Tutorial: Fern 'n Bird Stenciled Denim Chair

Originally introduced waaaaay back in 2011, today I'm releasing this pretty Fern 'n Bird Stenciled Denim Chair project as a free tutorial on the blog, yay! In this tutorial, denim from an old pair of jeans is used to re-cover a chair cushion. The denim is simply embellished with freezer-paper stenciling and the outcome is elegantly casual, methinks. Shall we begin?

Fern 'n Bird Stenciled Denim Chair Tutorial

You will need:

• an old pair of jeans
• a pair of scissors
• freezer paper
• an Exacto knife
• a cutting surface
• fabric paint in white and black
• a blunt paint brush
• pencil and eraser
• screw driver
• industrial stapler
• sandpaper
• newspaper
• iron and ironing board
• a chair in need of re-upholstering
• Fern 'n Bird Template ◀︎ click on the link to access the template!

Prepare The Chair

Step 1: Remove the cushion by unscrewing the screws from underneath the seat.

Step 2: Clean the chair with a damp cloth to remove any dirt and grime. If your chair needs painting, proceed as follows, and if not, skip on to Step 4.
Step 3: Working in a ventilated area or outside, sand down the entire chair with fine grit sandpaper to create a rough surface suitable for painting. Again, wipe down the chair with a clean, damp cloth to remove any dust created during sanding. Apply a coat of furniture primer. After the primer dries according to manufacturer's instructions, apply a few coats of latex paint, allowing the paint to dry between coats.

Refer to Young House Love: How to Paint Furniture for more detailed furniture painting instructions.

Prepare The Stencil

Step 4: Adjust the Fern 'n Bird template, sizing it to your needs using a photocopier, or leaving it as is. Trace the design onto freezer-paper. Working on a cutting surface, cut out all the grey areas using an Exacto knife. Keep all the little white bits. These are part of your stencil.

Step 5: Before you cut into your jeans, be sure that the chosen pant leg will fit the width of your chair cushion. Cut the pant leg off leaving plenty of room to reach around all sides of the cushion and a few inches round the back.

Step 6: Place your freezer-paper stencil where you wish it to be on your denim. Be sure that you give it plenty of room on all sides. You want it to be fully visible and not hanging off the edge of your seat, poor bird. Now with your iron set to "no steam", iron the stencil to the denim, plastic side down. Don't forget all the little pieces like the wing, feet, beak, head and eye. Iron everything in place. Try to avoid wrinkles in the freezer-paper like I have. Eesh.

Paint The Design

Step 7: Place a sheet of newspaper under your denim to protect your work surface. Have an extra sheet of newspaper handy for removing excess paint from your brush. Mix a tiny bit of black into some white fabric paint to give a light grey paint. Or start with grey paint if you prefer. If you're mixing paint, make enough to cover your template. You only want to mix it once. Moisten your paintbrush with water. Remove as much of the water as possible. Now load a little bit of paint onto your brush. Brush most of the paint off onto the newspaper. You want your brush almost dry but not quite. Begin applying paint into your stencil, pressing down firmly and moving your brush in small circles as you go. This technique is call "dry brushing". Repeat the process of loading paint onto your brush, unloading most of it onto the newspaper and then painting the stencil, until your stencil is covered and the paint is applied very thinly and evenly over the entire design.

Step 8: Once you're done painting, you can immediately but carefully remove the freezer-paper from the denim. It peels off easily without leaving any residue on the fabric. Finally, heat-set your painted design with the iron. Also if you are so inclined, you can re-use the stencil to make a second matching chair. Just remember to place a thin sheet of paper between the used stencil and your iron (to keep your iron clean) before using the stencil a second time.

Re-cover Your Cushion

Step 9: When I removed the green covering from my chair, the original blue covering was still in ship-shape. I decided to leave it in place and install the denim directly on top. You may not have that option, in which case you'd have to purchase a new foam cushion available in standard sizes at your local fabric shop.

Step 10: To install the denim cover, place the fabric good side down. Place the cushion, cushy side down, in the center of your fabric ensuring that your design is where you want it on the seat. Now, while firmly pulling the denim up, around the edge and to the back of the cushion, install a staple at the middle top edge of the cushion back. Continue in this way with the middle bottom, middle left and middle right of the back of your cushion, firmly pulling on the edge of the denim with each new staple. Keeping the denim taught at all times, place a staple in one corner, then the opposite corner, and then the remaining corners. Now fill in the gaps with staples.

