handmade – Page 7

Curtains are one of the easiest and fastest ways to warm up a room. Naked windows can be great when you have a fantabulous view, but for the most part, windows need a little dressing.

Sewing curtains is just 4 straight seams all the way around! You can do it in 1/2 and hour or less.

Four little seams go a long way (and save a lot of money!).
Or even easier…use something that is already made.

You all saw Yvette’s tea towel curtains, this is my take on the same concept. An ode to my hometown (Tampa) makes its home in my Nashville powder room. I used some twisted sticks I found at JoAnn’s to create a unique and inexpensive curtain rod.

These curtains meet all the criteria for a great DIY project: easy, affordable and fun. Plus they make me super happy when I look at them!

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I remember stumbling upon a tutorial for a clutch made out of a placemat a few months ago. This weekend, while browsing my local World Market I came across some really cute placemats on clearance for just $1.98.

Placemat before….

Placemat after!!

I lined the placemat with a remnant piece of home decor fabric and some fusible interfacing for stiffness. (Let’s just say that during my first attempt at this clutch I used neither a lining fabric nor interfacing and it was a floppy mess!)

I attached magnetic clasps (as you can probably tell, the top clasp is a little off-center…don’t be lazy like me and make sure you measure!!)

Funky clasp aside, I think it came out pretty cute. This whole project cost me less than $5 and took about an hour.

It’s just the right size for my wallet, cell phone, keys and a lip gloss. It’s perfect for dinner out with hubs, or when I need to run out of the house for a minute and don’t feel like lugging my usual 20 lb bag.