When we moved into our new house, my mother sent me a few of her home dec books to use for decorating ideas. I was so excited to get the books…until I opened the box.

The first book I flipped through was entitled Creative Window Treatments. Being as that we have eleventy billion windows in this house, I was excited to get some ideas. The book was published in 1991, which is almost 20 years ago, but I thought there would still be some stylish examples in the book.

I must have forgotten how horrendously awful the early ’90s were.

This, my friends, is called a “Vent Hose Cornice.” It is literally a tube of fabric gathered over vent hose. Like the vent hose that runs from your clothes dryer to the dryer vent. I’m not even kidding, although I wish I was. True story.

This next one is really cool. Or maybe I should say “rad.” At any rate, I’m pretty sure this was actually in Zack Morris’s bedroom.

The last beauty that I wanted to share from this book is this horribly off-balanced treatment. I cannot get over how incredibly heavy it is on the left side and how light and airy it is on the right side. Someone thought this look was fabulous – and worthy of being near the front of the book – and that makes my head hurt…a little more on the left side than the right.

Because there were too many great window fashions for one book, the same authors released More Creative Window Treatments. I am so glad there was a follow-up to the first installment.As seen in beach rental houses all across Florida, you have the “Hobbled Roman Shade.” Each of the folds in this shade has literally 8 inches of fabric. It took the authors 21 steps to tell you how to make this beauty. Twenty-one steps.

They also think that no room would be complete without a “Buttoned Valance.” I love that this look is described in the book as “tailored simplicity.” I think that maybe I have a different definition of “simplicity.”

The further into this book you go, the more “creative” these home dec options become. Take for instance the African violet tie backs…

…or the “seasonal” display of the straw hat collection.

I really hope there’s not an Even More Creative Window Treatments book out there somewhere.Not to be outdone, Singer released it’s own book, Sewing Projects for the Home. This book definitely has some interesting window treatments. In fact, I feel that I have no other option but to quote directly from the book in describing the next valence:

 

Multiple drapery rods are used together to create a dramatic top treatment. In the treatment shown here, wide curtain rods are covered with rod sleeves and the contemporary metal pole sets are left uncovered.

Wow. Just wow.Singer presented us with more than just window treatments. They explained how you could use bows on the corners of your bedding to tie in other bows you may use throughout the room (check out the shiny bed skirt!).

Okay, if any of you have bows tied to the corners of your duvet, let me know right now so I can plan a trip to your house to rip them off. I can be there this week if needed.However, if you have one of the below pillows on your bed, I won’t be able to make the trip for fear that it may eat me a la Little Shop of Horrors. Feed me, Seymour!

As you can imagine, I really wondered why on Earth my mother would send me these books. What could I possibly want to duplicate from them? Thinking she was crazy, I quickly shoved the books into the closet in my sewing room and forgot they were there.A few months ago, I was cleaning out that closet and came across them again. I cracked them open, because I was in need of a good laugh, and it was only then that I realized the true beauty of these books.

Design styles and fabric choices may come and go, but the backbone of home dec sewing remains the same. All three books have detailed step-by-step directions for sewing lined draperies, measuring the windows for formal treatments, working with self-styling tape, and more. I have all of the elementary education I need within these three books, but I can use my creativity to adapt these basic shapes into something spectacular for my home. I made my first set of self-styling, lined curtains and incorporated twisted welting onto a pillow using the instructions in these books. I couldn’t be more thrilled with the way they those projects turned out, and I know that I would have been too nervous to attempt such things without what have become my home dec “manuals.”

I encourage you to browse used book stores, thrift shops, and even Ebay for these or similar books if you are interested in learning basic home dec sewing techniques. There’s really no reason to pay high prices for recently published books on these topics when you can learn everything you need to know from older publications. And who knows – you may need a good laugh one day.

I just hope my mom never wants me to give these books back.

I really enjoy visiting thrift stores to see what kind of goodies I can find. Zack loves it, too, so we make it a fun Mother/Son outing, usually ending in a Starbucks run.

