LIVING Index
Beauty
Budget Decorating
Children's Activities
Computers
Decorative Accessories
Doors
Entertaining
Faux Finishing
Finance
Fireplaces
Floors & Ceilings
Flowers & Plants
Food & Cooking
Furniture
Handles, Knobs & Hinges
Health
Household Tips
Insurance
Lamps & Lighting
Linens & Fabrics
Bedding
Curtains & Valances
Table Linens
Upholstery
Other

Non-Traditional Housing
Outdoor
Painting & Staining
Pets
Recycling
Rooms & Furnishings
Safety
Stamping & Stenciling
Themed Decor
Wall Coverings
Wall Decor
Window Treatments

BEST OF LIVING
Mold Quiz
Home Safety
Room Planner
Pet Care Guide
Weekend Projects
DIY to the Rescue
Sparkling Solutions
Organize Your Home
Ultimate Media Room
Picture Perfect Parties
Queen of Clean

SPONSOR LINKS

  • Accessories
  • Accessories
    From "Material Girls"
    episode DMTG-106


    It's time to add the final touches. Cat, April and Kelly add fabric accents to pull the bathroom together: café curtains that hang across the window below the valance, a shower curtain and a vanity bench covered in the same coordinating fabrics, and a scrim for a wall cut-out near the mirror. A final romantic touch is a set of monogrammed bathrobes for the couple.

    advertisement


    PHOTO

    Café Curtains
    Café Curtains

    Materials:

    fabric
    pins
    scissors
    sewing machine or needle and thread
    measuring tape

    1. First measure the length of the area to be covered by the curtain panel, taking the finished length plus 8" for the hem and 6" for the rod pocket.

    2. Fold a double 4" hem at the bottom, pin in place and sew.

    3. Turn in the side hems, pin and sew.

    4. Fold the top of the panel down with a double 3" hem, pin and sew. This creates the rod pocket.

    5. Simply slide the rod through the top pocket and hang.

    PHOTO

    Shower Curtain
    Shower Curtain

    Materials:

    fabric
    scissors
    sewing machine
    measuring tape
    pins

    1. Decide on the finished length of the shower curtain and add for the hem and the seam allowance on the top. Next decide on the fullness you want (1-1/2 widths of the fabric is usually a good rule of thumb).

    2. Cut panels the desired length (with seam allowance and hem) and fullness.

    3. Sew panels together and fold and sew the bottom hem.

    4. Lay the pieces wrong sides together, pin in the side hems and sew.

    5. Depending on the size of the rod, cut tabs about 11" long and 5" wide. Sew them into tubes, wrong sides together.

    6. Turn right side out and press, keeping the seam in the center back. Cut a piece of face fabric the width of the finished panel and about 5" wide.

    7. Lay the tabs on the front of the curtain panel, pin them so they're evenly spaced and sew the tabs to the panel. Then sew the extra piece of fabric over the tabs, turn it to the back, press and hand-sew or glue the piece of fabric to the back of the panel.

    PHOTO

    Re-Covered Vanity Bench
    Re-Covered Vanity Bench

    Materials:

    measuring tape
    two different fabrics
    scissors
    staple gun/staples
    trim (optional)
    fabric glue

    1. Measure the size of the vanity bench, adding a few extra inches to the measurement.

    2. Cut the fabric to the appropriate size.

    3. Cover the bench with the fabric and staple in place on the underneath side. Start stapling in the middle, alternating sides. Continue stapling all the way around; leave a few inches staple-free at the corners.

    4. Miter the edges by folding the corner of the fabric into a point; staple in place. Make sure all the fabric is smooth.

    5. Use the second, complementary fabric to create the skirt. Simply staple the skirt in place on the underneath of the bench.

    6. Add a row of trim using fabric glue around the edge of the bench for a decorative element.

    Wall Scrim

    Materials:

    fabric
    thread
    sewing machine
    scissors
    two tension curtain rods
    mounting hardware
    measuring tape
    paper and pencil
    iron and ironing board
    straight pins
    power screwdriver

    1. Mount both curtain rods, one on the top of the space and one on the bottom.

    2. To determine the finished length of the curtain panels, measure from the top of the rod to the bottom of the second rod. To complete the rod pocket, you will need to put a double 3" hem on each end, so the fabric will slide onto the rod easily.

    3. Measure from the top of the rod to the bottom of the second rod, adding 12" for the rod pockets, both top and bottom. To this measurement add 12-1/4" (for seam allowance) to get the finished length of the curtain panel. Cut accordingly.

    4. Create the side hems, called a double one-and-a-half, by measuring 3" in on each side, folding and pressing. Then fold the 3" in half to make the 1-1/2" seam;pin and sew.

    6. Lay fabric out on table and press flat.

    7. Fold down 6-1/2" at the top, turn under 1/2" (for the seam allowance), pin and sew to create the rod pocket.

    8. Repeat on the bottom of the fabric.

    9. Hang the curtains on the tension rods.

  • ALSO IN THIS EPISODE: