Personal Project: Mini Polaroid Magnets

During one of many internet perusals in search of inspiration, I came across the idea of making tiny Polaroid magnets. I don't recall where, a Google search would no doubt find a few options, but I do think this particular DIY is more difficult without fancy photo/layout manipulation software at your disposal. I actually used Adobe InDesign to create a template of sorts that allows me to drop any photo I like into a pre-sized box on a sheet of many boxes. Like this:

One of the things I LOVE about this project is the big bang for minimal effort. I am an artist at heart, but also a Gemini, therefore prone to lots of ideas without the drive to finish them all. This project, once the template was setup, is easy-peasy and as I was cutting out these adorable little buggers I couldn't help but be smug about how little time it took to print, spray adhesive, set and then cut them out to be refrigerator ready.

It was so easy I immediately made gift pouches out of them. The kids' grandparents got family filled tiny Polaroid goodness for their various magnetic surfaces. Each magnet measures roughly 1" x 1". The magnetic paper I chose is not terribly strong, so these won't actually hold anything up, but they are art in their own right, don't you think?

ce

Personal Project: Chair Redo

Our front room sports a, ahem, vintage chair that once belonged to my parents. Before that it belonged to my grandparents. Actually there are two. We brought both chairs to our place when we finished the family room downstairs and suddenly had need of more places to park behinds.

Over the years the cushions have been updated but the wooden frame is much the same as it has always been. The most recent cushion update was handled by my Mom, a catalog order if memory serves. The neutral tweed blended just fine with the front room decor, but I've been meaning to update the cushions anyway, for ages. I researched seamstresses in town who might do just such a job and while the cost wasn't crazy, it was still more than I felt justified paying, and occasionally I decide I'm completely capable of undertaking a task I have no experience with. Combined with a 50% off per yard sale on decor fabrics at a local fabric store, my suddenly desperate need to update the front room led me to decide this was just such a task.

Old cushion covers and new fabric.

This goldenrod chevron caught my eye whilst at the fabric store on a previous expedition to procure solid colored fleece available for $3.99/yd [!] in a veritable rainbow of colors. Perhaps seeing that bolt is what created the desperate need for room updating. Hmm. Fabric stores can be dangerous places for me. :)

So I discussed it with the Hubs, and after determining the length of the 50% off sale, decided to buy what I thought was just enough fabric to cover one chair [two cushions]. My sister had the brilliant idea to use a Velcro closure [thank goodness, I was planning a zipper if you can believe it] so I picked up some of that too.

I decided to use one piece for top, front and bottom, then separate sides and a two piece back with the Velcro. I Googled a tutorial to get some idea of what I should be doing and pushed ahead. A couple of hours later I had one Velcro-less slipcover for the bottom cushion. Hubs helped me wrangle the cushion into the cover and it had a nice, snug fit. Success! The next day I added the Velcro closure and moved on to cushion two.

Finished just in time for naps to be over and Hubs to admire my work. :)

By the time Hubs got home from work the chair looked like this. Not too bad!

[For all of you out there rolling your eyes at me because, in all seriousness, it's just a slipcover, not exactly the most challenging on the scale of sewing difficulty— how right you are! Celebrate with me anyway! Ha!]

So, mission accomplished. Cushions slipcover-ed. 

Unfortunately my gorgeous slipcovers left me with a problem. I love the goldenrod chevron. However the goldenrod chevron, to my sadness, doesn't love the aged walls and the beige curtains. The combination made the chair look washed out of all things. Do you know what that means? Do you?!

If you guessed new curtains, deeper aging on the walls and of course new lampshades, you are correct! My taste has grown from the mostly neutral furnishing choices of my youth into cornflower blue patterned curtains and round French scripty lampshades.

Oh, and goldenrod chevron slipcovers.:)

ce