// DIY: Mongolian Faux Fur Stool

How to make a Mongolian Faux Fur Footstool

Instructions//

Mongolian Fur stools have been cropping up over the internet for the past few months now and I just love the way they add a bit of glamour to a room. 

However, these bad boys will unfortunately set you back a fair few bob. But why shell out your hard earned cash when you can whip one up of your own in under an hour?!

I'm honestly not exaggerating when I say this really is the easiest DIY piece of furniture you can make. 

You will need:

Foam pad - here

Ikea Frosta stool - here

Mongolian faux fur cushion/faux fur fabric - here

Staple Gun

Adhesive Spray

Bread knife/scissors

1.// Take the seat of the stool and place it on top of your foam pad. Using a marker pen, trace around the edge. Either using scissors or a bread knife, cut out your circle of foam.

2.// Remove the filler pad out of the faux fur cushion. Take the cover and cut off the back piece so you are left with just the front faux fur panel.

2.// On a flat surface lay the square of fabric front side down.

3.// Place the newly cut foam and the seat in the middle of the fabric and trace around perimeter 4 inches from the edge. 

4.// Ensuring your seat and foam is in the middle of the fabric, pull one side of the faux fur up and over the edge and secure to the bottom of the seat with your staple gun, making sure not to cover any of the screw holes where the legs will attach. 

5.// Now take the fabric on the opposite side and pull up and over and staple down again. You must make sure it is pulled nice and tight so you get a good rounding of the edges on the foam pad. 

6.// Once you have completed the top and bottom, repeat for the sides.

7.// Now fill in the gaps, pulling tightly and stapling down so all fabric is secure and flat to the bottom of the seat (as it is a circle, you may need to make tiny folds as you go, but these won't be seen once you flip it back over). 

8.// Trim off any excess fabric.

9.// Finally attach your legs following the instructions provided by Ikea.

Helena xxx

// How to Make a DIY Tufted Footstool : Part One

I had been on the hunt for the perfect footstool for the past year and a half. I was after one which was stylish yet functional. One which was comfy enough to put my feet on but could also double as a coffee table. Oh and I forgot to mention. It also needed to remain within my pitiful budget. 

Here is some of my inspiration:

source

source

source

I'm not sure why it took this long to realise that this was never going to happen. Most footstools are well over £200 (and that's the lower end of the market).

So to the interwebs I turned!

Now I would like to just take a moment to give some appreciation to some seriously talented ladies out there. If you Google (or Pinterest) 'DIY footstool' you will be bombarded with hundreds upon thousands of thorough step by step tutorials all done by talented women who dug out their husbands tool kits and took matters into their own hands. Check out these ones:

Little Green Notebook
Love, Pomegranate House
Addicted 2 Decorating
Artsy Chicks Rule
Design Sponge

As you can see from those links, there are lots of different ways to try making your own DIY tufted footstool. Some use preloved coffee tables, some build their own base, some go tufted, some pre-sew with piping. 

I personally didn't want to have to deal with the over hang that comes with a coffee table so I decided upon building my own base. After a little browsing of the internet and planning sizes etc I complied my list of materials and took myself down to B&Q and Dunelm Mill.

Materials

4" foam block - (L) 100cm x (W) 56cm
Quilt Batting (found either online, at Dunelm or any fabric shop)
Plywood Sheet
2 x wood 2x4s (ask someone in the store to show you what these are if you don't know)
Long wood screws (i.e. 2")
Nail tacks (lots)
3/4" wood screws (make sure you have enough for the amount of tufts you want)
Washers (same amount as the 3/4" wood screws)
Spray adhesive/PVA glue
Upholstery Fabric of choice
Self covering buttons
Super glue
4 x legs of choice (I got mine off ebay-depending on what legs you get you need to buy appropriate fixtures to attach them)

How to make a DIY Tufted Footstool : Part One - THE BASE

So to start off with, you need to decide how big you want to go. I just went with the size of my foam (100cm x 56cm) as this was the right sort of size for my room. 

Cut your plywood out to your desired size. If you know at the time of buying your base, B&Q will do this for you.

Once you have cut you plywood, you need to trim down your 2x4s to the same lengths and widths of your base. I cut my two length pieces first using a rotary saw (you can use a jigsaw or hand saw if you don't have one of these) to match the length of my plywood base. 

Then you need the two smaller lengths for the width of the base. To calculate where to cut, measure the width of your base then minus the width of your 2x4s times two. Again, you need to cut two at this length.

