Frida Fever!

Last weekend we had dinner at Miss Margarita's in Byron Bay. There was the most amazing tiled wall that featured Frida Kahlo tiles. I love a bit of Frida in my decorating!

Hence, the inspiration for this project. Frida Coasters. Very easy with a super result.

The supplies you will need include, Mod Podge Glue, scissors, cork (spotlight), paintbrush, 100 mm x 100mm tiles (less than a dollar), and pictures of your choice.

Since I believe there is never enough Frida mine are all her. I scaled my images to about 9.90mm so they would fit just in from the edge of the tile. Paint your tile with glue right to the edges and attach your picture. Cut out the cork to fit the tile and glue on the back of the tile. Once your front picture has dried add at least two coats of the Mod Podge glue to give a decoupage finish. 
And that's it! Now all you need is the Margarita!
Adios. 

DIY Kimono Jacket

I have been admiring some very cute kimono jackets that I have seen lately. When one of my vintage Japanese yukata (cotton dressing gown) that I have in The Old Dairy for my guests got a hole in it I decided to try this makeover.
So simple! I lay the yukata down on a flat surface and cut the bottom half off the gown. I like my jacket to sit just above the waist. Hem the bottom and you are all set. The left over fabric will make great cushions or any other project.

Super Styling Office Chair Revamp

It was back to work for me and the first week of school for my son Will. I decided we would get motivated for work and homework with these fabulous revamped office chairs. This is a pretty easy DIY with great results!
I got the adult chair from a thrift store for $3.50 and the child's chair free from a friend. The fabric's I have used are Marimekko "Pieni Unikko 2" (http://txtlart.com) in Seafoam and on Will's seat Cath Kidston "London Scene Cotton Duck".

Start by disassembling your chair. Each chair will be different but they all should unscrew quite easily. I used a knife, screwdriver and pliers to pull out all the old staples and take off the old fabric. You will also need to remove the rubber edging if your chair has any. 

Once you have removed the seat and backrests use the old fabric as a pattern to cut your new fabric. I always add about another centimetre just in case. Once you have your fabric cut lay is right side down and put your seat pad on top. I use an aerosol fabric glue to help keep my fabric in place. Just spray some on the fabric before placing the cushion.

Using a staple gun start attaching the fabric. Start by putting a couple of staples  in the middle of one side. On the opposite side, pull the fabric until it is firm then staple add a couple more staples. Then do the other side in the same way.

This is how I do my corners to ensure a nice flat finish on the front. Make small folds in the fabric and keep stapling. Reattach the black plastic edging with your staple gun. Spray your chairs with some Scotch Guard and you are done!

Recycled Oil Tin Vertical Garden

I love the idea of vertical gardens however they can be costly. My version uses these olive oil cans from the supermarket. Once they are empty cut out the top of the can, drill a hole in the back of the tin to attach it to your surface and drill a couple of holes in the bottom. I added a few pebbles in the bottom to help drainage, potting mix then my plants. 

There you have it, a simple vertical garden using recycled materials. Brilliant!

Too Cool for School Chair Bag

My little guy starts big school next week and he needed a chair cover. Big school is a big deal and I really wanted him to be able to find his chair easily so my twist on the school chair cover was to applique his name on the back.
This project is super easy. I was provided instructions from the school on how to make the actual cover. You will need to apply the letters before you sew the main body of the cover up.
There are lots of free letter templates available online. Download your chosen font and cut our your paper template. Using chalk trace your letters onto your materials. I found this great map of the world fabric and some super hero flannel which I cut out the POW from. 
Cut out your letters using pinking shears, pin them on and use a straight stitch on your machine to sew them on. Voila! Your child's very own too cool for school chair cover.