Tami Loves Vintage

Creating Keepsakes With Vintage Treasures

How to Make Plaster Covered Pumpkins

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I have another great pumpkin project for you today, friends! I am showing you how to make plaster covered pumpkins. They have so much texture and add neutral beauty to my fall decor. I love the way they turned out and I hope you do too!

I have shared lots of fun pumpkin crafts with you this month. And I am just as excited about showing you how to make plaster covered pumpkins as I was about the others. I know the word “plaster” can sometimes turn people off. But this plaster project isn’t super messy. And it’s really simple to do!

I use a pre-mixed, ready to use, comes in a small tub, all purpose sheet rock as my plaster. It’s a joint compound for drywall but works perfectly for this project. And, since it’s ready to go right in the tub, we don’t have the mess of mixing.

I do put down a sheet of cardboard to protect my table. But even I don’t make much of a mess with this! So grab your closest pumpkin and chip brush, and let’s get crafting!

How to Make Plaster Covered Pumpkins

When it comes to fall decor, the sky is the limit on the possible ways to create it. I have been having so much fun seeing the amazing projects that creatives have been coming up with this season. There has been so much inspiration to be found and can’t wait to share new projects with you all!

I first made these plaster covered pumpkins in my membership group. It has been a few years and I still love them. So I thought it would be ok to share them with you all now. I hope you love them as much as I do!

How to Choose your Pumpkin

You can use practically any faux pumpkin as a base for this project. The one I used was plastic and had a greenish yellow tint that matches my decor. I haven’t tried it with a foam pumpkin but the process would be the same.

My advice is to choose a pumpkin with a color that matches your home. You will want to let a little of that color shine through. So keep that in mind when selecting your pumpkin.

I also think that the finished plaster covered pumpkins look better in pairs or groupings. You can select your main pumpkin and then pick one or two smaller ones to display with it.

Start with a craft pumpkin that matches your decor.

How to Make Plaster Covered Pumpkins Supply List

  • Craft pumpkin (I used a plastic one from Hobby Lobby, about 12″ across)
  • All purpose sheet rock (I prefer the one with the blue top because it dries whiter. The green lid dries a little bit greyer)
  • Chip brush
  • Sanding block
  • Something for your stem
  • Hot glue gun
  • Spanish moss

How to Make Plaster Covered Pumpkins Instructions

  • Dip your brush into the tub of sheet rock. You want quite a bit on the brush. Then bounce/dab it onto the pumpkin. I am not painting it on. Instead I bounce the brush around the pumpkin. Doing it this way adds all the texture that I love about this process.
  • Work your way around one half the pumpkin, repeating this process. You don’t want full coverage here. Let some of the pumpkin color come through.
  • When you are about done, take the brush and lightly brush over the joint compound. You don’t want to completely smooth it out, just take off the sharp peaks. This will lower and soften some of the high spots.
  • Make sure the bottom of your pumpkin (where it will meet the table) is nice and smooth. That way it will sit level wherever you put it.
  • Let this half of your pumpkin dry. Then repeat the same process to the other half.
  • Once the pumpkin dries, knock off any spots that are still sharp or standing up too far. A drywall/sheetrock sponge is great for this. But a rag will work too.

Finishing your Plaster Covered Pumpkins

Once your pumpkin is dry, you can leave it as is. Add your stem and any cute vintage bits and bobs that you want to. But you could also take the pumpkin itself a bit farther. For my pumpkin, I added a bit of white paint.

Since all I had was the green lid sheet rock, it dried with more of a grey tint than I wanted. To get it back to white, I used my chip brush to dab on white paint.

I did it just like I did the sheet rock, bouncing and dabbing my brush. I didn’t completely cover the sheet rock. Then I went back in with a cream colored paint and did the same thing. The different shades worked well together and I love the results!

I stopped after I painted my pumpkin. But you could go in with antique wax and get down into the bevels to add more color and definition.

