30 DIY Projects for the 3-Day Weekend

Listen up, folks: we only get a few three-day weekends each year and so it's up to each of us to make the most of them. Oh sure, you'll want to take some down time to drink some beer and bask in the sun. There's still plenty of time for a little DIYing. Check out these 30 projects for 3-day weekend inspiration.
1. Make a grill for your budding Top Chef – How To Make a Toy Grill for $20
2. Make a place to stash your pens and pencils – DIY No-Sew Colored Pencil Roll
3. Clean your bedroom – The Ultimate Guide to Green Cleaning Your Bedroom
4. Make your kid fly – How to Make Your Baby Fly
5. Create a charging station – An Upcycled Plastic Bottle Charging Station
6. Make a new clothes bar – How To Make a Rope Wrapped Hanging Clothes Bar
7. Go to sleep! – How to Nap (No, Really!)
8. Create an urban garden – Budget Friendly: DIY Cinderblock Planters
9. Stop the tangles – DIY Tangle-Free Headphones with Embroidery Floss
10. Make cushions, learn geography – Modular DIY Map Cushions
11. Make a window box – DIY Wood Shim Window Box
12. Add some detail to your frames – $5 DIY: Dress Up Your Frames with Tape
13. Cover an ugly light – How To Make a DIY Drum Shade
14. Make a headboard – 10 DIY Headboard Ideas
15. Stencil something – Put Some Pattern On It: Stencil Resources
16. Make new bedding – You Can Do It: Sew Your Own Bedding
17. Create some outdoor lanterns – DIY Leather & Glass Outdoor Lanterns
18. Make everlasting flowers – DIY Paper Flowers From Recycled Maps
19. Get your books in order – Fresh Start: How To Organize Your Personal Library
20. Dress up your can lights – How To: Make Can Light Luminaries
21. Put up a yurt – How To Raise a Yurt in Four Hours
22. Switch out your shower head – DIY Basics: Replacing a Shower Head
23. Join the terrarium trend – Buy or DIY: Trendy Terrariums
24. Stamp it! – DIY Wine Cork Stamps
25. Dress up a wall – How To: Create A Reclaimed Wood Wall
26. Weave a basket – DIY: Recycled Paper Sewing Basket
27. Dress a window or two – Making Your Own Curtains: Easy Instructions from Across the Web
28. Funk up your keyboard – Colorful Keyboard Makeover With Masking Tape
29. DIY an ikat mirror – How To Make an Ikat-Inspired Mirror
30. Build an outdoor dining set – Free DIY Plans: Simple Plywood Farm Style Table & Bench

Still need more inspiration. Check out last year's 30 Projects for the 3-Day Weekend
.
Images: As credited in individual posts.

Brought to you by: Apartment Therapy

How to Keep Your Bathroom Clean in 5 Minutes a Day

Here are the facts: I don't have hours and hours to laboriously clean my bathroom every week. Even if I did there would be more pressing things at hand, like um, anything really. So how can you keep things clean with a minimal amount of effort and time? I use the five minute rule and it works fabulously!

The truth of the matter is, you can get a great deal done in 60 seconds when you don't have distractions. It's why the 5 minute rule works so well. Even if you don't have 5 minutes back to back, there's a good chance you have 60 seconds here and there throughout the day. Want to see how it's done? Check it:

MINUTE ONE:
Minute one is dedicated to clearing off surfaces. Put away your straight iron, find a new home for your SPIN magazine, toss your makeup back in the drawer and grab that old towel off the sink. Dirty clothes should be off the floor and those bobby pins that never seem to have a home should find one.

MINUTE TWO
Minute two is all about surface cleaning. Drop in some toilet bowl cleaner and let it sit until the last few seconds and then wipe down the countertops, sink and toilet tank and seat. Give your shower a spray with either store bought or homemade daily cleaner (or white vinegar). Run your toilet brush around your toilet and you're done. It's a busy minute but it can be done in that time frame.

MINUTE THREE
Your third minute is dedicated to straightening. Refold your towels and pull your shower curtain closed so it can air out. Check to make sure you have toilet paper and even take a few seconds to straighten the bottles on your countertops and those that live in your shower.

MINUTE FOUR
You're on the downhill stretch and now it's time to check your mirrors. It's easier to get toothpaste spittle on them than you think and a quick wipe or spray with your favorite cleaner will keep them clean in a jiffy. If the mirror is already clean, take a moment to wipe down your sink and bath fixtures and make them shine.

