Weekend Projects to Liven Up a Room

We’ve all been there – a few months ago, you had grand visions of remodeling your home or performing CPR on your living space with a little interior design. It seemed like you had all the time in the world… and then life happened, and suddenly it’s November, and guests will be here any minute to kick off the holidays – and many more times after that. Do you just push those décor dreams into the same column as your long-abandoned Resolutions? Not on our watch. We’ve got some great projects that will change the look and feel of your home and only take a weekend, tops! Even we can find the time for that.

Brighten Up, Already

Whether guests will be staying with you or just tossing their purses onto the guestroom bed, painting your headboard a bright new shade can really make a statement. Wooden headboard? Pull out that sandpaper and sand the surface so the paint has something to grip onto. The key here is lightly removing the clear coat or splinters without tearing up the surface of the wood. Once it’s smooth and you’ve brushed off the dust, grab that brush and get painting. Metal frame? Spray paint brands have products designed exactly for this purpose. Drag the frame into a well-ventilated area and wipe it down to keep oily fingerprints or dust from ruining your work. After that, you’re just a spray can away from a whole new look!

It’s On My Dish List

If you’ve been digging through the Good China in preparation for the big (turkey) day, maybe you’ve found some mismatched plates and don’t know what to do with them. We do! A gallery wall of dishes can make a beautiful décor piece in a kitchen or dining room. Grab some spray paint (the paint-and-primer-in-one type works best for this) and plate hangers, and give those dishes a second life! We love ombré designs, where the plates on top are a lighter shade and “fade” into darker plates of the same hue at the bottom. We recommend making a craft paper template with the plate shapes cut out before actually nailing anything into the wall. Not sure you have enough (or any) plates to move from the table to the wall? Have no fear! Thrift stores and garage sales will often have ample selection for you to choose from. Remember to vary the size, shape and edge patterns of the plates for the best look.

String Theory

If you’ve spent any time online lately, you’ve probably noticed string art is all the rage. This simple project makes a great statement piece in any room, and depending on your design, can make a loving tribute to your favorite state, saying, animal, alphabet letter, pastime – the options are as endless as your imagination. Grab some embroidery floss in your favorite color(s), a hammer, and small nails, and decide what you want the back to be. You can choose wood, cork, MDF board or really anything the nails will stay in. Trace out your pattern, hammer in the nails and get stringing! The design can then be hung on the wall to wow your friends. Looking for a way to step it up a notch? Try string art in reverse. Instead of stringing inside your pattern, fill in all the area outside your pattern. This cool style is called negative-space artwork. It’s one time we like thinking negatively.

Do You No Sew-and So?

No luck finding the perfect table runner or placements to set off your table? No problem! Head on over to your local fabric store and buy some yards of your favorite upholstery fabric. If you plan to make a table runner and six matching placemats, you will need five yards – two yards for the placemats and three for the runner. While you’re there, grab a roll of 5/8” wide fusible bonding web. Once home, determine the size of your placemats. Placemats are typically 12”x18” or 14”x20”. Make sure the edges can be at least two inches away from the edge of your table runner and still fit on the table. Got the measurement in mind? Add four inches in length and another four in width (two inches on each side). Cut that size out of your fabric, repeating five more times for six total placemats.

For each placemat, fold the edge of the fabric in half an inch on all the long ends, and iron it flat. Then, fold in another half an inch, and iron it flat. Slip a precut strip of the fusible webbing between the layers of the double hem you created, and iron on with steam. Make sure to run the iron back and forth repeatedly to ensure the layers are stuck together. Repeat on the short ends. Corners not lying flat? Add a drop or two of fabric glue under the hem.

The table runner is completed with the exact same process. Determine your table runner size first (usually one-third the width of the table and two feet longer than the table, with four inches added to both width and length for hem allowance). Next, double hem the runner exactly like you did for the placemats. (Fold the edges over half an inch, iron, fold another half inch, iron, slip in the webbing, and iron again.)

Voila! You’ve created a table runner and placemats without ever touching a sewing machine – or settling for the pattern (and price) of those in the store.

At GCD, we’re as proud of your beautiful new home as you are, and want to help you make the inside as stylish and eye-catching as the exterior. If the holiday countdown has you looking for a time machine, and you’re still hoping to breathe a little life into your flatlining décor, we invite you to try one of these quick projects. They’re sure to have an impact in your living space, without denting your wallet or eating up your precious time. (That said, if you ever do find that time machine, we’ll gladly pitch in for half!)