Quick, Easy, and Free Curtain Upgrade

Behold the fruits of my labor.

French pleats or pinch pleats are super easy to do on almost any curtain you have in your home-- the only kind that wouldn't work would be grommeted curtains. Just follow my step-by-step guide below. 

Before

Initially, when I made my curtain panels, I was tired of sewing and just wanted them up and hanging. So, I resorted to curtain clips. The one thing going for curtain clips is that they're super easy. However, it always felt more like a dorm room than my beautiful bachelorette boudoir. By simply adding pleats, your curtains will look tailored and streamlined with lots more volume and movement. 

Half way finished

Notice how finished the right side looks compared to the left? Way better.

Before

The clips made the curtains hang the same way a grommet would, and that look was way too modern for my space. Plus, the clips were fine for the time being just to get my curtains up but at the end of the day, they're a little ghetto.

The weight of this fabric was so heavy that the curtains didn't really hold their shape. The new French pleats give volume and structure. 

Step-by-step guide:

Curtain rings: I wanted smaller curtain rings that I could sew directly to the curtain but they didn't have those and Bed, Bath & Beyond so I just went for these and attached the eye to curtain (which you'd normally put the clip hook through).

Double thread your needle to cut sewing time in half.

Start where you want your first ring to go. Make two evenly-sized pleats.

Pinch pleats together.

Sew the two pleats together. Make sure you run the needle directly through the middle. Sew your pleats together in the same place for an even line once they're hanging. Repeat until you finish. 

Sew eye (or small curtain ring) to the inside of the pleat.

Tip: when you pinch the pleat together, it makes a "W". Sew your eye at the top of the "W".

That's it! Free, quick, and easy. Who wouldn't love that?

Bibbity Bobbity Boo! Gold Pumpkins 101

Blingin' baby.

Hello fine friends and lovers of all things gold, glamorous, and glorious! I've been putting the Midas touch on things lately, specifically pumpkins. I love holiday-related decor but I hate that it typically clashes with my house. Since I haven't been using lots of black, orange, or death-related themes throughout my home, I decided to make Halloween work for me. Enter, pumpkins and gold paint.

What you need: 

-Flat paint brush

-Metallic paint. 

Tip: choose one that works with the finishes in your room. In this case, I had a muted gold chandelier I wanted to play off of. Don't get gold leaf paint-- you have to prime and seal it. This is just regular metallic paint from Joann's but Michael's and Hobby Lobby carry it too. 

First, let me say, the beauty of painting pumpkins as opposed to carving would be two things:
1. No operating required. This is a pumpkin blood and guts free project.
2. Your vision is far more likely to come to pass by the hand of a paint brush than a dull kitchen knife. I think Martha Stewart ruined carving pumpkins. I could totally handle the triangle eyes and silly mouth-- straight, geometric lines aren't so tough. But when she started doing things that I could barely draw with a pencil, let alone carve with a knife (and let's be honest, who is really going to buy the "pumpkin carving saw") through a thick vegetable, I decided I needed a new plan B.

Get varying colors, shapes, and sizes. I got these "heirloom" pumpkins at Home Depot for only $9 a piece in shades that worked with my wall color: grey/blue, white, and moss/blue.

Pick ones with smooth surfaces (not the bumpy ones) to make painting easier.

Start at the top and work your way down rather than the middle or bottom. It helps keep your pattern even.

I got my inspiration from fabrics I like. This one came from the Euro sham in my bedroom.

Isn't he so cute? I picked him because of the stem.  You might have to double-coat them so you maximize your metallic factor. 

ps: I have a major DIY project I did last week. Can't wait to share with you after the weekend. 

Bon weekend!