Pillow Update on a Budget

I have been busy updating my new rental home's decor. Since I can't do what I love and paint the walls, I decided to inject color with my accessories. Like you've seen in my previous posts and will soon see again, I've been inspired by the color palette of yellow, turquoise, coral and grey. It all started with this beauty.

So, off to Target I went and fell in love with their new Threshold line. It was just what I was looking for in color and design. In this post I'll share with you my first step, which was updating my boring couch pillows. 

There I was in the decorative pillow aisle falling in love, till I looked at the prices and started to do the math in my head. I wanted 9 pillows, and at a minimum of $25 a pop, that would come to at least $225 in pillows. In my head, I could hear my hubby saying, "You spent $225 on what???" So, I came up with a plan as I put those beauties back on the shelf and headed over to the kitchen aisle. That is where I found the same beautiful designs and colors in the form of napkins and placemats but at a fraction of the cost. So, $32 dollars and a little elbow grease later, I had myself 9 beautiful new pillows and was bragging to my hubby, asking him to guess how much I paid. Don't you love playing that game with your husband?

Here is my before: We got this super comfy couch at RC Willey, and it came with these blue pillows. They were nice but boring, all the same color and too dark. Can't you hear my couch screaming for help?

Here is the after. I just love the colors--they make me and my couch sooooo happy. Now, let's get started on this tutorial.

Supplies:

1. Threshold Ombre Placemat $3.59

2. Threshold Grey Placemat $4.49

3. Room Essentials Dot Napkins, set of 4 $8.99

4. Threshold Watercolor Floral Napkins, set of 4 $4.98 clearance 

5. Threshold Coral Kitchen Towels, set of 2 $5.99

6. I used 3 pillows that came with the couch to be recovered, plus 2 small long pillows I bought at DI, a local thrift shop for $4

7. Not pictured, I had 1 bag of filling from Joann for the placemat and dot pillows.

First up, is my cute coral small and long pillows.

These are a super easy sewing project. I bought a set of 2 kitchen napkins that were 28" by 18" and  I  found 2 pillows at the DI for $4 to fit inside them.

1. I folded the napkin right sides together to form an envelope pillow.

2. I pinned it and sewed straight up on both sides.
3. Turned it right side out and inserted pillow.*

*Note: If you didn't want to buy a pillow to go inside, you could complete steps 1-3, and then fill pillow with filling and hand sew the envelope opening closed.

Next up, my dot square pillows.

I bought a set of 4 Kitchen napkins that were 18" by 18". With these I made a regular pillow that I stuffed with filling I had from Joann's.

1. I put 2 napkins right sides together and pinned on all sides.

2. I sewed up all 4 sides *make sure you leave an opening to insert filling*

3. Before turning the pillow right side out, I cut the tips of the corners to help make nice, pointy corners when the pillow is filled. I then filled the pillow with filling and then hand stitched the opening closed.

Next up, my watercolor floral pillows.

I bought a set of 4 Kitchen napkins that were 20" by 20". I used the napkins plus 2 yards of scrap fabric to make 3 envelope pillows that I inserted my old couch pillows into. 

Last up, my 2 placemat pillows. These are the easiest pillows to make. 

1. I used a seam ripper to rip an opening just enough to fill the pillow--about four inches long. (Make sure your placemats have two layers, or this won't work).

2. I filled the pillow and then hand stitched the opening up.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. The next time you are in the market for some pillows, try checking out the kitchen section. You never know what you might find, and you might save your self some $ MOOLAH $ like I did--which of course will be used on your next DIY project.

Again here is a before shot of my living room. Soon I will share with you how I took care of my other problem spots.

1. New curtains: again, too much brown.

2. Side table: an old table that needs new life or maybe something new there all together.

3. My son's toys: OK, confession. I cleaned and removed the actual problem for this picture. That corner is usually bursting with boy toys that need some corralling.

So be sure to check back as I share those updates and as always budget-friendly solutions for home-decorating and more!

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Laundry Basket Makeover

Hello all, I thought I would share with you one of my quick and easy updates in my master bedroom. Now, I have one of those super ugly but oh so utilitarian laundry baskets. Don't you hate those thing you need out in plain sight but that aren't very nice to look at? Well, you can't have that. So, if you have one of those mesh and PVC monsters let me show you what you can do.

Doesn't it just scream dorm room?

AHHHHH! Much better, I had this curtain I got at Ikea in the AS-IS for $4 I used to transform my eye sore.

