Home Decor on a Dime *Pretty Pleated Pillow!*

I'm sure I'm not the only one who is always on the look out for super cheap crafting ideas.

If I spend as much as I'd like to on all my crafty ventures I'm sure my Stud muffin aka the man of the house would not be super thrilled. . . am I right?

I've got a couple guest rooms that need some decor and I've got some ideas that aren't gonna cost much at all!  

Here is what I started with

Isn't this such a cute pillow cover?!  Is it pleated or is it ruffled?  I'd say a little of both!

Total cost - $0

Ahhhh, Nice!

Here is a little 411 of how I made it.  It is super easy!  I can only sew in a straight line, which is good cuz that's all it takes!

I started with the pillow I was going to cover

and some fabric (I used an old sheet - perfect!)

Cut three pieces, two the same size, just slightly larger than the pillow.  Make sure to add a few inches for seam allowance.  Cut the third piece the same width as the first two but twice the length.  

First we are going to start with the longest piece.  First sew a basting stitch along both sides. (long stitches, low tension) 

Pull one of the threads and it will start to gather your fabric.

Gather both sides until it is the same size as the shorter pieces.  Pin the long gathered piece to one of the shorter pieces and sew them together.  

Now the ruffled/pleated side is the front (or the right side). We are going to sew it to the back.

The back is the last piece you have left (one of the smaller pieces).

Now, cut this last piece in half so you can just slide your pillow in when its finished.  

Now pin the back pieces to the front (the pleated side)  

Right sides together - remember the pleated side is the right side

Now sew it all together.  Flip it right side out, and put in your pillow!

Easy Peasy!  And oh so pretty! 

Old Jeans to New Skirt!

First things first. . . find your old, worn out, favorite pair of jeans.
We're gonna make it into a cute little pencil skirt!

Figure out how long you want your skirt to be and cut your jeans off about two inches longer.
Next cut along the inner leg seams. If you want your skirt a bit roomer you can rip out the seams rather than cut it.
Now, turn them inside out. We're going to cut out the crotch areas.
(Can I say crotch? Does that make this a PG-13 blog now?)

Put the side seams together. Now we have two crotch areas to cut out. Using a straight edge, mark a straight line in the front from right under the zipper to the bottom of the skirt. Make a straight line in the back. Now cut along the lines you drew.

That's the hardest part of the whole thing. It only gets easier from here.

Now sew together the front, and then the back. Make sure to re-enforce it a few times to make it good and sturdy.

Last step is your hem along the bottom. Fold up an inch, then fold over again.
Hem, iron if necessary (it was for me) . . .

. . . Then wear! (Please ignore the bad pic and the dust on my mirror.)
Now you've got a cute pencil skirt that flatters your butt just like it did when it was your fav pair of jeans!

A Little Organization Needed!

New house, New office.
I needed some organization for my desk.
I didn't want to spend a lot of money.
We had Spaghetti-O's for lunch.
That's when it hit me.
Cute huh?!

This little can is all I need.
Dressed up a bit of course!
A little bit of fabric and a hot glue gun can do wonders for a little tin can!

Look how cute!! Perfect! I already had the fabric and the Spaghetti-O's. . . What a great way to recycle huh?

A little felt on the bottom protects my desk from any damage. Yay!

I know you're wondering. . .
but no, my desk does not smell of Spaghetti-O's.