Step 11: To get a smooth finish on the corners, many staples will need to be installed. Trim the excess denim to give the seat a clean look.

Step 12: Finally, place the cushion on the chair and re-install the screws.

Your work here is done, baby!

Now, grab a tall, cool one and take a load off on your pretty new Fern 'n Bird embellished chair!

♥︎M

P. S. Guess what? I finally joined Pinterest (just a few tiny weeks ago) so I'm pinning this project to my "Denim Forever!" Pinterest board. Check it!

A Quilted Double-Sided Butterfly Cushion

The other day I was scouring the ether for simple, sweet and modern quilt block ideas to spruce up a cushion, when I came upon the cutest butterfly charm block paper-piecing pattern by Lillyella. While not quite what I'd originally had in mind, I just could not ignore those adorable flutterbys. The charms instantly warmed my cold cold heart and before I knew it, I had pieced a "Gidget" for my cushion.

Lillyella's Gidget butterfly pattern was easy to follow and, even in the hands of a novice paper-piecer such as myself, it turned out imperfectly sweet. What's more is the pattern is 100% free and included in it are instructions and templates to make three distinct butterflies: Gidget, Cricket and Pepper! How nice is that?

Since I used her utterly free pattern to grace my cushion, allow me to return the favour with a tiny plug, won't you? Lillyella has a blog and a store with beautiful paper-piecing patterns. Go check her out, goshdarnit.

Oh and by the way, here's the back of the cushion which I drew out and English paper-pieced.

I'm smitten with the whole double-sidedness of this creation. It's like a mood cushion. Sometimes I'm in a butterfly mood. Sometimes I'm in a squarish-flower mood.

Because you never know when a butterfly mood will strike - not to mention a squarish-flower mood - so it's best to always be prepared.

♥︎M

Happy Chandelier Makeover

I never liked it anyway. For years, I never liked it. And for years I thought to myself: "If I spray-painted the darn thing, what could it hurt?"

So, guess what?

I finally did it and I'm glad I finally did it. It's much prettier in blue with a touch of gold!

You see? This is what it looked like before...

It's a much happier thing now! And so am I.

♥︎M

Hello 2016.

Hello 2016.

Hi.

Nice to make your acquaintance.

You're so fresh and new aren't you? You've barely even taken a breath. Let me help you with that. I've been here for some time now and breathing is pretty much second-nature to me. See? I can do it with my eyes closed and with both hands tied behind my back. An old pro I am.

Do you think we'll get along you and I? I sure hope so. The last few years came with moments of uncertainty and doubt, moments of distinct fogginess. But as far as years go, 2016, I have a good feeling about you.

Yeah. You know what? We're gonna get along like a house on fire, 2016. Just you wait.

♥M

P. S. The above crockery is a piece I had a lovely time decorating and glazing at our local Crock A Doodle (aka: Paint-Your-Own-Pottery-Store) prior to this Christmas. I gifted it to my Elle during our 2015 family gift exchange. This is a fun fun fun and easy easy easy craft that you ought to try if you like to paint and such. The final kiln-fired result is food and dishwasher safe, and beautiful too. 

Look What I Found!

Disclosure: This post contains an affiliate link. If you click it and make a purchase, I will benefit financially.

Guess what I snagged on the side of the road with a free sign on it... That's right, this metal cart. It was a sad little thing when I found it. It was dirty, dated, and rusty too. But nothin' some steel wool, a generous dose of elbow grease, and a little love couldn't help, eh?

I pulled off the wood veneer tape that covered all the metal bits. Scraped off the ugly glue that the tape left behind. Sanded off all that rust with the steel wool. Washed it down. Polished it up. Covered the two wooden planks with this pretty paper: 

Con-Tact Brand Creative Covering Self-Adhesive Shelf and Drawer Liner, 18-Inches by 9-Feet, Talisman Pale Grey

Get a load of her now... She's shining from the inside she's so happy to be loved again. And those old casters roll around like they're on clouds.

