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Archives for October 2012

Drop Cloth Draperies for my Front Door

October 27, 2012 by Patti 40 Comments

The lack of privacy my front doors afford have always been a problem. When a visitor comes to the door they look directly into our living room. I don’t mind this if I’m fully dressed and ready to be seen, but when I’m just hanging out in my bathrobe and looking like something has made a nest in my hair, it can be quite embarrassing to look up to see someone peering in at me.

We used to have frosted glass, but when one of the windows was accidentally broken we realized we liked the view out that side of the house and chose to replace both doors with clear glass. For privacy we found some pull down accordian window coverings which seemed to be perfect . . . for awhile. However, after a few years of up and down, they didn’t seem to spring up quite as easily anymore, and with three dogs who like to nose them out of the way to peek outside, they didn’t hold up too well, as you can see.

When I started seeing full curtains over double doors in my Pottery Barn magazine I was inspired. I especially loved the look of their Fat-Tie Drape. What I didn’t love was that they were fairly light-weight cotton and that I would need four panels to cover my doors. That brought the cost to $300 without the hardware! Think, think, think . . . why not make my own? I found some wonderful fabrics online but when I thought about the work of sewing panels together and lining the draperies I thought there must be an easier, quicker and cheaper way. Lightbulb moment!!! Why not use painter’s drop cloths? So I started with two 6′ x 9′ drop cloths at a cost of $10.98 each (at Lowe’s) and went to work.

The 6′ widths would cover the doors nicely and the 9′ lengths were long enough to cut out strips to make the fat ties and also to make a valance. I knew these were going to look just as good as Pottery Barn’s but I decided to take an extra step. Since I like things kind of “fancy” I decided to use a stencil I had on hand to dress them up a bit.

Now stenciling can be tricky, especially on fabric, so to avoid “bleeding” I decided to stencil with a Sharpie pen. The bonus of this is that it is permanent ink so it won’t wash out!

I didn’t use a heavy hand on the Sharpie, as I wanted a little bit of a faded look, and I turned the pattern over each time I moved the stencil.  As you can see, I also decided to edge the valance with lines, some thick and some thin. No perfection here for sure.

So here you have it! What I like most about these drapes is that, due to the thickness of the material, no lining was needed. I also like the nice oatmeal color and how the fabric, when ironed, resembles linen. I would have loved to leave the drapes flowing across the floor but again, with three dogs, I would have been taking them down to wash away dog hair far too often. So I hemmed them after they were already hung in place. Sooo . . . easy.

Here are a few close ups of the “rustic” stenciling. After hanging them I decided they needed something more, so I took out my pen and added some quick dots across the top of the valance.

I chose oil rubbed bronze drapery hardware with simple clip rings, and some pretty crystal looking tie-backs (Lowe’s).

And here is the final view looking out my front door. The curtains frame the door nicely and actually make my entryway appear larger. I’m happiest about the price and I’ve already purchased more drop cloths for future projects! Now, where to find the time . . . ?

Blessings to you!

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© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

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Filed Under: Drop Cloth Projects, Home decorating, Pottery Barn knockoff

A Sweet Birdie Lamp

October 18, 2012 by Patti 4 Comments

Time for a quick old-to-new transformation. I found this little bird lamp at a local garage sale and, since I am loving birds right now, I had to have it.

It wasn’t too bad as is, except for being a bit grungy and the fact that the electrical piece that the light bulb screws into (what IS that piece called?) was broken and hanging limply. Not a problem for my handy husband who replaced that piece in a snap. The color of the lamp was okay since brass and gold are popular again. However, since I’m on a chalk paint kick, and especially fond of the color Old White, I could hardly wait to get my hands on a brush and give this little lamp a whole new look.

A little paint, a light distressing, and an application of dark wax, and voila! Brassy becomes soft and sweet.

With a $3.99 lampshade, some rosettes made from an old pillowcase, (a tutorial on making rosettes can be found in an earlier post entitled “A Moss Covered Monogram”), and a few glue gun shots later, here she is.

This lamp produces a soft warm glow and will look great on a dressing table or maybe in a bathroom as a nightlight.

I really enjoy quick and easy fixes like this one. Some transformations aren’t so easy (the real life kind) and take a lot more time and energy. They can even be painful (yes, this is a little personal experience speaking here), but it is always, always, always . . . worth pressing forward toward the goal set before us. So, keep pressing on 🙂

© copyright 2012 – All rights reserved

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Filed Under: Chalk painted furniture, Home decorating, Junking

OldThingsNew

I am Perfectly Imperfect Patti, daughter of the King, wife to the amazing Mr. OTN, mom to two grown daughters, a great son-in-law, and companion to two spoiled dogs. At Old Things New I share DIY’s, budget friendly home transformations, as well as posts about how God transforms our souls. I myself have been made new and I love to share what I’ve learned through WRITING and SPEAKING. To view a short Vimeo of “Our Story” (Mr. OTN and I) please follow the link at the top of the page.

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