Fresh Sheets for a Clean Slate

Who doesn't love to climb into a bed that's made with fresh sheets?  This is one of the quickest ways you can refresh your daily life... first, treat yourself to extra soft sheets.  Follow it up with a new throw pillow or bed cover in a pattern or design that's completely different from what you're currently sleeping under.  It'll energize your bedroom (although possibly make it harder to get up in the morning).  Here are some ideas to fancy up your nighttime!  

1.  Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover + Shams - Bergamot via West Elm

2.  Softest Throw - Solid via West Elm

3.  Foliage Duvet Cover Set via Inhabit Living

4.  Organic CleanDown Pillows via Gaiam

5.  Pinwheel / Blue Dots Duvet via Plover Organic

6.  Pointille Sheets via Coyuchi

7.  Natural Softened Linen Duvet Cover With Linen Lace via Provincial Living

8.  Mod Moroccan Bed Linens via CB2

9.  Lindi Fringe Duvet via Anthropologie

10.  Decorative Linen Pillow Covers via Best Love 2 U

11.  Pixel Rose Decorative Pillow Cover via My Bearded Pigeon

Off The Shelf: 4 Books for Getting a Handle on Life

 I’m one of those people who get sucked into buying a slew of new “Makeover My Life” type books every January.  In fact, I start dreaming about the prospect of purging and replacing before I’m done wrapping presents in December.  Bookstores are happy to oblige my obsession…you can’t escape the displays of resolution centric reading materials as soon as you walk in.  So here I go again, looking for inspiration to get my life in shape.  I happen to think these offerings are pretty tempting….

I already own “It’s All Too Much” by Peter Walsh, but I’m a sucker for anything that has the word “workbook” in the title.  I imagine filling out a ton of forms where I plumb the depths of my psyche and come out on the other end with coordinated desk accessories.  And, I happen to love Peter Walsh’s writing style.  He’s funny and sounds like a normal person rather than an overachieving, index tab wheeling, cheerleader.  Another bonus is that his core principle is pretty much the same as ours: Own What You Love (and stop buying the other junk) and you’ll find your organizing dilemmas are cut in half.   

Aaaah, Time, you elusive little bugger.  Karen June and I are truly loving everything about running Little Yellow Couch.  We get swept up in a project and find we haven’t showered, we’re having cereal for dinner (again) and our kids are wearing “double clean socks,” which is what we’re calling dirties that we’ve turned inside out.  But it’s not only the oft-repeated “life balance” issues we want to get better at, it’s that we don’t even seem to have enough time for everything we want to do within Little Yellow Couch.   I’ll be looking to Julie Morgenstern for help with this using her signature approach, which is that no system works unless it’s personalized to fit your own natural tendencies.  She’s a guru in her field and I’m counting on her to help me see the errors of my time-wasting ways.  

 I wanted to include one book in this list that was for the anti-organizing reader. Lee Silber is using the term “creative” to broadly describe the person who gets a little bored with traditional systems.  Silber’s approach is right up my alley: I can’t even begin to think about getting organized until I go buy that 48-pack of Sharpies in every color ever invented, design my own labels and then spend 5 hours making them line up on my printer, and scouring antiques shops for interesting tea cups to hold odds and ends on my dresser.  Even though I already own 21 of them that I’m not using.  (But I love them, so it’s ok to keep them.  See review of book #1).  Karen June and I are cut from the same cloth on pretty much everything and she agrees that no organizing system could possibly work for us unless it was pretty. 

Because I love Peter Walsh so much, he gets to be on this list twice.  (I’m sure he’ll include this achievement in his annual holiday letter next year).  And what would a list of resolution-type books be without one on dieting?  I’m psyched to read this one because I like the idea of learning how to organize my refrigerator rather than actually dieting.  No, really, I think figuring out how to manage my time and my food supply so that I do eat healthier is a great strategy and I’m sure Mr. Walsh will be the perfect guide on this alternative way of approaching my weaknesses.  (Anything in the “bacon,” “coconut cream cake,” or “butter” foodgroups, in case you’re wondering).