She makes an ideal resting place for our pillows and blankets, doncha think?

♥M

Rabbit Wall Bust Tutorial

How are you? Well, I hope.

You're craving for a bunny craft to go with all those bunny chocolates, aren't ya? 'Course you are. Well, here you go then. A fun and different egg carton craft I worked on for Burnbrae Farms, the egg company. Hop on over HERE to visit the full tutorial!

♥M

Space Invader Juice Lid Headboard

So Lo, the love of my life, comes into the bedroom, sees our new headboard for the very first time, laughs out loud and promptly exclaims: "A Space Invader headboard!!! It's awesome!"

Really? Space Invaders? Space Invaders?!!!

And then he says: "Now we'll never have to worry about alien abduction."

Honestly, down deep inside, I am less than impressed by these comments. Not exactly what I was going for. I feel they make fun of my brilliant/amazing/unique/wonderful work-of-art-headboard. I mean, I know it's made of metal juice lids which I've furiously collected over the past ten years and all... And, yes, okay, a metal juice lid headboard may be a little bit out there. So what was I expecting, eh?

I guess I want him to love it.

The thing is, he's dead on. It does look like Space Invaders. It looks exactly like frickin' Space Invaders.

So then I sit back to consider this turn of events. Okay sure. I made a Space Invader headboard for our grownup master bedroom. But so what? My husband, Lo, loved playing Space Invaders when he was a kid. He loooved it! So I'm going to take his COMMENT and turn it into a COM-pli-MENT.

That's right, I've decided to love my Space Invader headboard too.

So there.

♥M

Question: What do you do with a glaringly blank wall...

.... and an irrepressible urge to cover it?

Answer: Take your foam trays collected over the last three and half years and a roll of masking tape. And stick it up there.

Obviously.

♥M

A Sunny Dresser

I picked up this dirty white dresser (below) months ago for a song at my local thrift store. Except for one of the drawer faces sagging a little, it was in excellent, albeit grimy, condition. I brought it home and plunked it down in the living room. I gave it a brief - extremely brief - wipe, and it has been sitting there ever since.

Awful.

As you might imagine, once I commenced with my colour quest, one of the first things on the agenda was to paint the dirty white dresser.

It took a day to do. One little day. And I even did other stuff in between. Like shower and eat stuff. Painting a dresser - or any furniture - is not like painting a room. It doesn't really take much time. I always forget that for some reason. As usual, I imagine these little jobs to be much larger and more troublesome than they actually are. But it's a small object when you think about it, and it turns out that I enjoyed my day painting it.

To begin, I gave the dresser a very very thorough scrub and rinse with TSP (trisodium phosphate) solution. I'm always amazed at the amount of dirt on things and find myself making happy exclamations when I discover what things actually look like under the dirt. "Now, don't you clean up nice", I'll say, or "Pleasure to meet you, little dresser." Once it was clean, I grabbed my best paint brush and brushed on one coat of primer and 2 coats of yellow semi-gloss interior latex by Benjamin Moore allowing it to dry thoroughly between coats. The colour was mixed from a CIL paint chip and is known as "Golden Day (35YY 71/474)", FYI. 

When it came down to it, yellow was the only colour that Lo and I could agree on for the dresser, and I had both my fingers and toes crossed that it would turn out okay. I'm so glad it worked out, and I have to say, I'm thrilled with this latest pop of colour in the living room. It's getting sunny in here!

♥M

Colourful Quilted Cushion. Check!

Hey there. How are ya?

It's November eh?

I finished my cushion.

Remember I mentioned it back here? The photo up top is the front and down below is the back. It's got a zip and everything so I can take it off and wash it clean. Fancy eh? We're doing it, and we're doing it right, man.

The cushion is the first tiny step in my quest for a more colourful life - or living room at least - because as you know...

I NEED COLOUR!!!

Sorry. Yelling again.

More colour to come...

♥M

HERE's a helpful bow-tie block tutorial just in case you're interested in whipping up your own colourful cushion courtesy of Twin Fibers.

I NEED COLOUR!!!

Sorry there.

Didn't mean to yell at you in the title.

It's just that I'm desperate for more colour in here. This place is so drab and blaaaah and oooh sooo ho-hum with the beige couch and the beige cushions and the white walls and the light grey-green carpet. Laaaahhhhh.