MINUTE FIVE
Did you panic at minute two when I said clean all the surfaces? Maybe you have kids that make things messier or you just don't move at lightning speed like I do. Take an extra 60 seconds to assess anything out of sorts and finish up.

IN CONCLUSION
To make this system really work it has to be used EVERY DAY. If you skip a few days here and there it's easy for your bathroom to get that layer of dust and grime that takes more than just a few minutes to remove.

Once a week, skip cleaning your mirrors and fixtures and take a moment to sweep or mop the floor and wipe down the outside of your toilet. It can be done in a minute (ok, maybe two or three) if you mop with something easy like a Swiffer — if you can squeeze in the time to do it more frequently, great. Likewise, you can give your shower an actual scrub down — just use your time wisely and don't let it intimidate you!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/keeping-your-bathroom-clean-in-5-minutes-a-day-171474

Grommet Guide

Who new grommets could be so sleek and modern? The new "it" thing is to use grommets in everything from furniture to table cloths, lamps and even bedding. Check out the pictures below for some fresh decorating ideas using curtain grommets. 

Designer Grommets always available at www.InteriorMall.com!

Get Outside: 5 Backyard Weekend Projects

Whether it's something you've been meaning to do for years or just a fun project you hadn't thought of (pebble mosaic, anyone?), spend some quality time outdoors this weekend soaking up some vitamin D and beautifying your backyard. We've rounded up five fun, satisfying outdoor projects to kick start your weekend.

1. Add some shade to a sunny patio with a planter umbrella stand; a concrete center makes the stand super-sturdy, and plants fill the top to hide the umbrella sleeve when it's not in use.

2. Encourage bats to hang out near your house with this bat house tutorial. Need a reason to love bats? Just one of these little guys can eat more than 600 mosquitoes in a single hour!

3. Add some interest to your garden walkway with a pebble mosaic. Get creative by adding all different shapes and sizes!

4. If you have a big strong tree in your yard with an overhanging limb, it's just begging for a tree swing; not just for kids, this swing seats two adults!

5. This compost bin was designed by horticulturists at the University of California Cooperative Extension; they aimed to create a capable, efficient system that was easy to build and easy to use.

The History of Crewel Embroidery

Crewel Embroidery or Crewelwork is a decorative surface embroidery that traditionally uses wool to create a design applied to any fabric.  The technique is at least a thousand years as it was used in the Bayeux Tapestry which tells the story of the 11th century Norman Conquest of England. Another modern work that crewelwork has been used is the Quaker Tapestry; 77 panels which depicts 350 years of Quaker history.

Crewel embroidery was usually produced using wool rather than cotton or silk, which separates it from the main embroidery medium, though this does not make it unique. Even though the woollen yarn used was fine in comparison to general wool yarn use, the wool still gave a much thicker stitch producing a raised aspect to the finished embroidery, which gave it its unique style. However, because of the thickness of the yarn an embroidery hoop or frame was needed in order to maintain an even tension so that the yarn did not distort the base fabric.

Probably the best examples of English crewelwork were that produced during the Jacobean period, the first part of the seventeenth century. Some examples are luckily still with us. They give us an insight into the high quality and standard that was regularly achieved by the women who produced these historical gems of embroidery. It is a tribute to them that we still admire these Jacobean crewel work pieces four hundred years after they were first produced.

Much of the crewelwork was created for domestic settings. Bedroom furnishings were particularly popular and most large country houses had crewelwork bed hangings and covers that were being used generations after their creation. Crewelwork was also used to a certain extent in clothing, with crewel-embroidered jackets being popular for both sexes at the beginning of the seventeenth century.

English crewelwork had at its root the decorative theme of the natural world of flora and fauna. Much of the work consisted of stylized flowers, leaves and trees. These could take the form of landscapes, with forest hunting scenes being particularly popular. However, some of the decorative work was much more complex and intertwined, using highly stylized flowers and leaves, giving a rich and detailed surface to the fabric.

Crewelwork made a comeback in the 60s and 70s and is slowly being seen more in decorating fabrics but with a more modern twist placed on them. Such as using raffia or velvet for the yarn rather than wool.

Fast and Easy Fabric Facelifts

There are so many projects that can be done with fabric remnants and the outcome is awesome. Here are a several DIY ideas you can do at home.