So, happy reading to you all and good luck!  (And please write to us about any life improvement books that you’ve found to be actually helpful)!

xoxo, Zandra

14 Calendars for 2014

Every year, I secretly renew my membership with Calendar Geeks Anonymous (oops, cat's out of the bag) and spend hours and hours scouring the planet for the Very Best Calendar Ever Made.  I am consumed with the extremely important and weighty choice of which calendar will represent my deepest, inner-most hopes and dreams and all of the profound goals I will be sure to achieve over the next twelve months.  Or one where I will write down my appointments and to-do lists.  At least through mid-March.  But in the most decorative way possible.  No really, I DO love a fresh calendar, newly ripped from its cellophane wrapper, hung on the wall with all of those little blank boxes, numbers marching along the number line, daring me to fill them in.  It's addictive.  Here are a few of our favorite.  We hope you get as much giddy pleasure from them as we do!  

1.  DIY Printable Typewriter Desk Calendar via Sky Goodies

2.  Secret Garden Calendar via Rifle Paper Co.

3.  Robins - Eco-Friendly Calendar on Wooden Hanger via The Paperbird Society

4.  Mini Desk Calendar - Camera Love via Lola's Room

5.  Pieces and Patterns Illustrated Wall Calendar via One Canoe Two

6.  Indigo Calendar via Smock

7.  Language of Flowers Wall Calendar via The House That Lars Built

8.  Oversized Wall Calendar HUGE with wood hanger via One Canoe Two

9.  Mid Century Modern Calendar Print via Yumalum

10.  Chalkboard Wall Grid Calendar via The Paper Source

11.  Letterpress Sea Creatures Perpetual Calendar via Blackbird Letterpress

12.  Jaunty Animals Calendar via Hello Small World

13.  Phases of the Moon Screen Printed Lunar Calendar via The Warpaint Shop

14.  DIY Embroidery Kit Tea Towel Calendar via Curious Doodles

Happy New Year from Little Yellow Couch

Happy New Year!  It’s that time again when people start either making resolutions or dig in their heels and refuse them.  Which camp are you in?  At Little Yellow Couch, we’re going to turn the resolution tradition on its side and simply focus on refreshing our lives, without setting up soul-crushing promises or ignoring the opportunity to mindfully change a few things that could make our lives better. 

We’re looking at some ways to actively move our thoughts away from habits that bother us by focusing on what we’ll do instead.  One friend has decided that for a month, she’s going to say “yes” to everything that she’d normally turn down, simply to shake up her life.  Another friend is going to choose a goal-oriented word for the year, one that she’ll come back to when she needs help with a tough decision on prioritizing her time. 

For us, we have our monthly themes that allow us to delve into subjects we want to know more about.  By committing to a specific topic for an entire month, we are more likely to incorporate some of what we’ve absorbed into our daily lives going forward.  This month, our theme is REFRESH.  A fresh start, a clean slate.  We’ll be dusting off our homes and wardrobes and continuing to apply the principle that’s central to Little Yellow Couch: Own what you love and leave the rest behind.  We’re going to expand this mantra to include doing what we love and spending time with the people we love.  While we can’t always leave the rest behind, we can find ways to change our approach so that we’re living a life that best represents our core.  Here’s to 2014:  Let’s do this!!!

xoxo Zandra & Karen June

Happy Holidays from Little Yellow Couch

Wishing you and yours that all the best, brightest and biggest wishes come true this holiday season!  See you in 2014!

Cheers,

xoxo

Zandra and Karen June

Thrift Store Remake: Plaid Portraits in Fancy Frames

Don't pass up those hideously framed copes of crappy art you find discarded in bins at a thrift store!  The ones that are probably a sickly pink color and came from grandma's powder room and were framing dried flowers from the 1980s.  If the frame has an interesting shape, buy it and start collecting them.  Then, when you realize you absolutely must have custom-made theme-related decor for your walls at a party you're hosting, you just have to dig into your stash of horrid thrift store frames.  I mean, how many times have you said to yourself, "Gee, if only my walls were adorned with artwork related to my theme for this customized party I'm throwing..." All the time, right?!  You can quickly take a can of spray paint and do 'em up in gold or black or whatever, cut out some decorative paper for your "mat" and find an interesting image online or create a little collage of your own.  Done!  

