This post is sponsored by Rit. All opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep The Crafted Life making!
The sofa aka the modern dining room thanks to Netflix. Seeing how it’s the focal point of just about every home, why not make it look great? There’s a few easy tips and tricks to keep in mind when styling PLUS I’m sharing three different ways you can DIY your own pillow cases to match your space perfectly. Here’s how: Continue reading…
Now that the weather is warmer, it’s time to get back outside and make a mess! While I was all about the indigo shibori trend, I gotta say that it looks better in pink. But then again, what doesn’t? If you’re looking to bring a pop of color to your home, then it’s time to break out the dye and give a plain pillow case a simple makeover. Here’s how:
Time: 25 minutes
Materials: liquid dye, cotton pillow case, bucket, rubber bands, method hand soap
I recommend working outside for this project so you don’t get dye everywhere in your home. As far as your hands, you could wear gloves or just pick up some method hand soap for after. It’s animal and people friendly (biodegradable, made from recycled materials and 100% recyclable) and comes in the loveliest shades of colors. Either way, don’t be afraid to get a little messy with this project!
If you’re looking to preplan your pattern, then here’s a great resource for shibori. If you’re more into just winging it for a tie-dye feel, then just band your pillow as you please. For either technique, just keep in mind that where you put the bands will remain white while the color will adhere to the other sections of your pillow.
Fill your bucket with warm water and add your dye.
Add your rubber banded pillow case to the dye. The longer you let sit, the darker the color. You can pull the pillow up from time to time to check on the color and remove when it’s the color you want. Remember that the color will be a bit darker when wet. I let mine sit for about 10 minutes.
Cut the rubber bands and rinse the pillow in cold water until the water runs clear. Let dry, iron, and you’re all done!
The pink is so fun, don’t you think? I think it would look great next to an indigo shibori pillow too.
This post was sponsored by method. All opinions expressed are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep The Crafted Life making!
One of my resolutions for the year was to make my home into a space that I actually love. To decorate it up and do it right with a mix of DIY and quality pieces. Well I have been working away since January and am so happy to finally be sharing a sneak peek with you today!
The first room in my apartment that’s getting a makeover is my bedroom/office. The space is a little confusing (I’ll explain it all in another post), but for now here’s a simple diy that you can also make for your own home. I made this hand painted polka dot pillow for my bed in about a half hour and it was beyond easy. Here’s how:
Time: 30 minutes + set time
Materials: pillow case, rit dye, paint brush
I found this plain white linen pillow cover from West Elm (bonus, it’s on sale right now!). You might remember the dye from this picture frame diy.
Start by adding warm water to your dye. The more water you add, the lighter the color will be. For my pillow, I used ~1/3 cup of dye and added 2 tbs of water. To keep the dye from bleeding through your pillow case, and to give you a better surface to work on, place a sheet of cardboard inside.
To make your design, simply dip your brush in the dye, just like you would with watercolors, and paint on the pillow. Because of the linen, you won’t be able to get super crisp lines, so I embraced the hand painted element and kept the edges of my circles loose.
Let dye sit until dry. Keep in mind that the colors will be darker before washing. You can also rinse early, but the longer you leave the dye on, the more vibrant your colors will be. Rinse in warm then cold water until the water runs clear. Dry, iron, then fill with an insert and you’re all done!
And that’s it! Bada-bing, bada-boom, color! I can’t wait to show you the entire reveal within the next few weeks!
Product for this post was provided by West Elm, a company I frequent and love. Thanks for supporting the brands that keep The Crafted Life making!
Yes that’s right friends, a DIY Hashtag Pillow! As if I didn’t love social media enough, right? This project is great for those who are new to sewing because it will help you practice your curves. Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself when I was prototyping this. Here’s how you can easily make one yourself:
Time: 45 minutes
Materials: fabric, sewing machine, fabric pencil, fabric scissors, pins, poly-fil, needle and matching thread
I got the fabric for this project from Minted. Their collection, designed by independent artist, is amazinggg! Be sure to check it out if you haven’t already. You can use a rotary cutter for this project, but if you’re new to using it, or don’t have one, scissors are just fine.
First cut two equal squares that are 19″x19″. If you want to make your pillow larger, adjust accordingly. I don’t necessarily suggest going any smaller than that. On the backside of your fabric on one of the squares, draw the hashtag shape. If you can’t draw at all, you can do what I did and trace a deflated hashtag balloon.
Pin fabric squares together in the corners and cut out. This method works great if you don’t want to have to trace and cut twice. Once you have your two hashtags, pin together so the pattern is facing each other.
When sewing, try your best to stay on the 3/8 seem allowance. You’ll want to use a straight stitch and back stick at the beginning and the end. Only sew around the edges of the hashtag, leaving the middle open. If you sew the middle, you won’t be able to turn your pillow right side out.
After turning right side out, stuff with polyfil. Once full and smooth, pin the center pieces together and stitch closed by hand. Trim the excess thread and fabric with scissors and you’re done!
So what do you think?! Easy peasy for a sewing project, yeah? I can’t wait to experiment with other shapes!
This post is sponsored by Minted. All opinions expressed are my own.Thanks for supporting the brands that help keep The Crafted Life making!