Once my pumpkin was dry, I used hot glue to attach the branch I choose for the stem. To make this easier, I poked into the top of my pumpkin and cut out a little bit of it. That let me push my branch down into the pumpkin a bit. Which gave me more places to add hot glue. And helped support the weight of the stick itself.

As my last step, I hot glued Spanish moss to the top of my pumpkin, around the stem.

Choosing a Stem for your Plaster Covered Pumpkin

In my opinion, the stem is the most important part of the pumpkin. It is where the character of the pumpkin really shines through. I really love the look of curly willow branches. So that is what I used for my stem. But you can use any kind of branch or stick that you can get your hands on.

You can also save your real pumpkin stems from year to year. I started doing this a long time ago because I love the look of a natural dried pumpkin stem on a lot of my projects. All I do is remove them from their original pumpkin.

Then lay them out to dry. I store mine in a cool dark storage area all year and then pull them out when it’s time to craft for the next season. I even have friends and family members who save their stems for me now. That way I have plenty to work with each season!

The Wrap Up

And that’s how you make plaster covered pumpkins. It’s easy, it’s pretty quick, and they are adorable! This is definitely one of my new favorite pumpkin projects. I hope you love it as much I do!

I would love to see how you use them in your own home. So if you post any pictures of your garlands on social media, tag me so I can check them out! As always, I hope you love this project as much as I do. Happy crafting, friends!

How to Make Plaster Covered Pumpkins

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Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram! You can also subscribe to my YouTube channel so you never miss a video tutorial!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

Creating Vintage Tassels

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This week I am sharing one of my favorite projects! Creating vintage tassels is something I’ve been doing for quite awhile and I just love them. I wanted to show you how I do it so you can make your own!

I wanted to show you how to make vintage tassels because they are so much fun. Not only are they fun to make but they are a great way to incorporate lots of your favorite vintage pieces! I use muslin shreds, fabulous laces, tiny craft pearls, and some fabulous vintage treasures to make these tassels beautiful. In the video below I show you exactly how I make these wonderful pretties!

creating vintage tassels

Creating Vintage Tassels

There are some craft projects that I come back to again and again; and each time I make them I love them just as much as the first time. This is definitely one of those projects! I love these tassels hanging on their own on knobs or lamp switches. I also love to incorporate them into other craft projects as a finishing touch. These tassels are a beautiful addition to any vintage lovers home!

creating vintage tassels

The supplies you need to make these tassels may be things you already have on hand. If you are like me (always on the look out for pretty laces and tiny vintage trinkets) you’re already half way to having a completed tassel. If you don’t have the supplies on hand though, no worries! What you need can either be found at your local craft store or in my shop. And the muslin shreds I use for this project are really simple to make yourself. I have a whole post about how to make muslin shreds if you want to learn how to make your own!

So many design options…

These tassels have so many options! You can make them big or small, intricate or simple, neutral or colorful. If you like the more rustic look then go for tea stained muslin shreds. If the clean look is more your taste then stick with the white shreds. You can have a specific theme like rusted bolts, nails, and springs. Or mix up your little trinkets and make it eclectic. Sometimes I like to add some bling with a small piece of vintage jewelry and other times I leave those off. It’s all up to you how you want to do these!

Vintage Tassel Supply List

  • Muslin shreds
  • Laces (vintage and/or new)
  • Tatting (if you can find it)
  • Seam binder
  • String of tiny craft pearls
  • Small vintage treasures to tie on (skeleton keys, cabinet keys, tags, rusted bolts, springs, pins/broaches etc…)
  • Vintage pieces for the top of the tassel (spools, knobs, insulators, dowels, etc…something with a hole in it that you can thread onto the top of your tassel)
  • Scissors
  • BBQ skewer (optional) for helping to thread your goodies on.