Liquor Cabinet Before & After

This month at LYC, we have been busy clinking glasses and gathering with friends and family to celebrate the holiday season.  As we prepared for our own Cocktail Party, Zandra and I started to talk about more intimate gatherings in our homes and cozy winter nights where a hand crafted cocktail would be just the thing to toast a blustery evening.  Inspired by Jason's affinity for homemade infused bourbon and bitters, I decided that a liquor cabinet would be the perfect edition to our home.  I also knew immediately, that I wanted to transform a mahogany record cabinet that had been passed down to me by my Great Aunts Mary & Harriet.  I love the lines of this piece and the low mirror adds a bit of depth and reflection.  However, it has been sitting in my basement for over 10 years waiting to find its new purpose.  

For this transformation, we first removed the door and the back piece.  Zandra worked her decoupage magic to cover the back panel with decorative paper.  We chose a vintage inspired aqua and white paper with touches of glittered gold and silver.  The print is reminiscent of atomic era design and fit well with my favorite cocktail era.  I then removed a few of the shelves and decided to silver-leaf the remaining two.  Because I had decided to leave the dark mahogany wood untouched, I wanted to change up the shelving so that it was lighter and reflective.  I put Jason to the task of installing the lighting ... four LED lights (we used Dioder from IKEA) tucked away on the sides.  After a brief drum roll, we flipped the switch and I did my happy dance that I pull out when one of my visions first comes to life.  LOVE!  

Now Jason's cocktail creations and our favorite bar ware have a place to shine.  

Cheers!

Karen June

Quick Idea: Plaid Wrapped Ornaments

Styrofoam balls + strips of fabric + straight pins = instant ornaments

Ok, this isn't rocket science but maybe you just needed a little inspiration to fill up the gaps on your tree, or to mix with a bunch of pinecones in a basket, or in a glass container sitting on your mantel, or strung across the table as a runner, or hung from fishing line in your window...you see where I'm going with this, right?  Just wrap the strips around the balls until they're covered.  Yep.  That's really it.   

p.s. If you cut the fabric strips on the bias (diagonally), they won't fray nearly as much.  Or to make life even easier, you could use grosgrain ribbon instead of fabric.

p.p.s.  I used "tidy" pins, which are shaped like staples with really long ends, which you can find in the same section as the straight pins in your craft or fabric store.  Tidy pins don't have that little ball on top so they sit flat against the styrofoam and you can't really see them.  Plus, hanging fishing line, string or a ribbon from them is really, well, "tidy."  

xoxo, Zandra

Plaid Antler Plaque

We've seen this idea floating around Pinterest and we thought it would be perfect for our cocktail party.  We were going for a ski lodge-meets-modern glam look for the event so I wanted to figure out how to do a "trophy" wall of small "antler mounts", using plaid fabric with gold tipped antlers.  

• Wooden plaque (craft store), spray painted black
• Sticks, spray painted black with gold spray paint on the tips
• Egg-shaped styrofoam form (floral section, craft store), cut in half lengthwise for the head
• Fabric scrap wrapped around "head," secure with hot glue
• Hot glue "head" to plaque, stick "antlers" in, secure with craft glue
• Hang with Command Strips

Here's a straight shot of our wall of antlers at our cocktail party, and I have to say, the effect was pretty dramatic for something so easy to do!   Give it a try and send us a photo of your wall!

xoxo

Zandra

Quick Idea: Cocktail Stirrers

6 circles of three different kinds of paper  (2 large, 2 medium, 2 small) + 1 thin popsicle stick = 1 cocktail (or coffee!) stirrer

When hosting a Little Yellow Couch event, we like to send our guests home with a little present.  Because, you know, we're nice.  For our cocktail party, we made sets of 6 drink stirrers for each couple and put them in clear bags with a sweet homemade label.  Too bad nobody got them!  For the second time in three months, we forgot to give out our gifts as people were leaving! We now have enough cocktail stirrers to outfit Don Draper's office bar cart for at least a month.  Oh well.  We'll just think nice thoughts about our guests each time Karen and I sit around drinking our signature cocktail.  Does that count?  

Cheers! ... Little Yellow Couch Cocktail Party

You know how, in the stressful couple of days leading up to a party, you occasionally wonder if it’s all worth it?  When you’re shoving things under beds because you put off cleaning until the last minute; when you’re still in sweatpants 5 minutes before people arrive and you’re trying to stab individual chocolate covered raspberries with drink stirrers so that your martinis will look like a photo on Pinterest; when you’re hoping the spray paint will dry, the glitter will stick and the ceramic deer head won’t fall on top of a guest and you actually consider crazy gluing the thing to the wall without your husband seeing you…(C’mon, people, tell me you know what I’m talking about).  Well, I can say with confidence that it must have been worth it because we had a BLAST!!!  And I’m still married.  So.  (There will probably be another party).  

