Home Decor Sewing & Design Guides

Ripped, broken, and sagging cane are common problems with antique cane chairs. Fortunately, there are ways to replace the cane. There are 2 types of cane chairs. They can be hand caned or have pressed cane. You can easily tell which kind you have by looking at the way it is attached.

Looking for a fun Valentines Day Project? This decorative burlap heart pillow is great for Valentine's Day as a gift or décor. Craft burlap can be used for a bunch of different projects but its loose weave makes it the perfect material for weaving in the ribbon. This pillow can be made with any color canvas and ribbon like grosgrain ribbon or satin ribbon. You can also create other shapes for holidays or even monograms.

I have here a chair which has seen better days, so I'm going to make a slipcover for it. You can use many different fabrics like denim, twill, canvas, or home décor fabric. The techniques in this tutorial can be adapted to many other styles of chairs and couches. One of the great things about slipcovers is they're washable. Whether you're covering ugly or stained upholstery or want to protect nice upholstery, making your own slipcovers is inexpensive and practical.

We all have that one room in our home that needs a little more decorative charm. What better way to transform a room from "blah" to beautiful than making your own custom pillows? These simple pillow tutorials are a great way to introduce a new pattern or splash of vibrant color to your décor. Check out our collection of 14 DIY pillow tutorials below!

Sewing your own decorative throw pillow is a great DIY project for all sewing levels. There are many different styles of pillows, this one is a basic throw pillow that's sewn closed. It's easy to make and a quick way to update your decor with the fabric of your choice.

Curtains, drapes, and other window treatments are super popular DIY projects for home décor. We must really love curtains because we have plenty of tutorials! There are so many ways you can make curtains and drapes, and there are so many ways to customize each unique style. Curtains, drapes & window treatments in this collection: Back Tab Curtains No Sew Grommet Curtains Rod Pocket Curtains Tab Top Curtains Pinch Pleat Curtains Goblet Pleat Curtains Cartridge Pleat Curtains No Sew Valances Roman Shades Pencil Pleat Curtains Inverted Box Pleat Curtains

Muslin is a lightweight cotton fabric with a lot of versatility. It's also old. Like, 13th century old. Yeah. It's uses range from apparel and theater projects to practical bandages and culinary purposes.

When it comes to making curtains, (or buying I suppose, but where's the fun in that? ), accurate measurements are paramount. But even if for some reason you know the measurements of your windows by heart, there are more factors to take into account when figuring out the size of your curtains. Let's go over some of the basics. Once you have your measurements, use our drapery yardage calculator to find out how much fabric to get.

If you've ever gone shopping for bed sheets or apparel, you've probably come across the term "thread count". So… what exactly does it mean? Some bed sheet and clothing manufacturers boast products with thread counts of up to 1000. This must mean that these are the softest, most luxurious and breathable products on the market, right? Not necessarily, there are other factors to take into consideration.

By making your own tablecloth you can get exactly the look and size you want. You can make tablecloths out of many different fabrics. Gingham, oilcloth, and flannel backed vinyl are great for casual eating or themed parties. For lightweight tablecloths, try broadcloth or cotton prints. Linen is classic and works for many styles and many events.

It's getting to be that time of year to start preparing for dorm life! Make your new living space feel more like you by making some projects for your dorm. These projects all involve décor fabric, so check out our huge inventory of prints and solids to find your favorite fabric here.

Learn how to make a no-sew valance that has pleats at the corners and an accent band at the bottom. This simple design will go with many décor styles. You can also make variations with box pleats or add decorative trim to make it your own. Add this valance to existing curtains, sheers, or blinds, or make matching custom curtains!

Many of our curtain tutorials have been at more of a DIY level, but for these inverted box pleat curtains, we're going to take it up a notch. The difference is that with professional looking curtains, you won't see any visible topstitching on the front and more of the work will be done by hand. This takes more time, but still, any patient DIY-er can do it. You can use these techniques with any other heading style to create many different kinds of professional looking curtains. Take a look at our other drapery tutorials for more ways to make curtains.

We picked up this industrial wire basket at the world-famous Brimfield Antique Flea Market. This is a basket from Kaspar Wire Works, but you can find this type of wire basket many places. I'm going to weave strips of fabric through it to make a unique decorative storage basket. This is a no sew project that's great for using all your old scraps of fabric on. See what else we found at Brimfield.

This simple DIY floor cushion makes for comfortable seating for the living room, bedroom, or playroom. The optional zipper opening makes it easy to switch out the pillow form if it starts to get flat.