He likes to look for “treasures” at Goodwill, and he always seems to manage to find a toy that has to come home with him. Some of his favorite toys are the cheap, used toys that he picks out at thrift stores. I’m pretty certain that we have more three-wheeled toy cars than any other household on Earth.

We also have several plastic pots, since they apparently make the best dog toys EVER.

I’m a bit more picky about my “treasures” than Zack is, but I still manage to find quite a bit of great stuff. There’s really nothing quite like taking something ugly and turning it into something great. It gives me a warm fuzzy feeling on the inside. Or, maybe that’s just the paint fumes finally getting to me.

Pretty cute for $4 and a can of white spray paint, huh?

People often say to me that they wish they had my creativity or had my ability to see the inner beauty in ugly objects. Well, it’s not rocket science. AT ALL. In fact, it’s more trial and error than anything. Believe me, there have been a LOT of errors throughout the years. Just ask my husband about that dresser we got for free on CraigsList several years ago that basically fell apart as soon as we got it out of the car. Scrap wood, anyone?

If you’ve been too nervous to jump into searching CraigsList, garage sales, or your local thrift store, let me hold your hand and lead you down the path of repurposing! Here are a few of my favorite tips to keep in mind:

• I encourage you to go to thrift stores often. I go to my favorite one at least once a week. I think the best items are to be found on Tuesday mornings (or during your Tuesday lunch break if you work outside of the home). Remember, most people clean house and donate their unwanted items to the thrift stores on the weekends. The “Tuesday Plan” gives the store staff all day Monday to put out the new goods, so you are most likely to have the best selection on Tuesday.

• When looking for furniture, look past the color of the piece and the ugly hardware on the drawers. All of that stuff can be changed. You first need to find something that is the right size and shape for your home, just like you would in the fanciest of furniture stores. Once you find a piece that meets that criteria, you need to figure out if it’s sturdy enough. You don’t want it to fall apart like my dresser. Shake it a little bit and see if it’s wobbly. If it is wobbly and you don’t consider yourself good with a cordless drill and wood glue, keep on walking. If you see it’s a little shaky in the joints and have a husband who humors you enough to put a few extra screws where it’s loose, then go for it!

This chair was $10 from Craigslist. I loved the shape of the back, so Tom and Zack helped me sand and repaint the chair an antique white. I sewed a new cushion and it’s now my super comfy (and super adorable) sewing chair.

• ALWAYS look at the clearance aisles when you go to craft stores, home stores, or even department stores. ALWAYS. I posted yesterday that I found some great buys at Hobby Lobby for 80% off. Today, I went to Target to pick up a birthday present for Zack’s buddy, and I found a $4 white square bamboo tray in the process (originally $20). I have no clue what I’m going to do with it, but I will figure it out.

• If you see something and can’t get it out of your mind for a few days, GO BACK AND GET IT. I saw a purple desk at Goodwill on Tuesday and it suddenly hit me today that I had to have it. Zack and I ran over there and I actually had to fight off two other people for it.

The after is in my mind…but cross this:

with this:

It’s so beautiful in my mind…I hope it turns out that way in real life. If not, it’ll be another mistake to add to my list like a notch in my belt.

• Most importantly: Don’t worry about making a mistake! If you totally ruin a coffee table you bought for $10 at Goodwill, then you are out $10 but have probably learned something new. As my mom used to tell me, “I’m sure you’ve wasted $10 in worse ways than that.” My mom is always right.

New to repurposing? Tell me what you want to create for your home and what you will look for when you start your search. An old repurposing pro? Tell me about your favorite project that you’ve completed. Have questions? Ask them here and we can all try to answer them. Let’s have a little repurposing party in the comments section!

This week, Kristen at We Are That Family his hosting a “greatest tips” Works for Me Wednesday. Since I love thrifting tips, I thought I’d include th
is post. For another great tip, check out Teach Me Tuesday!