Since we’ve moved, I’ve been in major DIY mode. I have this great old cane chair that I love, but it needed a fresh new look. I have changed the colors and theme of my bedroom and that’s where I keep the cane chair. It was covered in a fabric from about 10 years ago’s look and colors of my bedroom back then. I took a photo of my new quilt and off I went to the fabric store. I found a great complimentary upholstery fabric and bought 2 yards. I wasn’t sure how much fabric I would really need. I ended up not needing that much, but it’s more than ok that I got extra fabric. I plan to make a matching pillow, so more fabric turned out to be great!
To do this project, I needed some other tools. I used an iron, ironing board, screwdriver, staple gun, staples for the staple gun, sewing scissors, and a hammer. Once I gathered all of the tools, I got to work.
Tools and fabric:
First I cut the 2 yards of fabric down to 1 yard. Then I ironed the yard of fabric I was planning on using to recover the chair seat. I turned the fabric upside down on my living room carpet and then figured out which direction I wanted the shape on the fabric to be. Vertical or Horizontal. I chose Vertical, just for aesthetics. I think it looked better vertical. Then I carefully started wrapping the fabric around the seat, rolling the edges of the fabric under as I stapled. I started on the sides first, as the corners a bit more difficult to navigate, especially if you haven’t done much DIY re-upholstery projects.
When you get to the corners, you may have to cut some of the excess fabric off and then fold it creatively. You may need someone else to help you hold the fabric taught so you can staple it into place. I managed to cut, then fold it creatively, hold and staple by myself. This takes a little practice though. Give it a try and if it doesn’t work, you can always use some pliers to take the staples out and do it over again.
Once I had the seat of the cane chair, completely covered and stapled to my liking, I then set the seat on the chair to see how it looked. I originally was going to chalk paint the chair, but I really liked the antique look of the chair color against the cream and orange of the seat fabric. I decided to leave the chair the color it was instead of painting it. I will use the chalk paint and wax for another piece of furniture soon, I promise!
Here’s the final outcome. I love how it turned out! If you’ve done a DIY project that you are proud of, please comment below with any photos of your project. I’d love to see what other people’s DIY projects are and how they are doing them, with any tips/tricks you may like to share.
I have been meaning to blog about my amazing wedding (aka The Best Day Ever) to my best friend, my husband, since before I actually got married. I had planned to blog about all of the DIY stuff that I did to get ready and save money for the wedding. In fact, a couple of my DIY things that I made for my own wedding inspired a new wedding business. More on that later…I have been waiting for the photograph’s, then once I got them, I was recovering from a second ankle surgery. I’m finally on the mend and so excited to share the story of our “Best Day Ever”.
We got married at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs in Nathrop, Colorado on Saturday, October 24, 2015 at 4 pm in the afternoon. It was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was shinning bright and the snow capped mountains made it feel magical out. There was so much love surrounding us that day (and all weekend) that we felt like nothing else in the world mattered, except the love that we shared with our family and friends that weekend.
Snow Capped Mountains above Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.Mt. Princeton Lodge Welcome sign at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs.
A little less than a year before our wedding date, I fell on the ice and broke my left ankle in two places. I had to wear a cast and be non-weight bearing for about 3 months, then I started physical therapy. About 5 weeks into physical therapy, I wasn’t getting better and actually was having much more pain. After going back to the doctor and finally getting a CT Scan it was determined that the bone wasn’t healing and I needed surgery to basically screw my bones together. I had that done in May and started the recovery process all over.
Fast forward to October. I’m in and out of the boot, did another round of physical therapy and still was having a ton of pain and not able to walk well. Another trip to the doctor and finally an MRI determined that I had a torn ligament, stretched tendon and some cartilage damage. This all needed to be repaired. It was way too close to our wedding date for me to under go another surgery. So instead, I opted for a cortisone shot and alternating between wearing the AirCast boot and normal shoes. The weekend of the wedding, I was in the boot more than normal shoes. I wanted to be able to walk down the aisle on my own. Which, thankfully, I was able to do, as my beautiful friend, Cyndee, sang “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perry. That song was perfect to walk down the aisle toward my future.
Walking down the aisle with blue shoes on!
We planned our wedding ourselves and I definitely knew the theme I wanted and how I wanted the day to play out. The theme was “Vintage Elegance”. I shopped many thrift and antique stores to find the perfect decor, linens and serving dishes all at bargain prices. We were on a pretty tight budget since I had been injured most of the year and not able to work all that much. Amazingly, being very resourceful, we were able to pull off a very elegant wedding for more than 100 people for much less than the average wedding costs these days. I did do a lot of the “work” myself with the help of my fabulous friends.