Vintage Tassel Instructions

  1. Start by deciding how big of a tassel you want to make. For the size I normally make I usually make my strips of material about 14″ inches long. This does not have to be exact though. I start with a handful of my muslin shreds and then add a couple strips of pretty laces and seam binder. I also add a couple strips of craft pearls. When you have all of your materials laid out together you’re ready to move on to the next step.
  2. Lay out your collection of materials horizontally. Now take a strip of lace and lay it vertically at the center under your collection. Now use the lace to tie your materials into a bundle. Trim any ends that you feel need trimmed.
  3. Now it’s time to add the top. Use anything with a hole in it (spools, insulators, etc.) and thread both pieces of lace through it. You can dress up your top piece if you want to or add a pretty knob on top of it. Whatever you want to do!
  4. Next, choose the vintage trinkets that you want to use. I usually use 3-4 but you can use however many you want. Take your trinkets and tie them to the bottom of separate muslin shreds.

The Wrap Up…

And that’s it friends! This is a simple project but the results are beautiful! using the different materials adds so much texture and depth to these vintage tassels. They are a lot of fun to create and even more fun to look at. I love this project and I hope you do too!

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

How to Make a Vintage Putty Knife Frame

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I absolutely love heartfelt and handmade gifts. With Valentine’s Day coming up I thought I would share a loving gift idea with all of you. Today I’m showing you how to make a vintage putty knife frame and they are so special!

One of the things that I specialize in is helping people go through their vintage family treasures and decide how to display them. It is a privilege and an honor to be invited into someone’s home and treasures and I love every minute of it. I got the idea to figure out how to make a vintage putty knife frame when I found one of my own grandpa’s putty knives. You know I love all things vintage but I especially love pieces from my own family. I wanted to be able to display some of my grandpa’s tools and thought this was the perfect way to do it!

How to Make a Vintage Putty Knife Frame

These putty knife frames make a sentimental gift that is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any occasion. I made mine for myself (my family members don’t love vintage things like I do) but these would be wonderful to make for a parent or sibling. I loved going through our old family albums to select the photos I wanted to use. This project is very simple, the most time consuming part was narrowing down which photos I wanted to use.

The other thing you’ll need to find is a putty knife. You can ask to go through some of your Grandpa’s or Dad’s old tools. It’s so wonderful to use those if you can get your hands of them. You can also try finding the putty knifes at vintage markets. One of the knives I used for this project wasn’t vintage at all but one I found on my job site that had paint on it. To distress a newer putty knife just prop it up outside for a while and let it sit through a few rain showers. It will be rusted and distressed in no time!

Some Other Options…

There are a few other things you could add to these frames to dress them up too! I like the way mine are, simple and wonderful. But, you could also add some muslin shreds to yours or some buttons or keys. You could also frame the back of the putty knife with vintage lace or add some around the handle. There are so many ways you could go with this project to really make it your own!

Supply List

  • Aged putty knife
  • Old family photos
  • Old book page (or one you’ve aged with a tea spray)
  • Photo tags
  • Twine
  • Tea spray

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Select the photo(s) you’d like to use and photo copy them. Carefully tear the edges of the photo copies and the edges of your aged book page.
  2. Use paint brush to apply Mod Podge to the back of your torn book page and attach it to the putty knife. Next do the same thing with the photo copy.
  3. Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the top of both papers to secure them to the putty knife.
  4. Take your tags and spray them with a tea mixture to age them, label them with the personal information about the person or people in the photos. Then use twine to attach them to the handle of the putty knife.

The Wrap Up…

That’s it friends! This is a really simple project. You only need a few supplies and you will be on your way to the perfect gift for any vintage loving family member or friend! I hope you enjoy making these. Finding the photos and putty knives are the most fun part in my opinion. I have another suggestion too: if you have old family photos that aren’t labeled make that a priority project too. We never know when the members of our family who hold that information and the stories that go with it will pass on. That collective family memory is another priceless gift that you can give to one another!

Bleaching Flannel Shirts

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This time of year makes me crave all the warm and cozy things. One of the first things I think of when it comes to warm and cozy is flannel! Today I’m bleaching flannel shirts to give them an antique look and I’m going to show you how I do it.

