Bookcase Makeover with Photowall Wallpaper

As you may or may not know, we moved about a year ago. It was only about a mile move within the same community, but the new house is definitely in need of some love and paint to bring it out of the 1990's. There are so many things I love about this house but the paint colors and the 4-5 different woods tones throughout are not on that list. 

These gorgeous bookshelves in our family room had an orange tone that didn't sit well with me and didn't match any of the other woods around the house. So I knew I was going to paint it. I was super excited with Photowall reached out to me to see if I'd like to try their wallpaper. I knew I wanted to incorporate some into our house and I felt like these bookshelves (there is a matching one on the other side of the fireplace) were just the place to start for a first time wallpapering project!

Here is the before of the bookcase 

Photowall is a company based in Sweden that started in 2006. It was the ides of two brothers who realized the selection of personalized wall art of rather limited. So they decided to print their own! What's even better about Photowall is that they care about the environment! Each wallpaper or wall mural is printed to order so there isn't unsold inventory sitting around or discarded unnecessarily! They also use environmentally friendly ink and they work with other organizations to plant thousands of trees each year! 

I was so impressed with Photowall's product, but even before that I was blown away at the amount of choices!

Click over to their site to check out more of their wall murals and wallpaper prints! They also have canvas prints and posters.

It was tough to narrow it down, but ultimately went with a print called 'Feathers - blue'.  So once I ordered I figured it would take a while since it was coming from Sweden and all, but it was fast! I think in total it only took a week for them to print the wallpaper and for it to arrive at my house!

The great thing about Photowall is that you measure your space or wall or whatever you're wallpapering and they print the paper to your dimensions. They recommend you add a few inches on each side to be safe but otherwise it's all exact. It comes in one big roll and you cut the strips apart and apply them in order - they're numbered to help with that!

For my first experience wallpapering, I would say it was pretty easy! I did like having my husband as a second pair of hands to hold the paper at the bottom, while I aligned and smoothed the paper starting at the top. I would definitely do this again, in fact, I'm thinking of all the other cool wallpapers I loved and where I can put them next!

 I love how it all turned out! I love the white that just totally transformed the bookcase, but the wall paper is that extra wow!

Now to paint the wall, and the trim, and the mantel...etc etc etc. Never ending. haha. #HomeTakesTime

Hop on over to Photowall's site and tell me some of your favorite prints! I'd love to hear what they are and where you would use them!

Kitchen Chair Makeover

Do you ever have one of those weeks that you just don’t get much done and really don’t have motivation to? That was last week for me. I don’t know where my head was at, but I just couldn’t focus to do a project or get a post together.

Over the weekend we went to St.George to see an airshow – the boys loved it! It was a great break from the week and I was able to come back fresh. Oh, and we got waffles!! Such an amazing treat and takes me back to the year I spent as an exchange student in Belgium. Mmmm so good!

So I was finally able to tackle a project that has been on my list for a while – giving my kitchen chairs a makeover. They were looking pretty gross with food and water marks on the cushion, paint rubbed off, and wobbly as all get out.

I disassembled the chairs, glued them, and put them back together.

I borrowed a friend’s paint sprayer and saved a ton of time and trouble painting them. Then I used a brush to apply a coat of polycrylic to hopefully prevent future rubbing and peeling paint.

Then recovered the cushions. I actually ended up removing the red completely so it wouldn’t show through my new fabric.

Staple one side, then the opposite being sure to pull snuggly.

Then reattach to the chair and you’re done. I’m actually going to go pick up some clear vinyl to cover the seat in too so they don’t get so yucky looking so fast.

DIY Reupholstered Glider

Can I just say this week has been crazy! My husband has been away for work for 2 weeks. Now I know that's nothing compared to those of you who have loved ones deployed, but this is the longest I've been away from my husband since we got married. Plus with 3 kids, it's been even harder! Anyway, the fact that I got anything done was nothing short of a miracle, on with the tutorial!

Have you ever come across a fabric that you just couldn't pass up even though you don’t have specific plans for it? Good, I’m not alone. I’ve had this fabric from Ikea for a couple years, since we lived in Utah actually. Well thank goodness for little girls because now I’ve found a use. (affiliate link - you can find it online HERE )

The glider in her room used to look like this.

Totally nice, but the fabric had started to rip and there were a few stains.

