8/17/2014

Easy DIY: Make Your Own Pom Poms!


As promised, here is a tutorial on how to make large pom poms! I'm sorry it's later than planned. I spent last weekend prepping for a job interview, which isn't nearly as much fun as making pom poms, spray painting junk, etc. But, I love my job and it pays for the blog so, yeah - gotta do what ya gotta do! 
How to Make Large Pom Poms Using a Fork
Using a fork to make pom poms is nothing new, but I wanted to mix it up by using an oversized fork to make big pom poms. I also had a strange urge to try my hand at making a GIF, which appears later in the post. 
How to Make Large Pom Poms Using a Fork
The first thing you'll need to do is buy a pom pom maker - a large wooden fork. The thrift store by our house had a whole box of them for a dollar or two a piece. The next thing you'll need to do is keep it away from sticky fingered munchkins! Apparently giant wooden forks are very appealing to three year old kids. Whenever I wasn't looking, B would swipe the fork and I'd run after him shouting "Hey! Come back here with my pom pom maker!" 
How to Make Large Pom Poms Using a Fork
Instructions:
1. Loop a six to ten inch piece of yarn through the middle and secure it with painter's tape. 
2. Run the yarn in front of the first two fork tines, then below the second two.
3. Weave the yarn back and fourth over and under until you've reached the top. The trick to a full and fluffy pom pom is to weave it tightly and also go back and forth over the yarn a few times so that it's layered as you go up the fork.
4. Once you've reached the top, remove the tape and tie the long piece at the top.
5. Slowly move the yarn loops up and off the fork, tightening the string as you go.
6. When the pom pom is removed and the center piece tightened, you'll have a nice loopy pom pom.
7. Cut the loops and do a little trimming to make it uniformly round.

That's it! A simple and inexpensive way to make pom poms for whatever you need!  

Just for funsies, here is a GIF of the process!
How to Make Large Pom Poms Using a Fork
Pom poms were a nice finishing touch for an accent pillow in our office. I did a tutorial for the half moon pillow a couple weeks back and plan to do a post about the blue and white pillow next!
How to Make Large Pom Poms Using a Fork



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8/11/2014

Updating our Home Office

Our office is looking pretty snappy these days, mainly due to this amazing mid-century console my friend Megan scouted for me (thanks, Megan!). Unfortunately, the record player is on the fritz, but hey, I don't own any records anyways! Eventually I will get it repaired and start stealing my parents' vinyl, but for now I think I can buy an adapter so my iPod will play through the speakers. Maybe? Does that exist?
DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office
Below is how the office looked a couple of years ago; a yellow-beige mess of a room that was a catchall for junk and not very functional.
home office before


home office before
Last year, I painted the room gray, organized the shelves and moved around some of the furniture. Those changes helped a lot, but it still didn't look and feel right. I would literally sit in here and stare, glass of wine in hand, just thinking and trying to find a solution for making the room "work" - and on a budget. The first and most annoying obstacle was a rat's nest of cords in the corner of the room that I needed to figure out how to hide. See that tangled mess in the corner below?
home office beforeAnother issue was the desk. First, we had a "puzzle" desk that we bought when Jesse was still in school, but Juno chewed up one of the corners and it didn't fit with our style anyways. Then, I found this fabulous MCM desk and chair set (a ridiculously low priced Craig's list score), but it just isn't functional enough for us. The drawers don't have much storage space, and with Jesse using the closet in this room for his wardrobe, desk storage is a must. Also, the matching chair is pretty but uncomfortable. Bottom line, the set is more for a mid-century enthusiast who wants to simply admire it, not actually use it every day. The third part of the office challenge was figuring out where to (eventually) put a guest bed. I toyed around with various ideas; a queen sized bed, a sleeper sofa, making  asking Jesse to build a custom desk and bed combo, etc. I've recently settled on a layout that includes a twin size bed, and I think this plan might stick.
The record console wasn't part of the original plan, but it worked out perfectly. Jesse made a couple of floating shelves and I arranged odds and ends from around the house on the wall with it. I especially love the bird batik print I found at Junkstock this summer! I also love the "Only Boring People are Bored" quote I made for the wall. Our family motto.
DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office

DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office
DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office

I've had this tension pole lamp for years, it was recently in B's room and then stored in the basement. I spray painted it teal blue, but I can't decide if the color is amazing or horrible. It might get another coat of paint. This time in white. Because I paint everything white. Or black.DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office
I swapped the MCM desk for my sewing desk (a nifty expandable number I found at an estate sale wayyy back in college) and re-located it under the window. The is in rough shape, but it's too neat to paint, so I think Jesse and I might try to rehab the veneer this winter.
DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office
I'm estimating the cost for a complete guest bed set-up to be roughly eight hundred to a thousand dollars, so we are pushing that off for a few months in order to put our funds into the basement remodel. I was going to put this slipper chair in the corner, but it was awkward and didn't do a good job of hiding all the cables and cords in the corner. I've had the ottoman since college, it's original upholstery is dark purple velvet with swirls. Classy. I think I've recovered it about six times, but for this round I just threw one of our Turkish bath towels over it. I made a tutorial for the house / heart string art a few weeks ago that you can see here. There is also a tutorial for the Ferm Living inspired potato stamp pillow, here. I'm working on tutorials for the other two pillows and hope to have those up soon!
DIY Vintage Modern Eclectic Home Office
Overall, I'd say the office / guest room is about two thirds finished. I would still like to get a bed but I'm totally fine with the bench for now. I just have a couple small projects left; curtains, a rug, maybe re-paint the tension pole lamp, and wire up a secondhand ceiling fixture I re-vamped. You know, little stuff... 
Do you have rooms you've struggled with in terms of layout?  How did you find a solution?

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8/07/2014

Put a Pom-Pom on it!

Remember that "Put a Bird on it!" spot they did on Portlandia a few years back? High-larious! Kinda ruined birds for me though.

                  

Cut to 2014 and pom poms are the new birds! A pom-pom here, a pom pom there, pom poms everywhere, I don't care! Pom poms are too cute and I will continue to love them for at least two more weeks, even if a comedy duo pokes fun at their over-use.

Check out this adorable vintage pom-pom table cloth I found at an estate sale!
I want to make coordinating chair cushions for our patio set. I'm thinking bubblegum pink? I've been stalking our local stores for the just-right-shade of outdoor fabric but so far, no dice.

This weekend (hopefully), I'll be sharing a tutorial on how to make pom-poms that are perfect for blankets, toss pillows AND roller skates!  But for now, let's get inspired by checking out some eye candy - my favorite pom-pom applications from around blogland.
DIY Pom Pom Hand Towels: Pretty Prudent (please pin from original source)

DIY Pom Pom Toss Pillow: The Hunted Interior (please pin from original source)

Pom Pom Sofa Throw: Under the Sycamore (please pin from original source)

DIY Pom Pom Curtains: Makely Home (please pin from original source)

Pom Pom Table Runner: A Clover and Bee (please pin from original source)

P.S. - This post is for my amazing friend, Jessie, who introduced me to the hilariousness of Portlandia.

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