 Use scraps of coordinating fabrics to create a modern patchwork-effect headboard. To make the headboard, cut 8-inch squares from stiff florist's foam and 1/4-inch plywood. Cut 8-inch squares from quilt batting and place over foam squares. Glue all layers with Styroglue. Cut fabric into squares large enough to wrap the foam squares with at least a 1/2 -inch overlap on the back. Staple fabric to the back with a staple gun. Cut a piece of 1/4-inch plywood a few inches wider than your mattress on both sides. Line up the squares facedown in your desired pattern and attach them to each other with heavy-duty tape. Top them with the plywood, and drill wood screws at 8-inch intervals to secure all the layers. Attach ring hooks to the back of the plywood to hang the headboard on the wall.

Add style to a plain wooden chair with fabric. Remove the seat and back from the chair. Trace the seat on 1/2-inch foam, cut the foam, then attach it to the seat with spray adhesive. Cut fabric 3 inches wider than the seat perimeter. Wrap fabric over the seat, smoothing as you go and securing with heavy-duty carpet tape on the bottom. Trace the chair back on paper and add 1 inch all around. Using the pattern, cut two pieces of fabric. Lightly spray the front of the chair back with spray adhesive and press fabric onto the front, wrapping the allowance to the back. Fold under 1-inch allowance on the second piece of fabric, wrong sides together, and press. Use fusible webbing to adhere the fabric to the back of the chair, overlapping the wrapped allowance. Reattach the seat and back. 

Add pretty curtains to your windows or hide table storage. Whether you want to use rings with clips or sew in a rod pocket, a yard of fabric or less can turn your space into something fabulous! Use a cafe rod or a tension rod to hold the curtain.

Editor's Tip: For a no-sew option, secure hems or make your rod pocket with fusible webbing and an iron.

 

Create a designer lamp in minutes with a splashy fabric. Cut fabric pieces 2 inches longer and 1 inch wider than the lamp base and lampshade. Iron a 1-inch hem on both long edges and one short edge of each piece. Lightly spray the lamp base and shade with spray adhesive and wrap fabric around each piece, smoothing as you wrap. If necessary, secure the hemmed edges with a thin bead of fabric glue.

A yard of fabric is all it takes to make pillows as large as 30 X 30 inches. Cut a front and back piece of fabric to the desired pillow size, adding 1 inch to the length and width for the seam allowance. Place the fabric right sides together and pin, leaving an opening for stuffing or pillow form. Sew around the pinned fabric. Reach into the open seam and turn the fabric right side out: press. Insert stuffing or pillow. Hand-stitch opening closed or if you want to be able to remove the outside cover for easy cleaning sew in a zipper or make a button closure.

Reface a pair of doors while also hiding the cabinet's contents by lining the glass panels with patterned fabric. On the back of each door, stretch the fabric over the glass and use a staple gun to fasten the edges to the wooden frame. For a tidy appearance inside, conceal the staples with glued-down coordinating ribbon.

Stitch up the perfect table runner -- custom-fit to your own table -- by making a fabric "sandwich" with a piece of same-size batting in between. With right sides out and the layers pinned together, sew straight quilting lines through all pieces along the length of the runner. Cover the raw edges with binding tape adhered with fusible web. 

To finish your dining room makeover make chair covers. You don't need to slipcover an entire chair to give it a fresh new look. Make this chair-back cover with just two squares of fabric and use fusible web to adhere a fabric shape to one piece. Finish with coordinating binding tape adhered to the edges with fusible web. For a no sew option on both the table runner and the chair cover use stitch witch to hold your raw edges down when you make your hems.

To spruce up your office space or kids bedroom cover an artist canvas, cork board or piece of sheet metal with fabric. Works great as a memo board, memory board or as a piece of artwork.

Abstract fabric cutouts dress up plain card stock to make custom all-occasion greeting cards that also look great framed. Gel pen outlines and a decorative scalloped edge finish off the cards.

Group together fabric-covered balls to make a great filler for a bowl, a glass vase, or a basket. Cut fabric strips from coordinating fabrics and use glue to adhere the strips to plastic-foam balls. Select a variety of fabric patterns and use both small and large balls for extra interest.

Hopefully this gives you some great new ideas for all those extra fabric pieces. It's spring so get out there and try something new.