Bleached flannel shirts are really popular these days. You’ll find them at almost every antique show and many boutiques. My girlfriends and I had already bought several when it dawned on me that I could figure out how to make them myself. Many of you have been asking how I do this so today I’m bleaching flannel shirts and taking you along for the ride.

Bleaching Flannel Shirts

The first thing to know about bleaching flannel shirts is that there is no right or wrong way to do it. The method you use depends on the look you are going for. You can drizzle or spray your bleach water on the shirt or you can dunk the shirt in the bleach water. The shirts can be made as subtle or distressed as you like. You can even use rubber bands to give your shirt a tie dye look. Just remember that the longer you allow the bleach to sit on the shirt the more fading you will get.

Selecting your flannel shirts…

Choosing your shirts is the only tricky part about this project. The reason it’s tricky is that there is no rhyme or reason to which shirts will take the bleach and which ones won’t. I’ve tried all fabric blends and one polyester cotton blend will work perfectly and the next won’t react at all. The only thing that I can figure is that some shirts are treated with something that prevents bleaching. The problem is that you can’t tell that by the label.

Another thing to keep in mind is that some flannel shirts will start to fade right away and others will take more time. The best thing to do is to start with small amounts of bleach water and see how your particular shirt will react before really going to town with it.

You can find flannel shirts almost anywhere. I like to keep an eye out for great sales. Think end of season when the summer clothes are starting to hit the racks. You can usually snag flannel then at clearance prices. I also love going to Goodwill and other resale shops and finding my flannel there. When I sell my distressed shirts buying them second hand really helps to keep the price down for everyone involved.

Supply List

  • Flannel shirts
  • Large bowl (punch bowl size)
  • Large bucket
  • Bleach
  • Vinegar
  • Water
  • Rubber bands (optional)

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Start by mixing equal parts bleach and water. For a large spray bottle I use 2 cups of each. For the large bowl I use 4 cups of each.
  2. In a large bucket combine equal parts vinegar and water.
  3. If you are dunking the shirt for an ombre look, place the bottom portion in the large bowl and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Next, submerge a little more of the bottom of the shirt. Doing this will fade the very bottom more and the fading will decrease as it gets further up the shirt.
  4. You can also use the spray bottle to spray bleach onto portions of the shirt or use the bottom of the nozzle piece to drizzle the bleach on.
  5. Once your bleach is applied allow it to sit for a few minutes. Just keep an eye on it because some shirts will fade quickly while others take longer. When the shirt is faded to your liking, submerge it in the vinegar mix to stop the bleach from working. Allow the shirt to soak in the vinegar mix for 2 minutes. (*If you dunked your shirt be sure to wring out the excess bleach water first. I also rinse the ones I’ve dunked before putting them into the vinegar mix.)
  6. Take the shirt out of the vinegar mix and wring it out. Finally, wash and dry the shirt like normal and you’re all done!

As you can see in the video, there are lots of different ways that you can distress your shirts. I love the ombre look that comes from soaking them but I am also really into the drizzle method. Just play around a little bit and see what you like best. Bleaching flannel shirts is simple but it is also always an adventure because you never know what the shirts are going to do until you get going. I hope you have a lot of fun with this project!

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

Making a Wood Bead Wreath

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I love sharing projects with you that can be used in any home and for any season. Today I’m showing you how to make a wood bead wreath that is elegant and will fit with just about any decor style!

Wood beads are really popular right now. Especially so in farmhouse and vintage decor. I’m excited to share this wreath with you so that you can make your own! I’m using neutral colors which makes it a good match for any color scheme. You could definitely add different color flowers and bows if you’d rather have it match your room colors. However you decide to make it I think you will love this wreath!

Making a Wood Bead Wreath

So right off the bat I need to tell you what not to do when it comes to making this wreath. I talk about it in the video too but here’s what I should have avoided. First, I bought whole wooden balls because they were cheaper than the ones already cut in half. I thought I would just cut the whole ones in half myself and save some money. This did not work and actually turned out to be quite dangerous. Please don’t try to cut the beads yourself. Just buy the wooden balls already cut in half.

