IKEA hack: framed Instagram prints

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Earlier this year, Persnickety Prints was having a crazy good sale on their Instagram prints, so I went ahead and ordered the majority of my Instagram library at the time.  Actually not really, it was only 160 pictures, but I got them all for $40; what a steal!  It took me awhile to come up with how I wanted to display them, but I knew I wanted something clean, simple and easy.

DIY - Pom-trimmed Duvet Cover

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For months, maybe even longer, I've been searching for a duvet cover for my daughter's bed that isn't too frilly or to babyish, one that she could grow up with, at least through elementary school maybe, and that proved to be impossible.  I didn't want to spend an arm and a leg on one and all the ones that I liked were way out of my price range.  So I decided that the only reasonable alternative was to make one.  But first, I had to figure out how I wanted it to look, which took way too long.  I finally decided that I wanted it to be solid white, but to have a little something extra so it wasn't just plain, because obviously I could just buy a solid white duvet for like $20.  Then it occurred to me: pompom trim!  Why is it that pretty much anything miniature is by default adorable?  Pompom trim is probably my most favorite thing in the sewing world ever, it's so darn cute!  At first I thought about doing yellow, but then I was worried that doing so would narrow down any decor I could do in her room, so I changed my mind on that and decided to do black instead.  And seriously, white and black is such a great and classic combo, how could you go wrong?  Well, you can't because it turned out freakin' awesome.

To make this duvet cover, I used two of these $4 flat sheets from Ikea and 6.75 yards of pompom trim; I bought mine at Joann's with a 55% off coupon, so it was really cheap.  Just an FYI, the sheets aren't terribly soft, but after washing them they did soften up quite a bit and that was without fabric softener.  I'm sure if you use some, they'll be even softer.  I figured for a duvet cover, this wasn't a problem at all because they're still soft, they're not itchy, and my daughter will have a sheet between her and the duvet anyway.  Now the sheet measures 98" L x 66" W and I had this Ikea comforter already, which measures 86" L x 64" W, so I decided to leave the width of the sheets as they came and to cut the length down 10 inches, so to 88", giving me one inch on all sides to work with.

To start, I laid one of the sheets down, face-side up, and pinned the pom trim to the edge with the balls facing inward, that way when it was turned right-side out, they would be on the outside too (sorry, no pictures of this part!).  I sewed the pom trim down first so that it would be easier to sew the second sheet on top.

Before attaching the second sheet, I cut 4 strips of fabric from remnant parts of the sheets that measured 18 inches long each.  I just cut right along the original hem so that they were all thick and already sewn together; again no pictures, I apologize.  I then folded them in half and attached them to the corners of the duvet on the sides, top and bottom, about 2 inches in.

I sewed over them twice and then they got a third stitch when I sewed on the second sheet, so they're nice and secure and ready to hold the comforter in place.

After the pom trim was attached, I laid the second sheet on top, face down, and sewed along the sides and the top.  At the bottom, where you put the comforter inside, I stitched across six inches from both ends. 

For the last step, I attached 4 pieces of Velcro, each 3 inches long, that were evenly spaced along the bottom.  Make sure that you fold the pom trim under so that it's lined up with the sides.

Now you're done!  Put your comforter inside to make sure it fits right and you're ready to use your brand new, totally custom and very inexpensive duvet cover.

And yes, I photographed it on our bed because currently, our daughter sleeps on a mattress on the floor.  Oh the trouble with living with your in-laws.  But whatever, it's good for her; builds character.

So, do any of you struggle like I do with finding duvet covers or am I just insanely picky?

Working on the Headboard and a New Desk

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This headboard is going to take forever!  It already is and I'm so sad because I was hoping to have it done awhile ago.  Anyway, we're going to try and get the legs stained, sealed and attached to the backboard tomorrow.  Fingers crossed we can finish that part!

I spent yesterday sealing the backboard so that it won't warp over time.  It was so warm and sunny outside and the kids got to play out back.  They ended the day filthy and exhausted, which is the best.