Fabric Flammability Ratings

There are several things to know about fabric flammability and ratings. You will often hear fire resistant, fireproof, flameproof and flame retardant when referring to fabric. These do not all mean the same thing and it is important to know the difference.

Fire resistant or fire retardant refers to a fabric or fiber that has been treated or naturally flame retardant to discourage the spreading of flames. This IS NOT the same as fireproof or flameproof. A fire resistant or fire retardant fabric WILL eventually burn. It will just take a little time so that you have time to get to safety.

Fireproof or flameproof fabrics literally will not burn. To be labeled fireproof, the Federal Trade Commission requires that a fabric must be 100% fireproof. If the fiber or fabric has been treated to prevent flames from spreading, it must be labeled as fire resistant.

The fire codes that are seen and used most often are UFAC (Upholstered Furniture Action Council), NFPA (National Fire Protection Association), ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) and CAL Tech Bulletin (only used in California). It is important when doing a project that requires your fabric to be fire rated that you find out what fire codes are required for your state. Just call your local fire marshal and they should give you that information.

It's Here!!! Lilly Pulitzer for Lee Jofa!
Check out all the fabulous Lilly Pulitzer fabric offerings now!

A Day in the Life of an Interior Mall Employee - Cymantha

Name: Cymantha
Nickname: Cym
Years Employed: Almost 2!
Job Title: Customer Service











Describe a "Typical" Day for you:
Check voice mails, check e-mails, call customers back, take orders and answer phones, get tracking numbers, check on returns, open mail, help with accounting.

Favorite Moment with a Customer:
When a customer called in looking for a fabric that had been discontinued. She needed it to fix her husband's chair. We had a sample of it so we sent it to the customer and she sent a card thanking me saying the reason she needed to fix the chair was because she had cancer and he let her use his chair to sleep in. She just wanted to fix it for him to thank him.

Fill in the Blank:
I think we need a COFFEE POT! in the office.
There is just not enough samples in the office. - Feel the sarcasm.
If you walk by my office you'll hear me on the phone with a customer.

Pop Quiz: How Many Frogs Can You Spot in Cymantha's Office?

Interior Mall Products Used in Cymantha's Office:
Monogrammed Notebook
Swavelle Fabrics: Renshaw Ocean
Shannon Fabrics: Soft Fur Leopard Gold

Fabric Abrasion 101

We are asked a lot how durable certain fabrics are. Many upholstery grade fabrics will have 1 of 2 abrasion ratings listed in the description; It will either be Wyzenbeek or Martindale. These two methods of testing the durability of fabric for upholstery use are actually very different but both of them are commonly used. Let’s begin with the actual definition of abrasion. Abrasion resistance is “the ability of a fabric to resist surface wear caused by flat rubbing contact with another fabric.”

The Wyzenbeek method is a standard test used in the United States. It is often referred to as the “rub test” as people often ask how many “double rubs” a particular pattern passes. The Wyzenbeek machine tests the fabric in both the warp direction (up and down) and the fill or weft direction (right to left). A sample of the fabric is cut into two pieces and each are pulled tight in a frame where it is held stationary. A piece of cotton duck fabric is used as the abradant and is rubbed back and forth over the fabric, known as the “double rub.” The samples are checked after every 5,000 double rubs and if the fabric is still holding up, it goes through another cycle of 5,000 and so on. When wearing has become evident or two yarn breaks have occurred, the end point has been reached, and the fabric is rated by the last check point it passed. So in simple terms, this means if there isn’t any noticeable wear at the first check of 5,000 rubs but it shows noticeable wear at the next cycle it must be rated as only 5,000 double rubs. Most of the time, 15,000 double rubs is considered suitable for heavy use in a residential application.

The Martindale test method is usually performed on imported product, and uses a different method when rubbing the fabric. The sample is mounted flat and a piece of worsted wool cloth is used as the abradant. It is rubbed in an elliptical shape. Again the method is checked in 5,000 cycles and when two breaks occur or there is a sufficient change in shade or appearance, the fabric is rated by the last checkpoint it passed. A rating of 20,000 rubs is considered suitable for heavy duty residential use.

There is, however, one misconception about the two methods. There is no correlation between the two methods; you can not estimate the number of cycles on one test if you only know the test results from the other method.

The next time you are searching for upholstery fabric be sure to look for either one of these abrasion ratings. Knowing this bit of information should make your search that much easier.