My husband and I have been hosting annual holiday parties but this year he was really lucky!  It was a Little Yellow Couch gathering, which meant Karen June and I both were coming up with harebrained ideas.  Ones that simply must be implemented or there’d be no point in even having a party.   For example, the whole “must have more plaid” mantra that translated into plaid pillows, plaid runners, plaid coasters, plaid ornaments, plaid swags, plaid hanging from the windows…; the “we need antlers, but we don’t have antlers, we’ll make our own antlers” idea, the “it’s obvious we need to reupholster the furniture” decision… (That was Pete’s favorite).  

Anyway,  Karen June and I can’t help ourselves.  Our secret daily goal is to get each of our husbands to say, “ummmm, honey?  Isn’t that a little over the top…?”  Then we know we’re about half way there to actually being over the top.  

My favorite idea is probably the one we came up with just a few days before the event: the “a photo booth would reeeeeally make the party click” idea.   But that’s what happens when Karen and I get together.  We egg each other on.   We immediately realized that we needed to create a background for the “booth.”  With hanging-down-thingies.  And props.  And lights.  But hey, we had FUN!  So it must have been a successful party.  

And when I say “success,” I mean that our guests didn’t hate us for making them hold props as we shoved them into our make-shift photo booth, they ate enough of the food to make us think they liked it, and they actually followed the directions when mixing up our signature cocktail…and then helped themselves to another.  At Little Yellow Couch, it will always be all about the people and the experiences we have with them.  

(Honestly.  We need medical attention.  But not yet.  We’re planning January’s party and we’ve got some ideas we have to try out).

Cheers!

Zandra & Karen June

Pinterest Roundup - "Cheers"

Each month at Little Yellow Couch we create a new Pinterest board with photos that embody the topic we're currently exploring.  This month, our theme is "Cheers" and we've been pinning images that evoke the celebratory mood of the holiday season.  Check it out for daily inspiration! 

Cheers!,

Zandra & Karen June

Visit Little Yellow Couch's profile on Pinterest.

Cheers! : Cocktail Shopping List

The holiday season is all about gathering with friends and family and celebrating!  At LYC, we have been planning our own cocktail party from Invitations and Decorations to crafting  Homemade Bitters and Vanilla Fig Infused Bourbon.  Tomorrow we will be sharing a Record Cabinet Bar Remake with you.  Below is a curated shopping list to get you started on your own bar!

Cheers!

Karen June

1.  Gold Glitter Cheers Banner via Arrows & Apricots

2.  Typography Print Mojito Recipe via Lily & Val

3.  Vintage 1950's Glass Cocktail Kit via Kitsch Twenty Two

4.  Cocktail Recipe Letterpress Coasters via Steel Petal Press

5.  Shimmery Cocktail Napkins Chanee Vijay Textiles

6.  Retro Bar Glasses with Chrome Cozies via Envy Alley

7.  Dirty Martini: Cocktail Recipe Glass via Sundries Etc.

8.  Engraved Cocktail Muddler via AHeirloom

9.  Grapefruit Bitters via Texas Bitters

10.  Deer Antler Bottle Opener via Two Dog Farms 

11.  Cocktail Party Invite via Banter & Charm

12.  Wood Cocktail Chalkboard Drink Stirrers via Charlie Chalk Designs 

So Sam: DIY Yo Yo Button Hair Clips

We are so excited to introduce our first guest post by our good friend, Sam O'Donoghue of So Sam! Also known as "the button lady," Sam collects vintage buttons from estate sales, antique fairs and thrift shops.  She then creates one-of-a-kind jewelry, small sculptural items, shopping bags, clips and other projects that strike her fancy!  For Little Yellow Couch, we asked Sam to come up with an accessory we could all wear to our end of year cocktail party.  We introduced her to our partners at Fabric Place Basement and we all spent a morning looking through buttons and fabrics, mixing and matching until Sam was happy with the materials to make the three beautiful hair clips you see here.  (I know, I know, there are four clips in the photo...I couldn't decide if I wanted to wear a big one or a little one so Sam made both for me!).

