Create your own bedroom DIY decor.
Feeling like your bedroom is a bit blah?
Sometimes a few small changes, like new art or some pillows, can make a huge difference.
Our friends at Spotlight love a little DIY, so they have shared some small, easy projects with us so you can create your own new bedroom furnishings.
Plus they will look so much cooler knowing you made them yourself!
DIY Painted Rope Baskets.
What you’ll need:
Tulip Soft Fabric Paints - we used: Matte Petal Pink, Azalea, Crimson Red, Mandarin Orange, Sunshine Yellow, Holiday Green, Turquoise
Rope baskets
Flat paintbrushes
Water cup for cleaning brushes
Disposable plastic surface cover
Ruler
Instructions:
Step 1 - Decide the colours/design you want to paint onto your basket. If you're a perfectionist, you can mask off each section with painters' tape. Just let the paint dry before removing the tape and painting the next colour.
Step 2 - Apply paint onto the basket with paint brush. We recommend a flat bristled paintbrush as it allows you to paint straight, clean lines onto the basket.
Step 3 - Repeat step 2 with other colours of paint until you're happy with your design! Brush on as many coats as needed for your desired opacity. Just ensure paint is dry between coats.
Step 4 - Wait for paint to dry completely before using basket.
Sculpey Wall Hanging.
What you’ll need:
Sculpey Souffle Clay in Guava, Igloo, Latte, Cowboy, Cinnamon & Canary
Sculpey Tools
Rolling Pin
Wilton Star Cut Outs Silver
Needle or Punch tool
Baking Paper
Twine
Scissors
Instructions:
Step 1 - Think about the design you want to create and draw a rough design out to help you figure out how many pieces/what shapes you will need to create for your wall hanging. You need to think through your design so that you make sure you have holes in the right places (top, bottom, sides etc) to ensemble your pieces together once they are complete.
Step 2 - Next choose the colour palette you wish to work with and find sculpey colours to match. If you can't find the exact colour you can mix sculpey in a similar way to mixing paint to create your own colour. For example, we used Igloo to lighten colours and to create the reddish brown pieces, we mixed Cowboy & Cinnamon.
Step 3 - Once you have your design and colour pallet ready to go you can begin. Roll out the sculpey to your desired thickness, we chose 0.5cm and either use the sculpey shape cutters to cut out your different shapes or you can cut things out free hand using the sculpey cutting tools. Repeat this process with each shape needed for your design.
Step 4 - Once you have your shapes created and cut out of sculpey you can lay them onto baking paper and use a tooth pick to put holes into your shapes for assembling later. Some pieces will need 2 holes in each shape, refer to your design to determine where and how many holes are needed.
Step 5 - Bake your sculpey in the oven between 2 sheets of baking paper for 15mins at 130C. Let cool before handling.
Step 6 - Now using the pliers and wire you can assemble your shapes in the desired layout, refer back to your design as you work. The possibilities are endless so let your creativity go wild and see what creations you come up with! You can add beads, tassels and create multiple strands.
Hang on the wall to finish.
Tassel Cushions.
What you’ll need:
1m x 3 colours of Textured Upholstery Fabric
3 x 40cm zips
Matching thread
Pins
Tape measure
Scissors, seam ripper
Sewing machine with zipper foot
3 of size 18 (46cm x 46cm) cushion insert
4 x jumbo tassels for each cushion
Instructions:
Note - 1cm seam allowance used throughout unless otherwise indicated.
Step 1 - Cut two pieces of fabric in a square - 46cm x 46cm. You will need 2 squares per cushion.
Step 2 - Centre the zipper along the bottom edge of one square and using pins mark where the zipper stops and starts.
Step 3 - Remove the zipper and with right sides facing, pin the two squares together along the bottom edge. Starting at one end, use a regular stitch sew to the first pin and backstitch. Adjust stitch length to a long basting stitch (this will be removed later) and sew across to the second pin and backstitch. Adjust stitch length back to a regular stitch and sew to the end.
Step 4 - Press seam open. With pressed seam facing up, center zipper face down on top and pin in place. Zipper should start and stop between backstitching.
Step 5 - Attach zipper foot to your sewing machine and sew down each side of zipper and across closed end.
Step 6 - Carefully remove the long basting stitches using a seam ripper to expose the zipper. Open zipper halfway.
Step 7 - With right sides facing pin together your two cushion pieces, placing a tassel in each corner and securing in place with pins. Sew cushion together around remaining three sides. Clip corners and excess cord from the tassel then overlock or zigzag seams to neaten. Unzip and turn cover right side out and press flat.
Step 8 - Press cover well, place insert into cover and zip closed. Repeat for more cushions.
Sculpey Hand Dish.
What you’ll need:
Baking Paper
Baking Tray
Rolling Pin
Template
Fine sandpaper
Instructions:
Step 1 - Take small pieces of different coloured sculpey and roll them into unevenly sized balls.
Step 2 - Cluster the balls together on a piece of baking paper on a flat surface.
Step 3 - Lay another piece of baking on top of the Sculpey, and roll it out so the sculpey joins together to approximately 4mm thick.
Step 4 - Use the template to cut a hand shape.
Step 5 - Lay the hand over an upturned bowl or dish to give it shape. Ensure the dish is oven-safe.
Step 6 - Bake according to packet instructions.
Step 7 - File down any rough edges using an emery board or fine grain sandpaper.
Step 8 - Display your jewels!
Curly Loop Striped Throw.
What you’ll need:
150g "Moda Vera" Curly Loops x 6 balls, 1st Colour (C1) Cream, 2 balls 2nd Colour (C2) Mustard, 2 balls 3rd Colour (C3) Blue and 2 balls 4th Colour (C4) Pink.
9 mm circular knitting needle (100cm long) x 1 pair, or size required for correct tension
Scissors
Yarn needle
Tape measure
Instructions:
Tension
8 sts x 12 rows to 10cm over garter st, using 9mm needles.
Throw (worked sideways)
Using 9mm circular needle and C1, cast on 96 sts loosely.
Note - A circular needle has been used to accommodate the large number of sts and width of Blanket as this yarn is very chunky. Work backwards and forwards in rows not rounds.
Knit in garter st (1st row is WS), until C1 stripe measures 15cm from beg, working last row on WS.
Note - When joining in a ball of a new colour, join yarn on side edge of work. When joining in a ball of the same colour, join 2 sts in from side edge of work to avoid unsightly knots.
Using C2, cont in garter st until C2 stripe measures 15cm, working last row on WS.
Using C1, cont in garter st until C1 stripe measures 10cm, working last row on WS.
Using C3, cont in garter st until C3 stripe measures 15cm, working last row on WS.
Using C1, cont in garter st until C1 stripe measures 10cm, working last row on WS.
Using C4, cont in garter st until C4 stripe measures 15cm, working last row on WS.
Using C1, cont in garter st until C1 stripe measure 14cm, working last row on RS.
Cast off very loosely on WS.
Finishing
Do not press. Sew in ends towards centre of blanket.
All products are available from Spotlight.
