts.
The key to repairing a sagging couch with non-removable cushions is the cushions themselves. The two ways of dealing with them are to either remove the fabric and completely reupholster and support the couch or pry up the cushions and replace them in such a way that the sagging is minimal. Either option is acceptable based only on the amount of work that the repairer wants to undertake on this particular piece of furniture. Since most couches that are sagging are likely to require fabric replacement as well, replacing the entire couch fabric now may save you from doing additional…
Often a situation will arise in which a piece of furniture needs to be covered quickly and securely but the solution only needs to be temporary and not damage the furniture or current fabric cover. This type of problem is often encountered by students or renters who rent furnished apartments. Far from being free to cut up the chairs or couches and remove ugly fabric, they must find a temporary, non-destructive solution. Covering a wingback chair with fabric using metal, flexible jaw clips is a perfect example of this type of measure, which must be done with flair and precision…
Purchasing too much fabric for re-covering chair cushions is a waste of money, but if you purchase too little, you may have to throw out what you bought and buy a whole new piece. Fabric is sold in several different widths. Measuring your cushions before you go to the store allows you to purchase the best width of fabric for your needs. Remove the cushion before you measure it for the most accurate measurements.
Turning an ugly basement into a space that is enjoyable can seem like a monumental task, particularly if you have a lot of clutter in your basement. However, there are a few simple things that you can do to make your basement look considerably better, and all of them can be done with a fairly small amount of money and a bit of elbow grease.
The Classic Collection by furniture manufacturer This End Up features furniture designs that combine wood with plush, upholstered cushions. While the chairs are beautiful as is, the chair cushions are only available in solid colored, upholstered fabrics. You can give your classic This End Up chair a new look by swapping out the plain upholstery for a bold pattern or textured fabric. Reupholstering cushions is a simple DIY project for anyone with basic sewing skills.
Gamers and geeks enjoy their pastime and often desire to bring elements of it to other aspects of their lives. Giving a gamer that you know a pillow based on Mario Bros., or making one for yourself, is a way to celebrate video game culture. Make a pillow in the shape of a Mario Mushroom -- officially called a Super Mushroom.
Occasional chairs add character and seating capacity to a variety of rooms, from the living room to the bedroom. Most accent chairs feature open construction, which exposes the frame and provides cushioning for the back, seat and arms, making it easy to move the chairs from one location to the next. Whether you're redecorating the entire room or creating a stylish accent for an empty space, choosing the perfect kind and quantity of fabric for your chair is the best place to begin.
Upholstery and utility fabrics have many uses, but they differ from basic textiles used for clothing. The term "upholstery" is more commonly used to refer to non-clothing fabrics, but utility fabric is not all that dissimilar to upholstery in its composition or its purpose.
Chair cushions transform hard chair seats into soft, plush areas on which to sit. They are both decorative and function, and are found in a variety of patterns and styles at any home decorating or department store. However, buying chair cushions from a store is costly. Save money by making your own chair cushions using basic craft supplies. This also enables you to make more creative and artistic cushions, such as hand-knit chair cushions made from colorful yarn.
Custom pillow shams are a splurge, but you can make your own mitered pillow shams in the colors and fabrics you want to match your room or bedding. Keep it simple with a single fabric, mix and match different fabrics or add a mitered edging to a pieced and quilted sham for a country or shabby chic style bedroom.
Filling a flat or lumpy couch cushion with fresh stuffing instantly improves the appearance and comfort of the couch. Cushions that feature a zipper are simple to stuff, but some cushions are sewn on all sides so they don't have a ready-made opening. A seam ripper tool, available from fabric stores, allows you to remove the threads that hold a seam without damaging the fabric. While the process isn't difficult, it is tedious, and the reward is a comfortable couch with properly filled cushions.
Couches last for years when they are well maintained, but the frame often outlasts the cushions when it comes to durability. The padding inside the cushions breaks down and sags over time from the constant pressure caused by people sitting on them. As the cushion gets compressed, the fabric covering begins to sag, negatively affecting the couch's appearance. Fixing a broken-down couch cushion helps restore both the appearance and the comfort of your sofa.
Whether the removable cushion on your chair is ripped, stained or just not a good match for your decor, reupholstering is a project that breathes new life into any piece. When you compare the cost of buying a new chair -- or even a new seat cushion -- to simply removing and reupholstering, you can see that it is a more economical option as well as one that gives you complete creative control over how you want your chair to look.
A slipcover on your sofa gives it a fresh, new look and saves you the cost of purchasing a new sofa simply because your old one is outdated. A slipcover can be used to cover up minor holes or tears or allow you to match a new style when redecorating. When making your own slipcover, it's necessary to take accurate and complete measurements to calculate how much fabric you will need for the job.
A slipcovered sofa can look brand new. This can update older styles of furniture or cover surface damage and add years to the life of the furniture. Slipcovering an oversized sofa requires additional fabric, but the process of covering the sofa is the same as for a smaller sofa. If your sofa has loose cushions, it is often a good idea to cover the cushions separately for the best appearance. Select a solid color slipcover fabric so you won't have to match patterns. This will save you from buying extra material.
A large couch can easily overwhelm a room, making it feel confined, cramped and uncomfortable. Although it's always best to measure the dimensions of a room prior to making any furniture purchase, it's important to understand that all hope may not be lost if you have miscalculated your space. Though an oversized couch cannot be physically made smaller, there are design elements and decorating techniques to follow that can give the illusion of a smaller couch and a larger, more open space.
Couch padding takes the form of cushions, including seat cushions and cushions along the back. Most couches use foam padding, while others use a soft fill material similar to pillows. As people sit on the couch, their weight pushes against the padding and flattens the filling. An improperly padded couch feels lumpy and uncomfortable. Recovering the sofa padding makes the seating comfortable and can give a room a new pop of color.