Now, I’m no expert, but here is how I recovered the glider cushions with the cute fabric.

I laid out the fabric and placed the cushion on it and cut the fabric. I laid the fabric with the fold at the top of the cushion so there wouldn’t be a seam along the top.

Don’t forget your adorable sewing assistant. :)

Next turn the fabric inside out over the cushion.

Start pinning pretty snugly around the cushion, leaving the bottom open.

Then fold the cushion and remove it from the fabric. Sew along the line, removing the pins before you get to them.

Once sewing is done, turn fabric right side out and put it back over the cushion. Fold the fabric at the bottom in and pin together.

Then sew along the bottom of the cushion.

Repeat the same steps for the seat cushion.

For the gliding ottoman, turn over and remove the screws to separate the base from the padded part.

Lay the top out on the fabric.

With a staple gun, begin stapling one side, beginning in the middle, topping a couple inches from each corner. When one side is done do the side exactly opposite and pull snug before stapling .

For the corners, pull the fabric together and up,

fold down

and bring the excess together with the other fabric. Staple.

Turn the top over and reattach the screws to connect it to the bottom part and you’re DONE!

I’m playing around with the idea of painting the wood white, but all the other furniture in the room is this same blonde color.

What do you think? To paint or not to paint?

Quick and Easy Lamp Shade Redo

This lamp has had many looks.

The reason for this latest update is because, well, you didn’t know but with the last look, the fabric didn’t actually wrap around the entire lamp shade. Oops. :) I could only find the star fabric in a fat quarter so it didn’t wrap completely around. 

A couple months ago my mother-in-law found a bunch of the Riley Blake All-Star 2 fabric. I had all but given up on finding any so I was super excited that I can now cover the entire lamp shade.

This time I just hot glued to the seam.

Then hot glued around the top

and folded it down.

And done!

Quick and easy and I feel so much better that it’s not incomplete with a gap in the back :)

One of these days (say- when I’m not hugely pregnant anymore) I’ll get back to doing some bigger crafts.

Grey and White Chevron Dresser Redo

Happy Monday! I'm ready to make this week happen, how about you? I can't believe April is almost over!

I'm excited to announce the winners of the Earth Day giveaway:

Cindy B., Becky B., Chelsea T.

Congrats! I will be emailing you to get your addresses. Didn't win, but really wanted to try Basic H2? You can always try the full size with our 100% money back guarantee!  And if you do like it (which you will!), one bottle will probably last you 1-2 years! Seriously, it's amazing! Go Here to shop around Here for Basic H2

 Also, stay tuned tomorrow for another exciting giveaway, you will LOVE it!

I’m really loving building/refinishing furniture lately, can you tell? hehe

I picked this beauty (and it’s sister) up from the Facebook garage sale site for my area. She is solid wood, with no major damage, and was only $20. All she needed was a little makeover.

At first I wasn’t going to pick her up, but you see my husband doesn’t like his current dresser. I’ll admit the drawers don’t slide very smoothly, but it’s got lots of space…

yet for some reason his clothes don’t end up inside the dresser. I thought maybe if the drawers open easier he might use it…I’m hoping

So anyway, I primed and painted the dresser, then I thought, “Hey, I know I’m super behind the trends, but I don’t have any chevrons in my house and I think they’re fun.” So I made my own chevron stencil.

I used my carpenter’s square, but you could do it with a ruler too. I lined it up to the line on the cardboard. Each side has a ruler down it so I lined it up to the 3” mark on both sides and traced. I did this the length of the cardboard, then came back and did the same at 4” so the chevron is 1” wide.

Did that make sense? haha Here’s what it looked like.

And here’s what you get while trying to work on projects in the garage with an 18 month old running around. He's climbing in his future play kitchen. Stay tuned for that one!

Then you cut out the ‘stencil’ with a utility knife and start lining it up on the drawer.

Ugh, camera phone picture, sorry. But you just keep tracing it on the drawer

Then comes the paint

Once I put the drawers in my OCD went a little crazy. I wish I had thought to try and line them up, but oh well. My OCD had to take a hike on this one realizing how much more work it would be to start over. haha.

Besides that, I love it (yes, I see the one little gray spot – I will touch that up). If my husband doesn’t end up liking it, I’ll claim it for myself!