We also went to a pre-open house of the new Museum of Natural Curiosity at Thanksgiving Point yesterday.  I didn't get any pictures but that was because we were so busy exploring, playing and having a blast!  Seriously, we were there for an hour (it was only from 7-8) and we were only able to see two of the five exhibits, but even still, we didn't see everything in those two exhibits.  There was so much to do and the kids loved it!  That place alone will make an annual pass to Thanksgiving Point totally worth it.  We could go once or twice every month, we'd all love it and have fun, and it would pay for itself after just a few months.  They didn't pay me to say this!  It's totally my own opinion (and my husband agrees, so that's two people saying this).

Also, yesterday I worked on making my new computer desk pretty.  I wanted something that was simple and inexpensive, so I bought this desk from Ikea.  I like the look of it and $20 is a great deal.

I wanted to paint the legs gold and I saw this tutorial and I liked how the legs were kept attached to the table so they didn't roll around.

I opened up a large trash bag and cut it along one of the long sides and the bottom so that it opened up wider and put that down on the grass.  It was slightly damp and our lawn was aerated a couple weeks ago and I didn't want the dirt clumps to get the top all dirty.  Then I took two more bags and opened them up so they were flat, no cutting this time.  I unscrewed the legs, put the garbage bag over the hole and screwed the legs back onto the table on top of the bags.  Then I taped the two bags together in the middle so the wind wouldn't blow them over and I tucked the bags under the table all the around, pulling it tight so that I could get paint down to the base of the legs.

The spray paint I used was this one and I really love how it turned out.  I ended up needing two coats and the legs were totally covered and looked great.

Here's the finished product.

I also bought this chair.  My husband found it in the As-Is section at Ikea and we got it for $35 instead of $60.  It was used as a floor model and there was nothing wrong with it.  The As-Is section is the best and also very dangerous.

Well, hopefully the headboard will be totally finished in the next week or two.  I hear the tufting part is brutal, so we'll see how quickly I can get through it.  I have this picture in my head of how it's going to look and I just hope I can get it to come out the same way.  And I hope you all will like it too!  Happy weekend!!

Ikea Nightstand Hack

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I'm so excited to share my latest project!  Our brand new, mid century modern nightstands.  I love how they turned out and it's so satisfying to have them done and looking better than I imagined.

I shopped around for new nightstands for awhile.  I was having a really hard time finding ones that I liked, until I found these beauties at West Elm.

Unfortunately, we definitely could not afford $300 a piece.  Then I found this Ikea hack on Pinterest.  It was the solution to my problem and I immediately started planning out how I wanted our nightstands to look.

Here's what I used:
Expedit shelving unit
Expedit drawer insert
these gorgeous knobs from Anthropologie
6" round tapered legs
angle top mounting plate
Minwax stain in Early American
Minwax polyurethane in clear semi-gloss
painters' tape
sponge paint brush

Start by building the shelving unit and drawers, and inserting the drawers according to the instructions provided.  If you're going to use different drawer knobs than those provided, leave out the ones that came with the drawers.

Turn the unit upside down and measure out where you want your mounting plate to go; mark with a pencil inside the screw holes.  Carefully use a drill to make holes for the screws and attach the mounting plates.

To stain the legs, first tape off around the edge of the metal feet so that you don't get stain on them.  Apply as many coats as you like until you get the shade you want; I only did one coat.  After the stain is completely dry, apply a few coats of polyurethane to protect the wood from moisture and warping.  I stained and sealed the entirety of the exposed wood, including the top where it attaches to the mounting plate.

Once your legs are dry, attach them to your nightstand and put your knobs on.

Now you're done and ready to use your new nightstand!  What do you guys think?  I seriously am so in love with these!  And the best part is, they cost us $140 for both!  Here's the cost breakdown: the legs and hardware were $33 a with coupon code, the shelves were $35 (we found one in the as-is section for $15 and it only had one tiny ding in it that ended up on the bottom in the back, so you can't even see it), the drawer inserts were $40, and the knobs were $32 with shipping.  We already had the other supplies on hand.  Much better than $600 for two!  So, what do you guys think?