Though I love to sew, patience with fabric is elusive. So, when I needed some curtains for the home office window, off to Target we went. White curtains from Simply Shabby Chic by Rachel Ashwell had just the right look, but they were too long. Luckily, the top and bottom hems were the same measurement. All I had to do was fold them in half (top to bottom), then iron and cut along the fold. But, oh, the cut curtains needed some help. An unfinished seam is an ugly thing! Some pretty beaded trim was in order.
Here is my easy no-sew embellishing technique:
Tools
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Iron
Ironing board
Pins
Scissors
Tin foil
Materials
Beaded trim (2 inches longer than the width of the curtains)
Curtains
Flat trim (1 foot longer than the width of the curtains)
Fusing tape
1. 2.
1. Cut a length of beaded trim one to two inches longer than the width of the curtain and a length of fabric trim 4 inches longer than the width of the curtain. Lay a long strip of tin foil on the surface of the ironing board, then lay the cut edge of a curtain on top of the tin foil. Pin fusing tape along the cut edge of the curtain.
2. Cover the fusing tape with a washcloth or ironing cloth, then place the iron on the cloth. Hold the iron in place for up to ten seconds, then lift the iron and move the cloth down along the tape and heat that part of the tape. Repeat this along the length of the curtain to fuse one side of the tape to the curtain.
3. 4.
5.
3. Remove the backing from the fused tape. Place the beaded trim on top of the fused tape, leaving an equal amount at each side edge, then adhere the beaded trim using the same technique as in Step 2. Using this technique again, adhere another strip of fusing tape on top of the fabric edge of the beaded trim. Remove the backing from the fused tape.
4. Carefully pin the fabric trim on top of the fused tape, making sure it is even, then iron in place using the same technique as in Step 2.
5. Turn the curtain over. Using the hot glue gun, glue the raw edges of the fabric trim to the back of the curtain.
6. Repeat for each curtain.
Whether shopping at antique stores, thrift shops, or discount stores, I always keep my eyes open for interesting pieces. When I saw this lamp at a small outdoor swap meet, it still wore its original brass finish and didn't have a shade. But it had great details and was just $7. Transformation was fast and easy! Three coats of Kilz white spray paint covered the brass, then the edges were sanded to add some interest. To spruce up a plain new shade, beaded and eyelash trims were hot glued on the top and bottom edges. So easy.
Yet another swap meet find, this mirror originally was a really UGLY bright gold, but I loved the design. At that time, I thought black was the way to go, but then realized the mirror would work great in the office/guest room. A couple coats of white acrylic craft paint covered the black, then two different colors were mixed to come up with this blue-green shade.
I LOVE PAINT! It’s a great cost-effective and super simple way to give new life to old pieces.
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