Since I couldn’t cut the balls I ended up with all these beads I couldn’t use for the design I had in mind. No worries, I took them to my step dad and he made me a different version. What he did was cut a metal ring, drilled holes in the balls, strung the balls onto the wire, then welded the wire shut. This worked really well but it’s not something I could’ve done myself. I am all about the DIY life so I’m showing you how to make this wreath using a large embroidery hoop and your glue gun. It’s much easier and much safer than the first version I did.

As always, you do what feels right to you. Let your own creativity flow, I’m just here to inspire some new ideas and show you I did it! If you come up with a better way to make this wreath please let me know. We are all here to learn from each other. That’s one of the things that I love best about our crafting community!

The Supply List

  • 14 inch embroidery hoop
  • 2″ wooden balls that are already cut in half (I got mine from Hobby Lobby)
  • Glue gun
  • Wire cutters
  • Bolt Cutters (if you have them, they’re great for those tough floral stems)
  • Silk flowers (assorted and in whatever colors you love)
  • Greenery
  • Muslin shreds
  • Ribbon (for hanging loop)

The Step by Step

  1. Start by applying hot glue to your embroidery frame a few inches at a time then adding the wood beads to the glue. You want to leave a few inches on either side of the top of the hoop. This is where you will add your flowers. Continue around the hoop adding glue then beads to evenly cover the hoop.
  2. Next trim, separate, and fluff your floral and greenery stems. Arrange them how you like them and then use hot glue to secure them in place.
  3. Take a few muslin shreds and make them into a simple bow and attach it to your wreath.
  4. Use ribbon to make a loop at the top you your wreath so that you can hang it.
  5. If you have a wreath sign you’ve made or purchased you can attach that too. If you want to learn how to make your own Chalk Couture signs like I do, I have lots of tutorials on my YouTube channel that you can check out!

The Wrap Up…

And that’s it! If you avoid all the learning mistakes that I went through, this is actually a pretty simple project. I love the way it turned out! I use muslin shreds for most of my vintage crafts and I make a big batch at a time so that I always have some on hand. If you want to learn how to make your own muslin shreds I have a post for that too! I hope you enjoy this wreath as much as I do and that it brings you lots of joy!

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

How to Make No Sew Stockings

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You probably know how much I love to craft but did you know that I really can’t sew? If you’re like me, learning how to make no sew stockings is the perfect Christmas craft project for you!

There are so many beautiful stockings out there to choose from. You can find them to suit just about any decor style and color scheme. Finding authentically vintage stockings, however, can be a challenge. Especially if you want them to match. No worries though, I have a solution! I figured out how to make my own no sew stockings out of vintage material. This gets me as close to the real deal as I can get and I get to decide just how I want them to look. Today I want to show you how I made a couple of stockings for my own fireplace. It’s a simple project that I thought some of you might enjoy!

How to Make No Sew Stockings

The first thing I did was find a fabric that I wanted to use. As you can probably guess I chose a vintage fabric. I used a vintage bedspread in a neutral color that has lots of texture.  To start, I cut off two pieces that would accommodate the size of my stocking. I placed one piece with the pretty side up and then I laid a second piece on top of that with the pretty side down.

Then I laid a stocking that I already had on top of the two pieces. Next I used a pencil and started to draw out the shape that I wanted.

After I finished drawing I used fabric scissors to cut through both layers.


Then I had two pieces of a stocking shaped fabric stacked on top of each other.

Next I used a fabric glue that is specially designed for the glue gun. The glue I used is Sure Bonder. The reason I used this glue is that I will be able to wash the stocking without worrying about the glue coming apart. If you do not have this type of glue it is fine to use regular hot glue. Regular hot glue will work fine you just won’t be able to wash your stocking.

All you need to do for this step is go around every edge except the top gluing and pressing your two fabric pieces together. Easy peasy, no sewing needed! This has to be my favorite part! After all of my edges were glued I just had the top part that was open so I reached my hand in and pulled it right side out.

I happened to have a nice piece of fur that was just enough to do two stockings. So I used the Sure Bonder to go around the top edge and secure the fur. I’m not crazy happy that I was not able to get the edges more rounded but knowing that I made them myself is always a good feeling. Besides, my eye goes to that pretty fur anyway!

Finally, for the tab I just got a piece pf fabric that matched the stocking and hot glued it to the inside. In order to make the tab strong I left it extra wide just to handle the weight of anything that was put in the stocking.

I am so excited about how these beauties turned out! I love how well they fit with my other fireplace decor.

Obviously I wanted my stockings to match my love of all things vintage. You could definitely do these to match any style though. If your decor differs or you want to give these as gifts just pick out fabrics that will accommodate. It can be hard to find stockings in the store that perfectly match your Christmas decor. When you make your own, however, it can be easy to get exactly the look you’re going for! I absolutely love how these look on my fireplace and I hope you love them too. Happy holidays!

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

How to Make Vintage Ornaments

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Christmas is coming up quickly friends! This is my favorite time of year and I love combining it with my other favorite thing: vintage decor! Today I’m showing you how to make vintage ornaments. Talk about “my favorite things”!

When it comes to my decor I love all things vintage. Vintage ornaments aren’t always easy to come by but that doesn’t mean we have to go without! In the video below I show you how to make vintage ornaments by giving ornaments you already have a vintage makeover! This project is super easy to do and is also pretty quick. Perfect for the busy holiday season!

How to Make Vintage Ornaments

If you love vintage Christmas decor then this project is perfect for you! You can take any ornament and easily age it. Thrift stores are usually overrun with Christmas decorations and they are the perfect place to find tons of ornaments for this project. Since you’ll be painting and distressing them there is no need for them to match. When you’re done they will all compliment each other perfectly!

For this project I used golden angel bulbs that I already had but you can use any ornaments that you have. If you like the gold look peaking through and your ornaments aren’t that color you could always paint them gold first. Once the gold paint is dry you can proceed with the steps that I show you. I love the glitter of the gold shining through but if that’s not your favorite you can skip it all together. “You do you” right?!

This technique is also perfect for trinkets and other items you want to age. It works on any material type and can turn anything you have (or find) into a vintage decor item! If you love the shape or look of something but it doesn’t really fit with your vintage theme this is the perfect solution! If you have friends who are fellow vintage lovers this is a great gift idea too!

How to Make Vintage Ornament Supply List

  • Christmas ornament
  • Chalk paint (off white or cream color)
  • Antiquing wax
  • Chip brush (the older the better)
  • Small stencil brush
  • Cloth

The Step by Step

  1. Start by getting some chalk paint on your chip brush and then dab it off. Next, tap the brush all over the ornament but don’t cover it entirely. You want some of the gold to peak through. I covered about 2/3 of my ornament.
  2. Next, take your stencil brush and use it to apply antiquing wax to the high points of the ornament. You want to dirty it up a bit.
  3. Finally, use a cloth the wipe the wax a bit. this is to soften the look and blend the wax.
  4. That’s it, now just allow it to dry completely and it’s ready to hang!

The Wrap Up…

So there you have it! A quick and easy Christmas project that will add so much to your vintage holiday decor. I hope you love the results as much as I do. The only challenge will be not antiquing every ornament you own. And, hey, if you want to go for it! It would make for a bright and beautiful tree! Whatever way you take it I hope you have fun and enjoy this project. Time to grab a cup of something hot and cozy and get crafting!

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

How to Make Drop Cloth Curtains

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I just love all things DIY and today I’m sharing one of my favorite projects with you. In the video below I show you how to make drop cloth curtains that will fit with most any decor style!

