No-Sew Glider Cushion Cover

I've had Hudson's glider in Nora's room for several months, but I am finally able to say that it matches her decor.

I had originally purchased this glider for $25 from a local thrift store before Hudson was born. It looked as if it had never been used. My talented mother-in-law covered the ugly 90's blue cushions to match Hudson's room. I loved it.

But it didn't match my green theme in Nora's room.

I have a sewing machine and I can sew straight lines, if forced to. However, I usually end up frustrated and ready to throw the entire machine off the back deck. In order to avoid another battle with the sewing machine, I've had a blanket draped over the cushion for the last several months. It looked lumpy and would just be a mess after one middle-of-the-night rocking.

While I was putting away some laundry yesterday, I had an idea. I had purchased a green dotted crib sheet at a yard sale for $1 because it matched Nora's room.

Since her bedding already has lots of patterns, the sheet has just been sitting in her drawers. I'd figured I could make a pillow out of it some day.

I didn't have to cut it or sew it or manipulate the sheet in any way. I simply stretched it over the cushions and tucked it around the edges firmly. The elastic around the edges held it in place magically. Nora thinks it fits nicely.



And, it looks like I sewed a new cover...but I didn't. This will also be super easy to wash in the event of a spit up or some other kind of mess.

I'm still loving the changing table being in the closet. It leaves her room feeling open and spacious. And, I can close the closet doors for an even cleaner look. (PS. Is anyone else obsessed with those green IKEA laundry baskets? I love leaving one on the bottom shelf of her changing table for her dirty clothes.)

All other aspects of her room are still pretty much the same. Her crib is sitting quite a ways away from the wall, though. She likes to beat on or scratch the wall when she wakes up.

And she's also pulled off a few of my gold bulbs on her marquee letter. I've just got to hot glue those back in place.

I love that she is growing into a little lady. She loves to cross her ankles when sitting. She is on the move these days, pulling up and getting into everything.

Since she moved out of the baby nursery on Sunday, I transitioned her to "Big Girl Bag." I love seeing it hanging on her little hook by the door.

I can't believe that she is already 11 months old.

Guess it's about time I got her glider cushions covered. I just wish I had thought of this simple solution sooner!

Embroidery Hoop Mobile

When I made Hudson's mobile, I did it because I liked the look of something decorative hanging above the crib. I thought it was a gimmick. I didn't think that a baby would actually be entertained by something twirling above their head...but he was. He also was fascinated by extreme contrasts in color. Black and white. Ceiling fans. So, when it came time to make Nora's mobile, I took these observations into consideration.

I had thought about making something to match the wreaths I had hanging over the guest bed, but in the end, I decided to make something more round. I had seen various tutorials for these decorative spheres made from embroidery hoops, but none were made into a baby mobile.  I looked at tons of tutorials. But in the end - I just had to work the hoops in my own way, into the form that I wanted.

I picked up two embroidery hoops (each one has two rings) for each sphere. I decided on two smaller spheres and one larger. These hoops were 69 cents each - some stain made the hoops have the darker color I hoped to obtain. Simple upholstery tacks held the rings in place.

My husband hung the spheres this morning using three simple hooks in the ceiling.

I love that it will give Nora something to easily focus on - looking at the spheres against the white ceiling.  They also spin ever so slightly.

They complement the darker elements of the room as well (like the crib).

Hudson was hanging out with me as I took pictures of Nora's mobile. While pretending to be Clark Kent in his Superman T Shirt and glasses, He helped to make sure I had enough natural light.

He held on to my lens cap and offered me snacks.

And he played quietly with all the clutter items I had removed from the other side of the room.

I think he knows change is coming. He is more cuddly with me. He rubs my belly and says "baby" and he has noticed more pink elements around the house...even Nora's books are a little more girly than what he is used to. (Shoe-La-La is an adorable rhyming story! Every little girl needs this glittery book! I was given it as a gift at my baby shower.)

We are very close to Nora's arrival. I have made it past the 38 week mark (5 weeks past the point where I had Hudson). At my doctor's appointment today, everything looked great. It's go time...so keep checking back for pictures and details. She will be here before we know it.

I have panicked a few times, thinking of things that I haven't bought or done for Nora - but then I have to remind myself, there was a lot that I wasn't ready for when Hudson was born. I don't even think we had the crib assembled. And in the end, everything turned out just fine.

I've decorated her room - but some frames are still blank. I cannot wait to fill those frames with family photos.

I also stacked up a few "girl" classics - it won't be long before I can read books like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women or Sarah, Plain and Tall to her. (And we will, of course, also watch the movies!)

Nora Lynn, we are ready to meet you!

Paint + Rope = a Skinny Nightstand

I was in need of a nightstand for beside the guest bed. The space was small, but I still thought guests would appreciate a place to set their phone, keys, a book, etc. Plus, I wanted a place to have a lamp.

You may have noticed an ordinary stool hanging out in the corner beside the bed. I finally got around to finishing the project today. 

After some intense googling for "skinny diy nightstands" I came across this idea. I had the perfect old stool in the basement. 

I'm not even sure where this piece came from. It had various colors of paint splotches, some markered names and even a wad of athletic tape. After some sanding and cleaning, it was ready to be transformed. 

Jeremiah gave the stool a couple coats of the leftover crib paint. After it dried, I got to work on the shelves. 

 Hot glue helped me keep the rope tight and in place as I wrapped it around the rungs. This project was going super smoothly...until...I ran out of rope. 

I had underestimated the amount of rope that this project would take. I thought 50 feet would be enough...but, in fact, I needed closer to 150 feet. 

