Trash & Treasures Tuesday: Updated Treasure

Remember that super cute vintage patio set I scored on Craigslist?

It got a little makeover last week!

While I loved the vintage feel of the orange seats, they were a little weather-worn. I decided to recover with some outdoor fabric on super clearance from Joanne's. It would have been nice to use some of the fabric laying around the house, but I wanted to make sure it was weather-proof.

We popped the seats off, folded the fabric snug and stapled away! I think they turned out pretty well. And, the set still cost a fraction of what I would have paid in the store.

Any fun summer projects planned? Share in the comments!

Peace & thanks (and a belated Happy 4th!),
Kaitlin

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: Recently Thrifted

The official start of summer = garage sales galore! And while poking through boxes of forgotten treasures in someone's yard will always be my favorite way of thrifting, the birth of Etsy and other online avenues pave the way for virtual garage sailing. Below is an assortment of deals earned the old fashion way and through the comfort of my MacBook.

These adorable earrings made from vintage lucite cabochons are an Etsy steal. I ordered the red and cream pairs and the seller was sweet enough to throw in the pink pair! Thanks, Dangsworld!

My mom gave me this and I though the old McCurdy's box was vintage goodness all by itself. Opening it was even better...

 Vintage buttons! I foresee lots of button crafting in my future.

I snagged this small child's desk at a garage sale for $5! It makes the perfect nightstand in our guest room.

And last but not least, some 80's records, 25 cents each. REO, The Boss, Duran Duran, Journey... all the greats. Hehe. I almost bought Rio online for $10 a few weeks ago - good thing I waited!

Any good thrifted treasures lately? Share 'em in the comments!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin

Trash & Treasures Tuesday: Thrifted Dresses Turn Couch Cover

My stylin' friend Jess has been a big influence on me, my love of thrifting and my obsession with all things vintage. Jess always snags the best items and has a great eye for "what could be." Not many people would see a dress and think, "Hm, this would make a fabulous sofa cover!" Jess did and she made it happen to boot!

From the crafting queen herself:

"I bought two women's plus size velour dresses (well, really more like 'stretch velvet') in the same shade of chocolate brown - I looked for ones that didn't have any adornment/ pockets/ buttons so that all of the material could be usable... I used a scrap piece of cotton (rectangular shaped) that I already had as the center..."

Jess then cut the dresses into the largest symmetric strips possible (all the while keeping them even) and sewed them (right sides together, of course) to the cotton base.

"Then, since it's a cover and can be tucked, I just eyeballed how to finish the sleeves of the couch cover... I ended up just tucking in a lot of the uneven seams, and it appears to be working well."

The results, pretty amazing.

She hit a few snags here and there, but since the material was inexpensive and the end product didn't need to be "perfect," she kept rollin' with the punches and ended up with a great repurposed cover. Love the drapping of the velvet over the arms.

Jess recommends hitting up a store like the Salvation Army or Goodwill for the best deals. Much less expensive then buying new fabric (or buying a new cover).

Thanks to Jess for letting me share her awesome dress-to-couch cover project!

Peace & thanks,
Kaitlin