DIY "Hot Fun In the SummerTime" Upholstery Classes

Yikes! This tattered twosome are in need of a makeover...bad! We've got some upholstery classes that will take these sisters out of the garage and into the parlor.

For a full description and schedule of classes contact:

flipt@att.net

How To Make a Button Tray

For a mere $1.99 and the right drill bit, you can convert this teak tray into an updated, modern housewarming or shower gift. Wrap it up with a bottle of wine or some other goodies to make sure the recipients get the gist.

July Classes

With the launch of my website and the start of my weekly column DIYJournal in The Indianapolis Star, I am reminded that this blog needs constant attention and refreshment. The most important thing is getting my calendar of classes posted for the month of July. The location of classes is TBA but will be in the Broad Ripple vicinity. There are at least two locations that are available, but it's not final yet. Click on the above calendar to enlarge calendar.

The Hangable Hamper

The best ideas are sometimes the easiest. Check out this DIY Hangable Hamper with it's step by step instructions on www.curbly.com/ModHomeEcTeacher/posts/4204-DIY-Hangable-Hamper. This will clean up your room and look stylish, as well.

DIY Deluxe Dog Bed

This pet lounger is so comfy, I might decide to keep it. I was inspired by the old twin headboard I had and the green and brown indoor/outdoor fabric. For once I made a dog bed out of fabric that would hide the dirt. The slipcover idea came to me because I've been wanting to make cut velvet appliques and I had some ivory colored linen.

Before I began I washed all the fabrics and dried them, velvet too.

You have to really love your dog to build this monster sized bed. It measures 60" wide by 28" deep.

WHAT YOU NEED:

cordless drill/screwdriver

screws

2 pieces of plywood made from scrap wood

jigsaw

safety goggles

sandpaper or palm sander

6-8 pieces of 2 x4"s cut five inches long and one piece cut 10" long

wood glue

rescued headboard

enough fabric to make a dog cushion ( I used 2 yards for the cushion and 1 yard for the base)

fill for the cushion insert

1/2 yard of fabric for the "band" (I used natural canvas)

1/3 yard for the "belt"

1 repurposed belt buckle

1 36" long zipper

sewing machine

106 inches of 1" foam

serrated knife or electric knife to cut foam

electric staple gun (Sears Craftsman)

staples

flat head screwdriver for lifting staples

106" of dacron batting (Joann Fabrics-quilt batting will do)

1 yard of scrap fabric to cover center of platform bed

upholstery webbing

webstretcher

1/3 yard of burlap

enough fabric to make slipcover (measure from floor to top of headboard by the width of our twin headboard

Multiply that by two and add 1/4 more yard for edge of slipover that runs from floor around the top and down the other side. Wash fabric and dry it.

1/4 yard of cotton velvet, washed and dried.

4 2 1/2 inch furniture legs, stained (Lowes or Home Depot)

4 attachment plates for those legs (same)

poly fill for filing inside dog cushion.

scrap fabrics for throw pillows 1/3 yard for each pillow

Hand drawn dog bone pillow pattern

The Steps

1. Draw the shape you want for your platform on the chipboard and cut out with a jigsaw

2. Use the jigsaw and cut out a large section of the centers of each piece of plywood.


3. Cut 2x4 pieces to use between ovals for stability, use the larger pieces towards the back

4. With both ovals stacked on top of each other, mark with pencil where you want the braces to be screwed in. Drill two holes through both pieces of chipboard so top and bottom will fit as closely as possibe on top of each other as possible. Place a little wood glue on 2x4's flat side and carefully slide all braces between ovals being careful to keep everything aligned. When all 2x4's are in place, drill holes through pre-drilled chipboard to go through braces. With cordless screwdriver, attach screws to secure top of oval to braces. Wood glue may have to dry so you can flip the whole piece over to drill the holes in the other side.

5. With jute webbing and web stretcher attach webbing strips from center out to each side. Pulling tight, staple ends down and cut web. Web stretching will be illustrated on this website in my DIY ModUpholstery Guide.

Weave web through in the other direction from center out to the sides.

I ran out of webbing here, so I cut strips from canvas.

6. Attach scrap piece of fabric to cover webbing. Start securing staples in center of each side. Pulling from the center point outward secure fabric down with staples, ending at corner. Repeat on each side until entire fabric piece is attached and taut.

7. Notice the rogue staple that backfired and went right into my thumb. Bandaids! Start attaching 3" strip of fabric around perimeter of platform to close off the open space in the edge.

8. Measure in 3 inches and mark platform with a line designating where the edge of the foam will attach.

9. Attach large oval of final fabric over center fabric, bringing it right up to the the pencil marked line.

10. With one side of 4" by 106" foam (or pieces that equal that length) scrunch foam down at measured line and attach to top with staples. Move all the way around the oval attaching foam. When finished, pull foam down and under bottom platform and attach staples, smoothing to make foam like am even "roll"

11. Starting in center of front of platform with design centered, begin attaching at least a 6" piece of fabric, overlapping the fabric that you attached in the center of the top of the platform by just a bit and attach the strip all the way around adjusting the design as you go. When the strip of fabric won't contour any longer, staple it down and get another strip, folding edge over end of first strip and work that around to the back of the platform. Repeat this until entire platform has the fabric attached on the top oval. Keep the staples in line because you will add a trim with hot glue and you want it to curve uniformly around where your inside and roll fabric meet.

