How to Make Slipcovers for Dining Room Chairs
Making slipcovers for your dining room chairs is so easy. It takes a bit of fussing, but no sewing, and the results are elegant. All you have to do is wrap, drape, tie, pin, and arrange the fabric so it’s [more…]
How to Quickly Re-Cover an Ottoman
This project is a wonderful way to spruce up an old ottoman. Maybe yours is covered in dark leather that’s cracking a bit or a fabric that has generally seen better days, and you want to add it to a room [more…]
Ideas for Decorating Slipcovers
Deciding what kind of trim you want to add to your slipcover project is mostly a matter of taste. For example, if you like an ornate look, consider using a jasmine, which is a trim that features a cut [more…]
Making Slipcovers Fit by Adding Darts
Not all slipcovers give you the nice neat look you want. If you have a slipcover that slides off or pouches out and makes your furniture look tired and lumpy, you can improve the fit by adding darts. Darts [more…]
Correcting Slipcover Problems
Whether your slipcover is too long or too short, too tight or too loose, there are ways to improve your slipcovers so they add charm to the room. Here, the biggest slipcover problems are solved: [more…]
Solving Common Furniture Problems
If you don’t have the money to go out and buy completely new furniture, some of these troubleshooting tips may be perfect for you. Whether your couch is too big, or your furniture is showing its age, here [more…]
How to Make Lined Balloon Valances
A fully lined balloon valance on a curtain rod is a nonmoving treatment that looks complicated and fancy (when made with an ornate fabric, it harkens back to Victorian style), but it’s simple to create [more…]
How to Make Roman Shades
Roman shades pull up in sections with the help of a traverse cord or Roman shade cord (both available at a crafts store). Roman shades look elegant and streamlined in either the up or down position. [more…]
How to Create Storage Space with an Ottoman
In this project, you create a useful and tasteful ottoman made of two inexpensive trunks that’s perfect for an apartment where extra storage is at a premium, or for anywhere that you want to add a bit [more…]
How to Make a One-Piece Cascading Swag
The genius of this swag is in its lines. No matter how you turn it to create folds, the swag looks great because both sides are made of the same fabric. This project uses used two panels that you sew into [more…]
Tips for Choosing Curtain Fabrics
You have tons to think about when deciding on fabric for window treatments. Choosing the correct weight, texture, light-blocking or light-exposing qualities, and the fabric’s durability are just the beginning [more…]
How to Mix Patterns in a Room
You can use a traditional design strategy and combine a plain background on the walls and floor with patterned furniture. Then spread coordinating patterns around the room on the draperies, decorative [more…]
How to Decorate a Room with Texture
Walls, floors, and ceilings are your rooms’ background. Some people give more thought to the color of these surfaces than the texture. Think of them as equally important. Color can create spatial illusions [more…]
Choosing the Right Bed for Your Bedroom
To figure out which bed suits your decorating needs, think about the bed you currently have: its size, its style (which may be the starting point for your room’s style), and the comfort of the mattress [more…]
How to Maximize Bedroom Storage Space
The bedroom serves many functions — catching alone time, dressing, exercising, reading, sharing intimacy, watching TV, and more. Meeting all these functions within a room’s limited space — most bedrooms [more…]
Holiday Decorating with Tablescapes
Tablescapes are arrangements of items gathered in a grouping on top of a table. They're sometimes called tabletop arrangements. Typically, you can use anything as a prop for a great miniarrangement — for [more…]
Weekend Do-It-Yourself Projects: Repurposing 10 Ordinary Items
Springtime brings bugs. D.I.Y. bugs, to be exact. And if done right, D.I.Y. can be an affordable way to refresh your home. There's just one caveat: Doing things yourself takes time—and patience. [more…]