Sam O'Donoghue

Sam in her studio

Supplies

Fabric *
Buttons *
Hair clips 
Needle and thread
Scissors
Yo Yo makers 

* Our beautiful Fabrics and Buttons are from the Fabric Place Basement
 

To make a yo yo, you can use a yo-yo maker as I am doing here.  Place the fabric wrong side facing you between the plate and the disc. Cut around the disc leaving 1/8" - 3/16" allowance.  Cut two circles in different sizes (use 2 colors or patterns).  I used the 7" size for the gold cloth and 3.5" size for the turquoise.

If you don’t have one of these simply cut a fabric circle using any template such as a cup or small plate.

Thread your needle and tie a knot.  Stitch through the holes in the plate. If you are working without a yo yo maker simply fold over a ¼ inch and stitch around the outside close to the edge.

Remove the disc and plate and gather the thread. When the opening has closed tie a knot and cut the thread.

Don't worry if any thread shows as this will be covered by a button.

When you have created two different sized yo yo’s you can attach the button. Sew through the button hole and through the center of the two yo yo’s several times to secure them together.

Sew a snap clip or alligator clip to the back of the larger yo yo.

You are done! A beautiful hair piece perfect for any event.

The perfect Cocktail Party accessory!

Homemade Vanilla Fig Old-Fashioned

No cocktail party is complete without a signature drink!  About a month and a half before our party I put my mixologist husband Jason to the task.  Before I knew it, boxes of imported figs, vanilla and other esoteric ingredients were arriving on our doorstep.  

Soon glass jars of vanilla bean and fig infused bourbon were lining our shelves as well as bitters waiting to infuse into a complex flavor with a strong vanilla essence.  We snuck a few tastes over the month as the flavors developed ... this is a good idea to monitor your infusions ... but seriously it would be impossible to wait anyway!  

When the evening of our Little Yellow Couch Cocktail Party finally arrived, it was thrilling to mix a handcrafted Vanilla Fig Old-Fashioned for our guests and enjoy a few ourselves!

Cheers, 

Karen June & Jason

Vanilla Fig Infused Bourbon

2 Liters Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey**

1 lb. Black Mission Figs (quartered)

1 lb. Turkish Figs (quartered)

1 lb. Calimyrna Figs (quartered)

9 Madagascar Vanilla Beans Soaked in Bourbon

Mix together in an airtight glass container(s).  Allow to infuse for 1 month, agitating daily. 
After 1 month, strain through both coarse and fine strainers.  Bottle in decorative decanters. 

** We wanted to make a larger amount for our party guests, but this recipe can be reduced proportionally for smaller batches.  

Vanilla Bitters

750 ml bottle Booker's 130.4 proof Bourbon***
2 Tbsp Blackstrap Molasses
1 Tbsp Gentian Root
1 Tbsp Cacao Nibs
1 Tbsp Black Cardamom
1 Tbsp Coffee Beans
9 Madagascar Vanilla Beans Soaked in Bourbon
1 Tsp Black Peppercorns

*** High proof bourbon is necessary for extracting the complex flavors in bitters.

Mix together in an airtight glass container(s).  Allow to infuse for 1 month, agitating daily.  After 1 month, strain through both coarse and fine strainers.  Bottle in dark amber glass.

Vanilla Fig Old-Fashioned 

3-6 Dashes of Vanilla Bitters
3 Parts Vanilla Fig Infused Bourbon
1 Part Club Soda

Add ice to a glass.  Add bitters, then club soda and finally bourbon.  Stir and serve.

Spruce Upholstery Giveaway & Our New Plaid Chair

Each month at LYC, we plan a new gathering with friends to connect and celebrate.   When planning each event, we draw from our monthly theme, our aesthetics, current inspirations and the feeling we want to create for our guests.  As we sat in Zandra's living room envisioning this month's cocktail party, we already knew that we wanted three key ingredients in the decor ... Plaid, Plaid and MORE Plaid!  We started with obvious decor items like the runner, coasters, pillow and ornaments we shared with you earlier this week.  But, seriously, we couldn't stop there.  We want that WOW moment (or moments!)  when you walk into  room.  