This curtain has tabs on the inside that I just feed the top portion of PVC pipe through. Then, I just sewed a channel on the bottom to feed the bottom PVC pipe through. I did have to cut slits in the channel for the corner PVC pipes.

If you wanted to use a piece of fabric.
1. Measure you basket, mine was 80" x 28", then add 1" to length for seam and 4" to height for channels to feed PVC in. So I would cut a 81" x 36" piece.
2. Sew a 1/2 inch finish seam on short ends. Then sew a 4" channel on top and bottom to feed PVC pipe through. When feeding pipe I would simple cut slits in channel to allow for corner pieces.

Hope you have a great week and be sure to come back to see what else I've been working on. As I type this I'm waiting for paint to dry on my next project.

BFF Visit this week

I had such a fun week my BBF Melissa came into town from Arizona for a visit. It was so nice to catch up, hang out and see the sites together.

The first day we spent shopping, of course we had to drive in to town to visit Target. While, we were out we got some nail polish to try out this great nail art. We called it "Captain America" nails, of course after we painted them I realized we were going to the temple the next day and how great they will be in there.

Day two we went went to the Oquirrh Mountain temple and did a session together. It was both our first time at or in the Oquirrh Mountain temple. It was so windy I thought for sure I was going to give some one a show. hehehe.

While we were at the temple my kids did a craft in which they made super hero costumes out of t-shirts. I just laughed cause the first thing to come to mind was Redneck Super Hero.

Then of course on day three we had to got to Temple Square. It just never gets old, I love to visit the Salt Lake City temple. We also got to go to Jordan River Temple as well.

It was sad to see her go, but I had so much fun while it lasted. We have been in Utah a year and slowly we are growing to love it, but it is still so hard to be far away from family and friends.

Easy Homemade Salsa

So, in the Fisher Family salsa is like water. My hubby has a short list of things he has to have in the kitchen at all times. Salsa is numero uno followed by tortilla chips, Kraft mac and cheese, Costco kosher hot dogs, Coke Zero, eggs and cheese (diet of a champion, hehehe). Any way this is the super easy, did I mention tasty salsa, that keeps my hubby happy. It can't be any easier then this folks you just throw all ingredients into a blender and blend, that's it.

Easy Homemade Salsa
2 cans stewed tomatoes
2 cans green chilies
1 medium onion
1 Jalapeno (no seeds)
2-4 limes juiced
1 tablespoon pickled jalapenos
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
salt & pepper to taste

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend. If you would like more heat leave some Jalapeno seeds. Also, you can add some cilantro, but my hubby doesn't like it.

Since, I have to make this every week, I can make this salsa in my sleep. I hope you like and get to give it a try.

Linked up @ : HomestoriesAtoZ

Fiesta Lime Chicken

So, this is my take on Tequila Lime Chicken because here in Utah you can't buy Tequila at the grocery store. So I decided to try it with out Tequila and what I got was YUMMY. This is a great marinade for those summer time BBQs.

Fiesta Lime Chicken
1 Jalapeno
3 limes
5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
5 tablespoon olive oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cut Jalapeno and remove seeds (or leave some or all for some heat) Squeeze the lime juice into a food processor or blender. Add garlic cloves, jalapeno, kosher salt, cilantro and olive oil and blend.

I love to cut the chicken in half, it grills up nice and even and hey you double how much chicken you have.

Then put chicken and marinade in Ziploc bag and put into fridge to become limey goodness.

When I grill these beauties I like to spoon some of the marinade on to the chicken to get extra tasty goodness.

Hope you get to try it out at your next BBQ. Here in my house it seems we make this every week. This chicken is great served with some corn on the cob or cut up and add to make tasty chicken quesadillas or tacos. My kids and husband can't get enough of it.

linked @
bebetsy.com

Jute Sign Tutorial

Wow,it has been awhile, I've been out in my garage working on some great projects. Here is the first of many I would like to share with you. This DIY sign cost me less then $3.50 to make. Well... let"s get started.

First. I took this regular cardboard box and cut out a panel. I then drew out my EAT sign.

Second. I used a utility knife and big ruler to cut out my letters.

Third. I bought a roll of Jute @ Home Depot for $1.50. I used it to wrap each letter.

Fourth. I attached the Jute wrapped letters onto a old cabinet door I got @ a salvage yard for $2.00.

Voila... Easy & cheap DIY project just the way I like it. Can't wait to show what else I've been working on. Hope to see you soon. Happy crafting!

Linked @
bebetsy.com/