I made the boutonniere’s, corsages, my brides maid’s bridal bouquet and my bridal bouquet. I used vintage buttons and brooches for everything I made. My bouquet was very special to me. I used my Nana’s costume jewelry that she had given to me a few years before she passed away. She was a florist her entire professional life, so I know she would have loved how it turned out. Every time I look at it, even now, I think of her and smile. I also inherited her “gold tooth” and wanted to incorporate that into the day somehow. I put it in an organza bag and pinned it to the underside of my dress. My friends who were in my cabin with me getting ready found that pretty funny. I, on the other hand, couldn’t contain my tears. I so wish she could have been there to see me marry the man of my dreams. A man she loved very much too.
My beautiful bridal bouquet that I made out of vintage brooches and buttons!The groom’s boutonniere that I made out of vintage buttons.Bridal corsages that I made out of silk flowers, pearls, vintage & new brooches, lace and ribbon.Attendant boutonniere.My Nana’s gold tooth that I pinned to my dress!
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It was very important to us that our wedding was a family affair. We don’t live near any of our families and don’t get to see them nearly enough. Instead of having our friends stand up for us, we asked our niece and nephews to be our attendants. Their ages range from 4 years old to 12. None of them had ever been in a wedding before, so it was pretty exciting for them. They all did a great job and (I think) had fun. The location of our wedding is a resort hot springs with cabins and hotel like rooms. All of the kids stayed in cabins and really enjoyed the cabin stay along with swimming in the warm pools. Even though it was cooler out, the water was amazing. My husband and I are both avid hot springers and we love to soak. We had been to many hot springs during our courtship but Mt. Princeton Hot Springs is by far our most favorite here in Colorado. We are planning an anniversary trip back up there for our first anniversary!
Ring Bearer’s carrying an Irish Vowing stone & cute sign.
I have so much more to share about our wedding. I will be posting more photograph’s and more information about how I made and planned everything so that we and our guests had the best time ever on the best day ever!
Venue location: Mt. Princeton Hot Springs, Nathrop, Colorado
Photo credit: James Hoang of MHPHOTOSHOOT – http://www.mhphotoshoot.com
Bridal bouquet, boutonniere’s, and corsages – http://www.etsy.com/shop/ThatVintageBride
Wedding March sung by: Cyndee McGovern – she sang, “One Thousand Years” by Christina Perri
*Little Miss Idea is a personal blog written by Meg Meg also runs a bridal planning and creative business – That Vintage Bride. Email: ThatVintageBridge@gmail.com for more info or pricing.
I’m starting to collect vintage flower vases and candy dishes to use for a Vintage inspired themed wedding next Fall. Think 1950’s soda fountain meets candy counter!
Now to find a place to store them between now and then. I’ll be making some other DIY things for the wedding too. Check back for an update on what those may be. If you, too, are inspired by lovely vintage pieces, be it a piece of jewelry, a vase or a china pattern, I think you’ll like what I’m working on!
Use Mason Jars with pretty ribbon as centerpiece vases.Use vintage candy jars that you can find at thrift stores or garage sales for a Candy Bar at a wedding or your next vintage themed event.
#49 – Create a Vision Board to attract what you truly desire this year
I am an avid reader of all kinds of magazines. I not only subscribe to at least 5 magazines myself but my friends recycle their magazines by sharing them with me when they come over or I go to their houses for a visit.
Since it’s a new year, I decided to make a personal Vision Board with some friends on a cold Sunday afternoon. In anticipation of all the great changes I’m planning on making this year, I organized a fun day at my house with some friends to create personal Vision Boards. We tore, cut and organized photos from all of those magazines that I’ve been meaning to recycle. My friends are much more organized and faster than I am though, so they actually finished their boards. I, on the other hand, have an envelope full of great pics, quotes and inspiring words that I am planning on gluing onto my very own vision board soon. Just not quite yet. I’m still in search of a few perfect photos. I want to make sure that I capture everything I truly desire before I cement my wishes to the universe on a poster board that will hang in a very visible spot that I will see every day for the rest of the year. Mine is a work in progress that I plan to add to as the year progresses. I’m always growing and therefore a “work in progress” too, so I thought having space to grow on my board was ok. It’s my vision, after all, so I can do what I like with my personal board.
If you are feeling stuck or would like to open your heart to new desires, creating a vision board by yourself or with some friends might be just what the doctor ordered. It was a lot of fun. I highly recommend this activity. It would also be a great team building activity at school or even on a professional level; if your team has lost it’s focus or just needs to redefine goals or strategy. If you are a manager with direct reports, why not ask your team members to make a smaller vision board of how they see your team’s vision and then share & discuss at your next staff meeting? It might bring some great ideas to the surface, open the dialogue for things that need to be redefined or changed and also re-energize/motivate your team. I bet this would a staff meeting that won’t be soon forgotten!?!
If you aren’t sold on Vision Boards yet, check out these sites that will give you some background on Vision Boards and also give some guidance about how to create one for yourself:
