When it comes to furnishing our house, I prefer an eclectic blend of items from all over the place. Forget getting everything matchy matchy at one big store, I’ll take a vintage Craigslist or garage sale find over a brand new Pottery Barn item any day.
I like stuff that has a story behind it….even if I don’t know what that story is. When I lived closer to my parents, my favorite place to find good, cheap free stuff was in my dad’s shed. I still have a few pieces that I cleaned up, repainted and cherish deeply. And I like stuff that I can build on the foundation of and make it my own.
My most recent furnishing creation was a quick & easy pillow. Anthropologie was having a sale last week so I bought a couple fabric items (okay, contrary to my earlier statement, I’d love to buy everything from their store. But I can’t afford it anyways, so what’s the point in trying?).
I found this pretty painted and embellished placemat for $6 (originally $14). Would I pay $6 to actually use it as a placemat? No. But I knew it would make a lovely & cheap accent pillow for the living room. Bonus about this one is that it has two different sides. That’s like getting two pillows for the price of one!
(By no means am I a skilled seamstress, so I’m convinced that anyone can handle this project)
Step 1. Have the item inspected by your minions.
Step 2. Iron it smooth if you feel like it. I did not feel like it.
Here you see our model, Stig, displaying the two different fabrics. Purple on back!
Step 3. Use a seam ripper thingy (see, I don’t even know the technical term, that’s how amateur I am) to create a hole big enough to fit your hand through.
Step 4. Stuff the thing with polyester filling until it’s nice and full.
Step 5. Now sew the opening shut. Do not expect perfection. That’s my crafting motto.
(notice the minions in the background fighting over who gets to help me)
Step 6. Once you are all sewn up, tie a knot of some sort with the thread and throw on the couch. Simple as that.
Look at that expensive beading on my $6 pillow (well, $10 when you add in the price of polyester filling, but I also have enough of that leftover for another placemat-to-pillow conversion).
Step 7. Brag to your husband about how you gave a placemat an exciting new life as a pillow and become frustrated when he doesn’t get as enthusiastic about it as you do.
. . . . . . . .
I actually did this next project awhile back after I found this sad looking side table for $10. The minute I saw it, I knew I could give it a breath of fresh air with a new darker stain. Speaking of fresh air, it’s very important in any project like this when you’re working with stain. Otherwise you might pass out. Or grow a third hand or something.
I don’t have a step-by-step lesson, but it was pretty easy, just a little time consuming. Sand, clean, apply wood stain (I used Minwax Red Mahogany) and let dry, about 4-6 hours. Or, if you’re impatient like me, about 1 hour. Apply another coat to get an even darker finish. Let that coat dry for 24 hours (I suggest moving the item into a garage so you don’t get pine needles sticking to the table).
Finally, apply a good coat of Polyurethane to give it a protective finish. Let it dry for at least another 24 hours or until it isn’t sticky.
Ta da! All done. A unique side table for about $20 once you add in the cost of stain, brush & polyurethane.
It has a cozy new home in the living room. Right next to the Anthropillow. 
Are they perfect? No way. But I (kinda) made them myself and that’s what counts most.