12. Attached strips should be deep enough to roll down under bottom platform and attach all the way around, smoothing and pulling snugly as you go.

13. When finished, trim off extra fabric right up next to staples and with hot glue gun, add gimp trim to cover staples.

14. Lay fabric over platform and mark with chalk for the dog cushion pieces. Add 1/2" to chalk line and cut out two pieces for top and bottom of dog cushion.

15. Cut strips from canvas or desired fabric 4" x 106". Cut out 1 piece measuring 6" x 36" for the zipper. Cut the 6" piece down the middle lengthwise. Baste closed and attach zipper.

16. Prepare fabric "belt" by taking a contrasting piece of fabric, cut it into 2 1/2 inch by 106" strips, stitching ends together to make the entire length of 106" or whatever your bed measures. Fold both long sides of "belt" fabric over 1/2 " and press. Slide buckle onto "belt" and keep it right in the center.

17. Topstitch belt onto canvas from both cut ends towards buckle, stopping and backstitching at buckle. Complete that for both sides of the "belt". Take completed band, centering on top piece of dog cushion, right sides to right sides and pin at intervals to hold in place Stitch 1/2 " from edge all the way to back edge of cushion. Stitch zipper strip on to band at the ends. Now stitch zipper onto cushion top all the way around meeting band at the other side and attaching it there after stitching the band short end to the zipper short end.

18. Pin fabric for bottom of cushion to band, right sides to right sides. Start pinning at center point of front and back, working around and easing in fabric where necessary. Stitch all the way around to complete sewing of the dog cushion. Now, make a large envelope or bag, the same dimensions as the top cushion, stitch top to bottom, leaving open 8" to add filling. After it's filled, stitch closed, insert into cushion through zipper and zip up.

The appliqued slipcover for the headboard will be posted separately.

DIY ModUpholstery 101: Chair Makeover

The upholstery projects I'll be demonstrating have been streamlined and simplified for the DIY Upholsterer. With the techniques I'll cover, and practice, you will find yourself improving from project to project. Don't give up, it does take practice.

You probably have some of the tools that are necessary to get started. The electric staple gun can be found at a Lowes or Home Depot. The cording and curved needles can be found at a Hancock Fabrics and possibly JoAnn. Most all of you DIY-ers have a glue gun which isn't pictured, but handy.

THE TOOLS:

tack hammer or small hammer
measuring tapes
twine
thread
staples/electric staple gun
large scissors
utility knife
crescent pliers
flat head screwdriver
double welt cord
single welt cord
fabric for cording
gimp

If you love tools and supplies like I do, you can buy all sorts of upholstery supplies later but this will get you going.

The first project I'm going to make over is a Goodwill chair (found on one of my Goodwill Hunting trips and snagged for a mere $9.99). Someone replaced the legs and put them on backwards so we'll have to fix them right off the bat.
Find yourself a chair, check the fabric yardage estimator chart linked below, purchase fabric and let's do it.

MY 70's CHAIR


(notice "Vince Vega's" autographed pic in the background)

Go to:
http://www.fabric.com/ and click on the fabric estimator for upholstery and add in 1/2 yard more for good measure.


I'll need 7 yard for this excluding repeat. I'll add 20% more for a large repeat.

next class: Tear down and Assessment

Dog Bed Heaven

Notice the black patent leather "belt"
Satin ruffle with antique green accent pin

Tailored and subdued

Preppy Houndstooth

Dog bed design is as easy as can be. After Design*Sponge posts finalists for their DIY projects, I'll post my extensive How-To. For fun, I am posting some of my favorite dog cushions I've made in the past couple of years. Each one has a removable and washable cushion cover. This design can easily be used as a comfy t.v. watching floor pillow. Easy instructions coming soon.

Places To Visit

One year ago I only checked email and read the headlines. These days I am scouring websites for fabrics, old furniture, architectural salvage materials and other people who love design.
One of the first sites that I came across was http://www.curbly.com/.
I spent hours pouring through the postings of modern furniture enthusiasts and other self-proclaimed DIY-ers. It was just what I needed to get hooked on spending way too many hours in front of the computer. Recently on Curbly I came across http://www.islandgirlsalvage.com/. They are located in Chicago, not too far from me, and a great reason to plan a weekend trip to Chicago, see the Cubs play and spend hours hunting through the possible goodies I could (could being the word that impels me to hunt for great, discarded possibilities) find. With a garage stacked with tables, chairs, trunks, anyone with a drop of good sense would know there is a problem here. Nonetheless, I will keep hunting for that discarded or unwanted piece that needs a little imagination and a great piece of fabric to make it live again!!!