Creative Outlet

Everyone has a creative side! We have ideas to help you create things for your home and family. These crafts and projects have all been tested by us. Many have been modified to fit our budgets. We are known to modify everything we do. That's all part of being creative!! Enjoy!

Guest Room Fix-Up

Recently, we had guests coming to stay a few days with us. Our guest room consisted of a very nice futon, an entertainment center, and a private bathroom. We were in desperate need of a chair with reading table and a place for the guest to put their luggage. So, off to the thrift stores I went. At thrift stores I found, an old chair for $5.00, a pretty green, Martha Stewart curtain to use for recovering the chair for $2.00, a green velvet pillow for $1.00, a green lamp for $2.50, and a white square end table for $10. After searching all of our shops, that was all I could find. So, I purchased a three legged table for $6.00, glass top for $3.00, and a tan colored twin sheet for $4.00 at Kmart to use also. I came home and assembled my items.

The first project was to remove the chair cushion and recover it using the green curtain. I had a foam cushion and an egg crate cushion already in my possession and considered each. I ultimately used the foam cushion for this project. I removed the old fabric from the chair cushion and just added my foam cushion to what was already there. The existing cushion was not bad, but needed a boost.

Then I measured the chair seat and cut out my new covering from the curtain. You need to account for wrapping the fabric around the wood to staple on to the back, so add about 5 inches to the measurements in width and length.

Using the staple gun I attached my new fabric cover to the wooden seat. It is pretty easy to do. Remember to pull the fabric equally taught around the wooden form.

The corners are the most difficult part. I formed a pleat and arranged the fabric so that it was even around each corner and then stapled it down.

Finished chair seat.

I forgot to take a picture of the white end table before I started, but you can see that it was white. The top is already painted. My daughter had a bucket of brown paint from one of her projects that she let me use.

I used the paint sparingly on the brush to give this streaked look. I used just one coat of paint. It looks sort of like wood grain. I am very happy with how it turned out and placed a doily on the top.

This table I put next to the futon as a place to set a suitcase.

After that was finished I assembled the round table purchased at Kmart. Because the legs of this table were the only part that would be visible, that is all I painted here. I used more of the same paint as I used on the white table. You can see both the square table and the chair in the background.

Next, I took the new twin sheet and folded it in half and then half again, like when you are going to make paper snowflakes. I cut a large circle out of it. I made it as large as possible . You can use a pencil on a string to get the arch. Tie a long string to a pencil. Use the thumb of one hand to hold the loose end of the string to the folded tip of the sheet. Then draw across the sheet with the pencil and it will form an arch. Cut along the line. When you open it you will have a circle. Then hem the edge.

Next, I took the left-over piece of curtain from covering the chair cushion and cut a square out of it. I hemmed the edges.

I then arranged the sitting area in my guest quarters. I covered the round table with the hemmed sheet circle topped with the green square, then a doily and finally the glass top.

Here is how it all turned out. Fabulous! I spent $33.50 to make this a nicer place for my guests.