Small, strategic pops of colour. Zero budget. Using stuff I've already got.

That's the plan anyway.

First stop: cushion.

I've made a start on the above cushion design with Malka Dubawsky-inspired quilting. I've commenced the piecing. See below.

Sure hope this works.

♥M

The Workroom is DONE.

It's just blogging. No big deal. Jump in and just DO IT already. Okay? 

Okay.

Deep breath... 

And go!

******************

Guess what?

I finished my workroom. And here it IS...

Today I'm sharing the overall space. In future posts I'll get into the nitty gritty details (the fun part, in my opinion).

It was a little tricky cramming the whole kit 'n caboodle in one photo. The picture quality kinda blows as a result. But I wanted to give you a sense of the whole space in one fell swoop, you know? So you could imagine yourself in here with me. The quality is what it is. What's a girl to do, eh?

First off I just want to say that Lo and I, over the past few years, have spent many many weeks, and days, and hours gutting the entire basement, reconfiguring the space, putting up new walls and drywall, installing flooring, windows, electrical, heating. Not to mention tons of painting and trimming. It's taken us... well... YEARS. But things are finally, FINALLY, getting there.

Let's have a tour of sorts. Starting with paint colours.

Well, I decided to go with a pop of colour in the floor. I wanted and needed something bright and cheery down here. So I went with Para's SuperGrip Epoxy-Fortified Enamel For Floors (mouthful) in a hue known as "Pop Rocks". It has a slight sheen so it's lovely to wash. I'm told it's durable. It sounds durable. But who knows... Time will no doubt tell.

I left the walls in a shade known as "Washed Ashore" (by CIL) that I'd applied a few years ago. It still pleases me, so all I did was spot paint here and there to fix the few unsightly marks that life had left behind. It's a pale aqua-tinted grey in a flat sheen. Still pretty (and quick too)!

The black Ikea bookcase, which we've had for about eight years, sits in a nook that I painted black to match the bookcase. I did this to give the illusion that the case is built-in. It looks fabulous. It was a natural spot for this wicker reading chair too, and combined with the overhead lighting that Lowell installed a few years back, this is the coziest little spot in the workroom.

All trim is painted in plain white semi-gloss, FYI.

Below is a better view of my worktable. Except for a couple things, most everything you see here was in the old space. Actually, Lo came home with this perfect new-to-me yellow lamp just yesterday. It's a vintage find. He picked it out by himself and everything. Could he be more sweet? Don't think so.

Lo gave me permish to use any old wood from his stash. So I went berserk and built, with my own two little hands, the two pink storage shelves you see on the walls. I'll discuss them again in a later post, but for now here below, is a closeup of one of them. You've seen the other one back here too, btw.

I'm proud of my little shelves. Having all my paints and buttons and things so visibly at hand is so... HANDY. It makes doing things much easier and more pleasant. And oddly, just being able to see my stuff makes me want to use it. It's very interesting, from a psychological perspective I mean.

And finally here's the last little bit. Some of this stuff could stand to be better arranged and organized, but hey, as of right now I know where everything is, and it's all clean and tidy. Three cheers for me!

Wow. I blogged. I actually blogged!

Crazy stuff eh?

♥M

Moving Right Along

Happy September!

How the blazes are ya? Did you have a fine August? Hope so.

Me? I'm well.

Not too sure what to write about today though... Funny, eh? I've been away for a whole month so you'd think I'd have a million things to report on. But hmm, I'm a little stumped...

Oh, I know!

I'll catch you up on the basement work room move okay? Remember this ⬇?

That's right. I had this big plan to switch areas with The Boy. It took me a while to build up the courage and momentum to actually DO it but I did manage. Eventually... Hey, I'm slow.

So anyway, Lo and I have been busy as beavers turning this area into a place suitable for working and creating. We've cleaned and purged. We've painted, we've trimmed. We've moved furniture, we've organized all my stuff. There are still a few things left to do (not the least of which is working on The Boy's area). But things are looking pretty snazzy, and moving along at a nice pace now.

Here's a peak at one little corner...

I promise to show more in a bit, but that's all you're getting for now...

Have a great day!

♥M