The completed shelves hold a couple of books or a box of tissues or whatever a guest may want to keep nearby in the night. 

I am completely pleased with the results. Jeremiah was also kind enough to bracket these two old shutters together to add more color in the corner. You can see a metal chip clip hanging off the shutters. My uncle gave me a few of these when I went off to college. I used them to display pictures or other paper mementos. I hope to clip up a few photos of Nora soon. 

I still get giddy over the transformation that comes from a little paint and hot glue. 

DIY Himelli Wreath

I'd been trying to find the perfect idea for wall decor over the guest bed in Nora's room. I wanted something to fill the space, but didn't want to just put up a big picture or a collage of frames. One night, I came across the idea for a Himelli wreath. The "real" versions of these wreaths are usually made from copper tubing and can cost close to $200.

Obviously, that was out of my price range (considering I got the crib for free...).  And I find great satisfaction in making something myself. I found a super easy-to-follow tutorial video here from Vintage Revivals.

When I got married, I had used black straws for our guests to sip their lemonade. At the time, it was cheaper to buy 1,000 of the straws than a couple hundred. And, since I didn't quite have 1,000 people at the wedding....we are still using the black straws to this day. In the video tutorial, she suggests using cocktail straws. My regular drinking straws worked just fine.

I cut them down into four inch pieces, found some leftover wire from another craft, and started following her video. In less than an hour, I had a fun, modern looking wreath. I had enough straws but had to purchase more wire in order to make three of these wreaths. I used 24 gauge wire that can be found in the craft section. The color doesn't really matter - I can't see it in my completed wreaths. I used green wire on one wreath and gold on the last two.

I may end up spray painting the wreaths gold like the original video showed in order to coordinate with the gold "bulbs" on the faux marquee letter, but for now, they are filling the void above the guest bed quite nicely. And over time, I may grow more accustomed to the black.

 I imagine you could use any colored straw for this project. I would, however, steer clear of the paper straws. The wire, at times, threatened to rip through my plastic straws. It seems it would do a lot of damage to a thin paper straw, but I could be wrong.

These would make cute centerpieces for a party, sitting on a mirror with a candle or pot of succulents in the center. They are lightweight and hang on the wall easily with one tiny nail. They might even look really cool hanging from the ceiling. The possibilities are endless.

I'm enjoying working on this half of the room - I've got a few more elements to finish. I used to have a red quilt on this bed - I wanted something that would blend in more. The berries in the curtains are pink and red. The fabric on the crib bedding has pink and red in it...but I wanted the green to be the main color used. My mom passed on this awesome cream colored chenille bedspread. Using some leftover fabric from the crib bedding and the curtains, I was able to sew a few pillows. They add the perfect amount of color to the bed.

I'm no seamstress - I've never claimed to be. I sew "straight" lines and an occasional button. No sleeves. No circles. Nothing too detailed. I've even been known to hot glue fabric to avoid sewing. So, if you happen to visit this room, don't scrutinize my seams. Some of them are loopy and knotted. One piece got sewn on backwards (luckily it was a fabric that wasn't too obvious and it is the back of one of the pillows). But I did it! They look like pillows. And they haven't fallen apart yet.

Hudson is loving the time we spend in this room. It is usually off limits to him. He is enjoying the Bumbo seat and this little school desk. He is always finding a new treasure to explore. I love that little boy's curiosity.

I'm kind of obsessed with the look of these wreaths and they were so fun to make. I may end up putting one in my living room as well. After all, I've got the straws already on hand!

Adding Color in an Unexpected Place

I've had this dresser in the guest room (now Nora's room) since we moved into this house. Up until this point, it has held my craft supplies and scrapbook stuff. I have since moved those supplies to other locations. In fact, I am storing scrapbook things inside an old suitcase that is decorating the living room.

The dresser is great for all of Nora's clothes, crib sheets, extra supplies, etc. And it is now fun to open the drawers and see a bit of color.

I had originally thought about painting the dresser green, but decided to leave it cream. Instead, I settled for a nap-time project. I pulled out a coordinating roll of $1 wrapping paper from Target. I know...I know...I use this stuff for everything! But when it's only one dollar and it's super cute, I am glad to say this obsession isn't breaking the bank.

After wiping down each drawer, I measured and cut the wrapping paper to fit just the sides of each drawer. The inside of the drawers were in great shape. I figured it would be easiest to wipe out the drawers in the future as they are. I applied one generous coat of homemade decoupage glue to the side with a foam paint brush. Since the paper was super thin, I didn't bother coating the top with the decoupage glue. I just tried to smooth out as many bubbles as possible.

I've found, with wrapping paper and decoupaging, it's almost impossible to get it perfectly smooth. The paper is super thin and my patience is even thinner. Too much pressing and pulling of the wet paper can cause rips. Once the paper dries, the little wrinkles and bubbles really are not that noticeable. I've decided it's not something to stress over.

I am happy with the added bit of cheer and color that these pieces of wrapping paper add to the room each time I open a drawer.

See, Mom, I do use all those rolls of paper that I buy!

If you have a collection of those cute rolls of wrapping paper, here's some other ideas to begin to use up your stash (other than wrapping gifts).

Cute Drawer Liners

Gift Box Wreath - This would also be cute decor for a party...not just Christmas time.

DIY Kid-Friendly Nativity Set. However, if you kid is into throwing things...these blocks of wood might not seem so kid-friendly to you. Maybe I should rename them "Non-Breakable Nativity Set."

How else do you use wrapping paper?