Several of you have been asking how I made the window treatments in my living room so today I’m showing you how to make drop cloth curtains. Yep, I really used painter’s drop cloths to make these! I really like the cream color of these clothes but I have also seen them in gray tones. If that fits your color scheme better, by all means go with those. I needed four panels and wasn’t able to find all four at any of my local home improvement stores so I just ordered them online. I posted the link with the video so you can order the same ones if you want.

How to make drop cloth curtains

How to Make Drop Cloth Curtains

I have to confess that I am not a sewer. There are many creative talents in my bag of tricks but that is just not one of them. I am making this confession so you know that, even if you are not a skilled sewer, you can still make these beautiful curtains!  My sewing machine came to me sort of by chance. I am not great with it but I was still able to produce curtains that I am proud to display in my home. The nice thing about the roll hem that I use is that you can’t really see the stitching on the front of the panels. That means that my crooked seems are no big deal!

I chose to use drop cloths because I love the creamy color and texture. And bonus: they iron like a dream! The cool thing about these is that they go with several different design styles. They have a rustic but elegant look that coordinates well with the farmhouse and vintage looks that I know many of you love. No matter your style and creative talents, you can pull of this look with ease! Don’t have a sewing machine? No problem! Borrow one from a friend, see if you can snag one at a thrift store, or rent one from your local craft store.

Note: I made these curtains to fit well with my 8 foot ceilings. If your ceilings are a different height you may want to adjust your measurements.

Here’s another idea…

If you like the look and texture of the drop cloths but are looking for more color in your curtains you could try using some dye. This material is designed to be absorbent so (as long as they are canvas) they’d take to the dye really well. I have to tell you that I have never tried to do this before but I think it’s a really fun idea! All you’d need would be some good old RIT from your craft store. Follow the instructions on the package and you’ll be all set. Just keep in mind that these are large pieces of material when you are deciding how much dye to get.

 

 

 

Drop Cloth Curtain Supply List

  • 2 Drop clothes (4ft by 12 ft) for each window you are making curtains for.
  • Scissors
  • Pins
  • Sewing machine
  • Measuring tape
  • Iron

Step by Step Instructions

  1. Pop your drop cloths in the dryer for a bit to fluff and freshen them. Next, give them a good iron.
  2. Some drop clothes are already hemmed on the sides but if yours aren’t, add a hem to each long side of the panel.
  3. Next, lay each panel on the floor. Measure 87.5 inches from one end of the panel and place a line of pins the width of the panel. Fold the panel over along the line of pins and iron so you have a very vivid line to work with.
  4. Measure 13 inches down from that line and cut the fabric off there.
  5. Next, fold the bottom up about a half inch then fold it the same amount again and sew the hem.
  6. Finally, add your curtain clips along the folded edges of your panels and hang them up!

Curtains can really make a room! They add that finishing touch and provide a lovely backdrop for the rest of your decor.  You can use any curtain rod for this but you will need to use clips to attach your curtains to the rods. I found my clips at the dollar store and spray painted them black to match my rods. I love the way these drop cloth curtains turned out and I hope you do too. Please let me know if you have any questions, I’d be happy to help!

How to make drop cloth curtains How to make drop cloth curtains

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

 

How to Paint Faux Shiplap

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There are so many amazing DIY decor techniques that you can do with a little bit of paint. Today I’m showing you how to paint faux shiplap and the results are amazing! I use a some paint, tape, and a level to recreate the look of authentic shiplap and it’s easy to do! 

Shiplap is so popular and I’ve always wanted it in my home. Putting up the actual boards is a lot of work though and hard to reverse if you get tired of it. With this method I am just using paint so it’s easy to do and easy to get rid of! If you have been following me for awhile you know that I love to try new methods to redecorate my home. I also love to teach others how to replicate them. Today I’m showing you how to paint faux shiplap onto any surface. I use this technique to update my kitchen island but you could also do this on your walls or ceilings. The method is the same, the measurements would just be a little different. I can’t wait for you to see how this project turned out!

