Matching DIY

In a previous post, I talked about making my own pillows for the back cushions of some couches gifted from a wonderful friend!

Now that I am on Spring Break, I have some time to be creative.  So, I decided to make a painting that I could hang over the couches and I wanted them to match.

I started out by sketching one of the flowers, but I hated it, so I sketched another one.  Once I liked it on paper, I sketched the flower directly onto the canvas.  Here's a hard to see photo of my initial sketch.

Again, sorry that it is so hard to see, I wanted to do a light sketch in case I made a mistake.

I knew that I wanted some kind of color in the background and thought of a way to include some other colors of the pillows.  The first thing that I did was dry brush on my base (I used craft smart "suede" because they are usually on sale at Michaels for 40cents).  After lightly dry brushing on the paint, I took a paper towel and rubbed in/off the excess.  Because of this technique I didn't have to use much paint, and it took a few paper towels.

Next, I used a natural sponge to add some light blue.  My technique here was to dab a smaller sponge into the paint.  I then lightly dabbed that onto a bigger sponge which I then dabbed onto the canvas.  Sorry if that sounds confusing, but there is a lot of dabbing, and I hate it when there is too much paint on one part of my sponge.  

After painting the background, most of my sketching had disappeared so I had to re-do it as best I could.  It actually worked out because I was able to fix a few mistakes.  Once I was happy, I started painting.  I used sage green for the center and mixed equal parts magenta and red for the rest of the flower.  Here is the results after my initial painting.

There was something not quite right about my product.  I wanted more color and realized that the parts I liked were the filled in petals.  My husband suggested that I try filling in some more of the petals and I think it really helped.

It gave the flower more of a pop art feel and I really like it much more now.  (Hopefully you do too!)  In case you didn't notice, I painted them onto four different canvases so here is the final, separated product.

Thanks so much for reading!  I hope you enjoy the painting and maybe got a few tips!

Do they go together?

DIY Couch Pillows

Not too long ago some friends gave us their old couches because they were getting new ones.  The only catch was that they did not come with back pillows.  So, I decided to be creative and made my own.

The first thing that I did was head over to HomeGoods and look at what they had.  I ended up buying five European Pillows which are typically for a bed.  I got home and measured them and found that they would take a little less than 2 yards of fabric each to cover with an envelope flap.  Typically a full bolt of fabric only comes in 8 yards so I had to piece them together.  If you can find enough of one fabric at a single store you do not need a full 10 yards but, I suggest that you do just to be on the safe side.

Pillow covers are the easiest things to make because all that you have to do is cut the fabric into the shape of the pillow and then sew straight lines.  For these I cut a piece the size of the pillow, and another with an extra foot for the flap.  If you are adding the flap, then I suggest that you finish off the edges that will not be sewn.  To do this you simply fold the edges over 1/4 inch twice and iron it.  Then run it through the sewing machine.  I don't even use pins because the heat of the iron holds it pretty well if you sew it right away.

Next, I just pinned the pillows and sewed them.  Turn the covers inside out and insert the pillow.  It was a pretty easy project and I was able to customize my new couches with a fabric that I actually like! Here are some pictures of the final product.

The Love Seat

 The Sofa

A Closer Look

(With Gypsy to say hello!)

The blue and white pillows on the side were from a previous purchase at IKEA.  It's hard to see in the pictures, but the couches are like a sage green which matches some of the colors in the fabric.  Now, I'm sorry that I don't have any pictures of the process, but if you have any questions, leave a comment and I will do my best with an answer!

Thanks for reading!