Lots of LYC meetings happen in this living room and many of our best ideas have come while one of us sits in Zandra's "whale chair," as it is affectionately known. In fact, one of us was probably sitting in it when we came up with the brilliant and OBVIOUS idea that clearly we needed to reupholster the chair for the party!  I mean, who doesn't reupholster furniture whenever they have a party?!  Our conversation went something like this:

KJ:  We need more plaid.

Z:  Ok.  Um.  What about that aesthetic where someone takes an old chair...

KJ:  Oh!  And recovers it...

Z:  ...but with a mix of fabrics?  We could...

KJ:  ...do plaid with the whales!

Z:   Yes!  A mix of plaids to mash things up...

KJ:  ...at least 3 different plaids...

Z:  ...on just the cushions!  Oh, and a fourth plaid on the...

Z & KJ:  PIPING!!!  Obviously.  

(Pause)

KJ:  Do we know how to reupholster?  

(Pause)

Well, I'll let you guess what our answer was to that question.  But, ignorance is the motivator of project implementation.  Or something.  Anyway, we needed help and since we've been a huge fan of Amanda Brown of Spruce Upholstery for a long time, we started there.   We were thrilled to be contacted by Storey Publishing who has just released a book by Amanda called "Spruce: A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design."    They generously sent us a copy to keep and one to GIVE AWAY TO ONE OF OUR READERS!  We couldn't wait to get our hands on the book and It completely lived up to our expectations ... aesthetically beautiful from cover to cover and filled with step-by-step visual instructions on how to complete any project.  They even include a handy color-coded guide on mixing and matching design elements to cover any possibility.  

I absorbed the book for a full week before getting started.  Once I did, I found the project to be less daunting than I expected because of Amanda's wonderful writing and guidance.  Not so sure you have the time or desire to reupholster your own furniture?  Spruce. A Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design is still an incredible guide for educating yourself on developing an eye for the right piece of furniture to have professionally done as well as the fabric types and scale necessary to create your dream piece.  Plus, it's full of inspirational eye candy.  And you can impress your friends by having a DIY upholstery book casually left out on the coffee table.  

xoxo Karen June

Image provided by Storey Publishing

Image provided by Storey Publishing

Image provided by Storey Publishing

Now for the exciting part ... WE HAVE A COPY TO GIVE AWAY!  Look below for a few ways to enter and good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Deer Silhouette Pillow & Ornaments DIY

As we've said, we are all about plaid in the Little Yellow Couch studio this week.  As we cut and stitch , pin and glue to decorate for our cocktail party this Friday, we keep looking at each other and saying ... "I think we need more plaid!"  Here are two more projects incorporating plaid for you to use in your holiday decor.  

Our Deer Silhouette Pillow would look great on your favorite seat and its pom pom fringe adds a fun touch.  Love the look, but hoping for a no sew DIY?  Check out our Deer Silhouette Ornament below.  Simply cut and glue!

Deer Silhouette Pillow Instructions
Deer Silhouette 1
Deer Silhouette 2

Materials: 

3/4 yd. Plaid Fabric *
2 yds. Pom Pom Fringe *
12 x 18" sheet of Black Felt
Sewing Machine
Sewing Thread
Scissors
Quilting Pins
16 x 16 " Pillow Form

* Our beautiful plaids and trim are from the Fabric Place Basement.

Pattern:

Piece A   17" x 17"
Piece B   17" x 14" (top flap)
Piece C   17" x 12" (bottom flap)
Deer Silhouette ( Print and cut out Deer 1 & Deer 2 and tape together)

(For a tighter fit - Piece A 16 x16" : Piece B 16" x 14" : Piece C 16" x 12")

Directions:

1. Gather materials.
2. Print out Deer Silhouette Pattern and cut out deer from Black Felt.  
3.  Cut out Pieces A, B, and C from Plaid Fabric.
4. Pin Deer Silhouette to Piece A - 1 1/4" from the base.
5. Edge stitch Deer to Piece A.
6. Press one of the 17"w sides of Pieces B & C over 1/2".  Edge stitch.
7. Line Piece B up with pillow top (right sides together).  
8. Line Piece C up with pillow bottom (right sides together). 
9. Sandwich Pom Pom trim between right sides of fabric and pin in place. 
10. Sew around all four sides at 1/2" and turn right side out.