How to paint faux shiplap

How to Paint Faux Shiplap

As I said, I painted our kitchen island with this shiplap method but you could do any area you like. There are a few things that you’ll need to do before getting started though. First, remove any outlet covers that are in the area you want to paint. Next, tape off the area to be painted. My island is drywall and there were a couple of spots that needed some light repair. If you are doing a wall you may run into this too. This is the perfect time to fix up any bad spots. When the repaired areas are dry just sand and prime them before continuing on.

Supply List

  • Painter’s tape
  • Level
  • Chip brush
  • Pencil
  • Sherwin-Williams Promar 200 Low gloss Paint in Pure White
  • Dark charcoal color paint

Faux Shiplap Instructions

  • Once I had my drywall looking perfect again I started by painting the walls of the whole island Pure White. I used Sherwin-Williams Promar 200 Low gloss Paint which is a little less shiny than eggshell finish. Pure white is a Sherwin-Williams color that has the least amount of tint in it. It’s perfect for shiplap!

  • I began by using my level and a pencil to mark off 6 inch spaces vertically from the top to the bottom. On a wall I would start at the top and work my way down. In this instance I started at the bottom and worked my way up because I thought a partial board would be more hidden by the countertop. When measuring the height for my boards I went 6 inches but you could use any height you want. You could measure your wall and divide so that your boards come out evenly. Each board may be  6 3/4 inches high and there’s nothing wrong with that! I’ve seen 6 inch and 8 inch boards that both look great. The most important thing is to have your board height even. So just adjust the height measurement to achieve the look you are after.
  • Next I used my level and pencil to mark a line every 6 inches all the way around the walls. Then I connected my marks, using my level to keep my lines straight.

  • Next I used painters masking tape and taped a little above the pencil line and a little below the pencil line. You want to see the pencil line and you don’t want your tape line to be perfectly straight. Remember you are mimicking wood boards that would not be cut evenly so, honestly, a little thicker and thinner with the taping lines turns out looking the best. Be sure to rub the tape on really well at the gap to help prevent your paint from bleeding under the tape.

How to paint faux shiplap

  • Now it’s time to paint the dark charcoal color between your tape, along your pencil line. I used an old disposable chip brush but you can use any brush you like. They gray that I used was a Country Chic chalk based paint color called Cobblestone. I chose this one because I had it on hand but any dark gray would be fine. I would just avoid black because it is too harsh. You want the blend to look more natural. I only needed one coat for my island but, depending on the paint you use, you may need a second coat.

how to paint faux shiplap

 

  • I waited until the paint was almost dry and then I began pulling all of the tape off. Once it is completely dry you can touch up any bleeds from the gray going under the tape. I didn’t have any bleeds so hopefully pushing the tape down really well will give you the same results.

 

  • Finally, replace your electrical outlet covers and you are finished! There is no need to seal this project. The finished product looks and feels like shiplap!  You can actually feel the bump where the tape layer line is.

how to paint faux shiplap

The “boards” in my project were shorter than the length of a natural board so I did not do any vertical lines. If you’re doing this on a wall you may want to do some vertical lines because a real board would not run 12 or 14 feet long without interruption. I have also used this method on a few walls in my house. If you want to see how I did that project you can watch the video below for even more tips on how to paint faux shiplap. This was a pretty simple project and I had so much fun doing it, I hope you enjoy it too!

 

Looking for more decor inspiration? Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram!

If you love creating vintage treasures as much as I do you can also join my membership group, Tami Loves Creating Vintage Treasures. There you will get exclusive tutorials that will teach you how to create beautiful and unique pieces that will fit perfectly with your vintage decor!

Tami Loves Vintage…

My name is Tami Neff and I would like to thank you for visiting my website. I hope you found many unique items to inspire you.  I love bringing you found vintage items to use when creating your treasures.  I have picked some of the nicest greenery around for you to use in your decor.  Please stop back often as we are always adding new items just for you.

tami

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