I'm going to make a simple flanged pillow sham with an envelope back. The flange refers to the extra fabric around the edges. You can use quilting weight cotton, sheeting, or décor fabric. Customize your pillow sham in any way you want. Want to make a matching duvet cover?

If you can't find the exact duvet cover you want, make it! You can use quilting weight cottons, sheeting fabric, broadcloth, pre-made flat sheets, or decor fabric. Choose different fabrics for the front and back if you want it to be reversible. Or you can use a flat sheet on the bottom and a more decorative fabric on top. Making your own duvet cover may not necessarily be cheaper that buying one, depending on the fabric, but you can get exactly what you want.

Pencil pleats are thin, even pleats used in drapery headings, valances, and bed skirts. Using shirring tape makes creating these pleats simple. You can control how tight or loose you want the pleats. Like the fabric used in this project? Drapery fabric isn't just for decor.

Office makeovers can be just as big of a job as home makeovers or they can be small and less stressful with just a few changes that will brighten up your space and give it more personality. After creating a cubicle makeover here at OFS, we decided to do a office makeover challenge with customers. The challenge was to send us a photo of your ugly office space that desperately needed a makeover and we would choose which office needed it the most. We would then plan out our makeover and create several DIY projects for the winner's work space and send them to her. The winner of our office makeover challenge styled her office space and sent us some photos!

There are many creative ways to take an inexpensive piece of furniture and turn it into something unique. I'm going to be transforming an Ikea side table by covering it with vinyl and adding a decorative nail head trim. Adding nail head trim is a great way to add interest to an otherwise plain piece of furniture from headboards to chairs to tables.

Shag rugs add a fun, decorative look to bedrooms, playrooms, and more. I'm using different colored fabrics, but you can use just 1 color if you prefer. Jersey cotton is best to use because it doesn't fray, but other soft fabrics will work well too. It's also a great way to recycle old t-shirts.

Roman shades give windows a clean appearance that goes well with many styles from traditional to modern. There are many ways to make Roman shades. With the method shown here, there's minimal stitching visible on the front for a professional look. This shade is made with wooden dowels (as opposed to the mini blind method). If you plan on raising and lowering the Roman shade a lot, it's worth using a cord lock and pulleys so it operates smoothly and easily.

Here at OFS we have taken one of our not so good looking cubicles and gave it a makeover. All of the items in the cubicle are DIY projects made by Clara and Jen. We were inspired to do this makeover after realizing how bad this cubicle was and also realizing how easy it would be to give it a makeover with DIY fabric inspired projects. Below are before and after photos of our transformed cubicle space, and the individual projects that are featured! If you're looking to give your cubicle a makeover, make sure to check out our selection of décor fabric.

This no sew fleece pillow is a quick and easy project. The one I'm going to make is a 16 by 16 inch kid's pillow. Stretch knit fabrics are also great to use because they don't fray and they tie well. These pillows make great gifts and you can make them any size you want.

This no sew fleece dog bed is perfect for a small to medium sized dog, but can easily be customized to match the size of your pet. You can also use pillow inserts instead of stuffing if you prefer. Other materials that will be more durable than fleece are outdoor fabrics and medium to heavyweight cottons.

A tree skirt adds that finishing touch to your Christmas decorations. This tree skirt is an easy project that doesn't require any sewing. The ruffled burlap is great for a rustic yet refined look. But if burlap's not your thing, you can use any other material, like muslin, canvas, décor fabric or cotton prints to create a look that will compliment your other holiday decorations.

With leftover scraps of fabric you can create this fun, decorative throw pillow. No machine is required, just hand stitching. You can stitch the shapes closer together or farther apart depending on how full you want the pillow to look. It's a great way to use up those leftover scraps of fabric and re-use them. Samples of fabric will also work too.

Poufs are a trendy and functional décor item, but they can be pricey. By creating your own, you can save money and make it exactly how you want. You can use your pouf as an ottoman or foot rest, as extra seating, or as floor pillows. They're especially great for kids' spaces.

Pocket organizers are handy to hold many different things for many different ages. Kids can use it for toys and storybooks, teens can organize homework by subject, and adults can use it to brighten up their cubicle or office. You can add more pockets or change the size to meet your organizational needs. This one is perfect for the office or work space because it is sized to fit file folders. You also have the option of adding clear pockets for labels.

The fabric cork board I'm gong to make involves no sewing or stapling, making it fun and easy. For displaying options, you can hang the cork board, or place it against a wall. They're great for tacking notes or pictures to.