Looking for a quick no sew project?  Try framing a scrap of plaid fabric in any embroidery hoop (Karen June lucked out and found these vintage metal hoops at a yard sale for 10 cents a piece!  Not to gloat, or anything).  Then use our template to trace a deer onto black felt, which you can glue onto the plaid.  These ornaments would look great hung in a cluster on a wall or trimming your tree!

Small Deer Silhouette Pattern

Plaid Runner & Coasters DIY

In case it has gone unnoticed, we are committed to using a ridiculous amount of plaid for our upcoming holiday cocktail party.  (Bonus for me: I get to keep all of this stuff for my home once the party is over).  Yesterday we showed you our plaid swag and tomorrow we’ll be sharing DIYs on a plaid pillow and ornaments.  Today it’s all about using the scraps.  Looking around my house during the various stages of party planning, the question we keep asking is: “Do we have enough plaid?” followed closely by “is it possible to EVER have too much plaid?!”  After re-covering a chair, hanging swags, making ornaments, pillows and artwork, we were astounded to see we’d neglected the buffet!  Of all places!  So, the idea for a quick runner was born and then, because we couldn’t resist, we made some coasters, too. 

Quick Tip (also known as “cheating,” or “faking” by extremist DIYers):  Use a runner you already have (or flip one over and use the backside).  Then just sew on your strips of fabric.  I mean, why re-invent the wheel?  Or the base for your runner?  

For the coasters, we cut 5”x5” squares, sewing two squares of different fabrics together.  Simply stitching on the outside of the fabrics and using pinking shears to finish the edges made the work go very quickly, no hemming required.  Because who likes to hem a gazillion coasters?  

Easy-peasy.  

Cheers,
Zandra and Karen June 

P.S.  All of our beautiful plaids are from the Fabric Place Basement!

---

Quick and Easy DIY Plaid Swag

Here’s any easy project you could do in an afternoon.  We were inspired by the draping found in grand homes during the winter.  Typically made of velvet, these drapes were hung between rooms to keep warm air in or cold air out.  While central heating no longer necessitates this ritual, we love the idea of decorating with fabric, as if we’re blanketing our homes for winter.  

You’ll need:

• A stick you find in your yard or on a walk
• Spray paint (we used gold to be festive for the holidays), or leave the stick natural
• Small eye hooks
• Fishing twine
• Fabric *(the length is up to you and how far down you want the swag to hang)
• 2nd Fabric *(if you want to have a coordinating pattern across the bottom)

* Our festive plaids are from the Fabric Place Basement

Tools you may find helpful:

• Lopping shears to cut the branch down to size (we just used what we found)
• Cutting mat and rotary cutter
• Quilting Ruler
• Sewing Machine

How To:

I have two arches in my home so I wanted two swags.  We simply cut our fabric lengthwise down the middle so that each swag had a width of 26”.  To hang the sticks, we used very small eye hooks screwed into the underside of each arch (or in your doorways if you like).   We then tied fishing line from the hooks around the sticks to keep it looking uncluttered.  For the fabric, we cut a 2nd plaid on the bias to coordinate with the first and sewed it on the bottom.  After we hemmed all of the sides, we played around with draping the fabric across the sticks until we liked the look.  Voila!  A can a spray paint and a few seams in straight lines….how simple is that?   

xoxo Zandra

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Printable: Deer Silhouette Cocktail Invitation

We are ready to celebrate!  We’ve been working for the better part of this year on developing, launching and sharing Little Yellow Couch and so wrapping up 2013 feels pretty special to us.  Whatever your accomplishments or moments of grace have been this year, we encourage all of you to add a touch of sparkle to your wardrobe, put on your dancing shoes, light the candles, eat, drink and make merriment with your friends!  We’ll show you how we’re doing it at our Little Yellow Couch Cocktail Party later this month.  And then we’d love to see photos of your parties, too!  Email us here.  

xoxo Karen June & Zandra

P.S.  Here are some Cocktail Party Invitations for you!  Simply print invitations front and back on opposite sides of a piece of card stock.  We added an extra sparkly touch by painting our deer's antlers with Mod Podge and sprinkling with fine gold glitter.  Address labels can be printed on full sheet sticker paper and cut out.  We used A6 Envelopes in antique gold from the Paper Source.  Cheers!

Cocktail Party Invitation FRONT

Cocktail Party Invitation BACK

Cocktail Party Address Labels

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