How to Prep Your Outdoor Space For Summer Living

March 21st marks the first day of spring, and whether it feels like it outside or not, this is the time to start assessing the condition of your outdoor living space and furniture. Is your patio awning in good condition? Are there dead trees and shrubs that need to be removed? Are the cushions, padding or frames of your furnishing in need of replacement? Check off your list now so that when the warmer days come, you are ahead of the game.To get ready for the season and prepare your outdoor living space take a moment to review the cushion measuring and care guidelines below.

Tips For Creating Your Own Indoor/Outdoor Bohemian Sanctuary This Summer

outdoor living space

pinterest photo

 

How does your home space look?

How does your home space feel?

 

With mandated self-quarantining and social distancing protocols in place extending way beyond borders and well into the summer, many are finding themselves exchanging vacations away for stay-cations at home, spending less by doing more DIY projects, and taking visual and emotional inventory on their new world formerly known as just  ‘home’.

Face Mask Life Hacks For the Visually Challenged

 

5 Things Novice DIYers Need To Succeed

5 things novice DIYers need to succeed

courtesy andrea piacquadio

 

From struggling millenniums and independent ladies, to seasoned craftsmen and ambitious weekend warriors, over the last several years ‘Do It Yourselfer’s have been growing in numbers. In fact, the once labeled DIY ‘trend’ has become less of a simple money saving notion, and more of an empowering, value-driven movement. A movement inspired by the mindset of self-sufficiency and sustainability. A movement that according to Venveo DIY marketing trend reports,  is here to stay for awhile.  With this in mind, we want to share our list of five things novice DIYers need to succeed as they research, start, work through, and complete their DIY projects… no matter how big or small.

Quick DIY Burlap Webbing Crafts.

DIY Burlap Webbing Crafts

 

Thought webbing tape was only good for upholstery projects? These purse accessories are made from small pieces of burlap upholstery webbing usually sold in fabric shops and sometimes in hardware stores. The color combination usually consists of a jute colored webbing with either red or blue stitched bands, but it’s durability is undeniable and at appx $1.25/yd, you can’t beat the price. Unisex in their design, these webbed carriers make great gifts for the men OR women in our lives. Customize with embroidered names or adhesive patches to really make these easy DIY burlap webbing crafts as specialized as they are timeless.

Top 5 Mistakes DIY’ers Make When ReUpholstering

reupholstery

As an uncertain economy and a desire to be more self-sufficient leads the hands of  many consumers into the appealing yet often pre-mature world of DIY’ers, the need for a guided professional approach continues to grow. And while preserving one’s spending by doing-it-yourself certainly makes sense when on a budget, often times creatives wind up spending much more than planned in time and money. In the end, winding up frustrated, broke, and with an unfinished project still sitting there. From the results of improper measuring methods and careless evaluation of reupholstery needs, to poor fabric choices and underestimated project complexity, no matter what situation applies, learn to avoid the following do-it-yourself furniture reupholstery mistakes to increase your chances for a successful outcome.

Fuse It! Fabric Fusing Basics

 

Over the years,  fusible web has become the time saving alternative to sewing. A type of interfacing, everyone from the beginning crafter to the most experienced designer can appreciate the ease and simplicity of this no-sew method. If you’re new to the notion of fusing, here are a few tips, tricks and fusing basics.

MacKenzie Childs Inspired DIY Home Decor

 

Inspired by the whimsical and quirky stylings of MacKenzie Childs, the mixing and matching of complimentary palates with contrasting prints offers a baseline theme to build creatively on in this inspiring layout featuring stripes, plaids, and polka dots in a pastel color wave.

Vibrantly hued accents are like candy for the eyes! Orange and pink polka dots provide a playful contrast to both the granny apple green /white swirls and the black/white stripes. An accent table goes from so-so to so-fun when embellished with rickrack-bordered fabric on top and coordinating print on the drawer facing. A no-sew striped pillow cover offers an added comfort to a seating staple. Accented with black beaded trim, the flirty lampshade in pink/white offers is share of feminine charm. For eye-catching artwork that can be hung on a wall or placed on a tabletop, fuse your choice of fabric onto an artist canvas and applique a flower in the center.

 

Tropical Textile Treasures at J&O Fabrics

Vacation in the tropics year round with our hot selection of exotic, themed tropical textile in an array of styles and colors.  Using some of our easy NO-SEW techniques, it’s a breeze to create this island oasis. Simply deck out bamboo and wicker furnishings in coordinating tropical and animal themed prints. Accent your home sanctuary with customized, self-adhesive lampshades in floral or leopard print and beaded trim. For a carefree coastal comfort, trim a sisal rug by hot-gluing strips of tropical print fabric along the edges. Topped with complimentary prints and fun fringe, a wicker trunk adds practical storage to this private paradise. Complete this tropical environment by framing the windows with burlap drapes hung by leather strips and accented with beaded tassels. Even these tailored treatments are made using another quick and easy NO-SEW fusing methods

 

DIY Cocktail Canopy from J&O Fabrics

J&O DIY Cocktail Canopy: Floral Deco

For the J&O/ Summerdale Mills family, summer just isn’t summer without backyard BBQ’s, picnics, taking in seemingly endless sunsets in an outdoor living space of our very own, or simply sitting pretty by the seashore.  But beyond the idea and aesthetics of it all, there is the nitty-gritty of uninvited guests to contend with that certainly can have a way of spoiling the fun. You know those party-crashers I’m speaking of. The eight-legged, winged and just plain annoying creepy crawlies seduced by the sights, sounds and scents of it all. We can’t blame them for wanting to get a taste of the good life I know, but we can make our presence in their domain more comfortable.