Snoring occurs when tissues in your throat vibrate as you breathe during sleep. Snoring itself doesn’t mean your health is at risk, but it can be a sign of sleep apnea, a more serious condition where a person fails to get adequate oxygen during sleep. Even when snoring is not a health issue, it can create a significant disturbance to those sleeping around you. If your snoring is disrupting the sleep of others, but isn’t bad enough to require medical intervention, create an anti-snore pillow to reduce the incidents of nighttime noise.
Chairs have come a long way since pre-17th century Europe, when only royalty and the upper classes used elaborately-made chairsw. American homes had few chairs, except those reserved for older family members. As the chair entered widespread use, even commoners used chairs. Determining the age of chairs requires a combination of information about specific characteristics of the chair that hint at its age.
Whether you're trying to sleep or just trying to decorate, lumpy pillows are an annoyance. No matter what material is filling your pillows, they can develop lumps over time that need to be remedied, or your pillows will need to be replaced. Some fibers for filling pillows -- feathers, for example -- tend to be more prone to lumps and bumps.
Primarily designed for comfort and relaxation, an improperly functioning leaning recliner causes frustration. Age, rough usage and lack of routine maintenance weaken the recliner’s structure and reduce its appeal. With a few basic tools, you can repair loose nuts or a broken footrest yourself, thereby restoring the piece of furniture to its original glory.
A solid foundation is essential to creating a noble canine sculpture. Armature wire is a pliable yet strong wire used under clay, felt or other materials. It is considered the skeleton of the sculpture and gives your creation strength and durability. Using armature wire for a canine sculpture will make the figure more realistically proportioned than if it is done free-hand, and the armature wire will be strong enough to withstand mounting or posing.
Microsuede is a engineered fabric, designed to have the look and feel of suede without the high maintenance. The benefit of a microsuede upholstery fabric on your furniture is that this lightweight fabric creates a comfortable feel with a durable and stain-resistant surface that comes from the tightly woven fibers.
A fireplace can be dangerous for babies and toddlers. Aside from the fire, which is an attraction for curious little ones, the hearth holds its own set of dangers. A raised hearth, particularly one made of brick or stone, is a hard and often sharp-edged surface that can cause bumps, bruises or cuts if children run into it. Blocking access to the hearth is one solution, but padding the edges can soften the blow for the occasional tumble onto the surface.
Extrusion edging is resilient buffer material that keeps sharp metal edges from injuring people and animals. Extrusion edging is a necessity in building and construction. Buildings and homes will, on occasion, be constructed in such a way that a sharp edge made of metal or some other type of sharpened material is exposed. This exposed edge or extrusion can be a legal and safety liability. For this reason, construction companies will occasionally have to rely upon some type of protective edging to protect passersby.
A dilly pillow provides a container for one or more herbs, spices or other botanical components. The fabric allows the herbs’ fragrance to escape so that the person sleeping on the pillow can benefit from the aroma. The intended use determines the fabric, herbs and size of the pillow. Create a fancy dilly pillow to serve as a decorative air freshener or a simple one to slip into the pillowcase with a bed pillow for moderate aromatherapy. Anyone with basic sewing skills can make a dilly pillow in less than an hour.
When making a pillow cover or pillow sham, you have a variety of design options to create exactly the pillow you desire. If you make the back of a pillow or pillow sham with two separate pieces, you can overlap the pieces at the center to create an envelope edge. A benefit of this pillow back style is the ease with which you can remove the pillow form for washing the pillow cover.
Diamond tufting is a sewing process in which you add dimension to the fabric. Material that is tufted has the appearance of the fabric sinking into itself, thereby forming puffy edges around the point that is tufted. Diamond tufting is commonly used for seat cushions, pillows and quilts. Decorative buttons cover the point that is tufted for both functional and aesthetic appeal. If you want to make diamond tuft pillows, practice creating the tufted pattern.
Bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and sometimes clothes need to be altered to fit properly. Tapering a pea coat involves altering the garment for a more fitted look. This can be done by taking in fabric on the side seams of the coat or sewing darts in the back of the coat. Darts are fitting elements that appear on garments as triangles. The purpose of placing darts in a coat is to fold out excess fabric so it provides a fitted shape. Both techniques can accomplish the goal of giving a pea coat a fitted and polished look.
Old, weathered sofas make a room appear disheveled and unsightly. Buying a new sofa to replace your old one is costly, and may not fit into your household budget. Instead of buying a new sofa, cover the sofa you have with a decorative, ruffle-edged sofa slipcover. Save even more money by making a ruffled sofa slipcover yourself using a few basic materials purchased inexpensively from an arts and crafts or fabric supply store. Making your own slipcover also allows you to customize the slipcover using your favorite fabric.
Most rattan chairs use loose cushions, so they are considered easy to reupholster. Chair and sofa cushions frequently have zippered back panels that make removing the cover easier. Cushion zippers tend to be larger and are easier to sew than garment zippers. These zippers are sold by the length you need rather than in fixed sizes, and you add the zipper handle. Once you overcome these minor details, you can master the project in a few hours.
Making pillow shams to complement your quilt or other bed covering gives your bed a professional, put-together look. The shams are similar to pillowcases; however, the edges often have additional fabric that fans out and more fully covers the bed. The way in which you make the edges can vary depending on the type of look you want for the pillow shams. Making your pillow shams with mitered corners gives your pillows a neatly-finished look.
No matter how often you clean your couch, it still develops stains, rips and tears. Every time you or anyone else sits on the sofa, the friction between the body and the fabric weakens the material. Reupholstering your couch in a new fabric gives it a brand new look. An oversized couch requires a little more work because the additional padding needs more fabric. Choose a color or pattern that matches or complements the other furniture or decor in your room.