On a flat surface (use clamps too if you have then), drill two long holes (one at the top and one at the bottom) through the tops and bottoms of both longer pieces of 2x4s into the two smaller 2x4s. Then screw in your long wood screws to connect the base together. 

Now, either using a nail gun or small tacking nails and a hammer, place your plywood base on top of the frame and nail frequently around the perimeter ensuring it is well attached. 

That was hard work, so grab a quick cup of tea and a biccie (preferably a bourbon, obvs!).

Last thing to do for your base is attaching your foam. Either using your spray adhesive or PVA glue, cover the entire of your plywood base and quickly place your foam on top, moving it into the correct position whilst the glue is still wet. 

Grab as many heavy large things as you can and plonk them on top to ensure all areas of the foam gets attached thoroughly. Leave over night to dry.

You have all the maths to do tomorrow so make sure to eat some oily fish and get a good nights sleep. Your brain will need it!

Helena xx

// DIY: Marbled Phone Case

How to create a marbled phone case

I love swapping up my phone case every now and again, and there are endless options out there these days to choose from. But there is no better feeling when someone asks you where you got your amazing phone case from and you get to reply "I MADE IT!".

This DIY marble phone case is easy-peasy, can be done within minutes and allows you to use up all your old nail varnishes that you have hanging around. 

DIY Marble Phone Case Instructions //

1. Container big enough to fit your phone case in ( I used an old Indian Takeaway box...yum lamb bhuna)

2. Cocktail stick/BBQ skewer

3. Assortment of nail varnishes in your fav colours

4. Nail varnish remover (to dilute your nail varnish if it isn't runny enough)

5. Disposable gloves

6. Clear or plain phone cover in colour of your choosing

First off, cover the surface you are working on with a protective sheet or newspaper. Fill up your container with enough water to cover the phone plus a bit extra. 

Next unscrew all the lids off the nail varnish bottles and line them up in the order you want to use them. This is going to help speed up the pouring and swirling process (the nail varnish hardens on top of the water really quickly so you have to move fast!).

Now I know I'm not wearing gloves in these pictures. But that's because I learnt the hard way. You WILL get nail varnish all over your hands doing this, so if you want to save an hour scrubbing your fingers with polish remover then I would definitely recommend buying some disposable gloves or putting some marigolds on.

Before you start pouring test how runny your polish is. It needs to be viscous enough to pour easily out of the bottle. If you think it's a bit gloopy then simply pour a tiny bit of your nail varish remover into the bottle (I recommend doing this over the sink..I learnt the hard way) and give it a good shake.

Now start pouring your nail varnishes one on top of the other (like in the picture above) and they should start spreading out over the water.

You need to ensure you pour enough out to cover the whole of the water surface (any gaps will show up on your cover).

Remember, you need to move quick at this stage.

Now grab your stick and drag and push it through the varnish until you have a pattern that you are happy with.

*Excuse the mess*

Once you are happy with your marbled pattern simply take you phone case, hold it close over the water and then carefully drop it into the container.

As you can see from the picture, the nail varnish covers 'sticks' to the surface of the phone as it moves through the water.

Either use your stick, or grab a piece of kitchen roll and skim off the remaining nail varnish from the water.

Carefully take out the phone case, trying not to touch the sides or bottom too much as you may smudge the pattern, and place it face up on a surface to dry.

When you take it out, you may see some water drops left on the surface of the phone case. Try and shake or blow off as much as you can as soon as you take it out. As the cover dries these water drops will make little indentations in the pattern.

If you do notice any gaps in the pattern, just use a bit more nail varnish to blend it in whilst it's still wet.

 I thought I'd try marbled nails too. Idiot....

So there you go. A really quick and easy DIY phone case to try at home on a rainy summers day. 

You can pretty much marble anything using this method. Just up the size of your container for bigger items and use more varnish! I might try some marbled note pattern next.

I'd love to hear and see how you attempts went! Please comment or send me any pictures via email or twitter (designaesthetic@hotmail.com or @helenaoverton) and I will upload them on to the bottom of this post. 

// Garden Series : Pallet Lounging

DIY Pallet Sofa Inspiration

As mentioned in my last post I'm hoping to attempt some DIY in my garden this year. One idea that keeps springing up is the use of old pallets to create outdoor sectional sofas. I love the boho/vintage vibe that they create in the garden, especially when paired with an overhead leafy trellis or floaty drapes.

linen and lavender

pinterest

elle decor

pinterest

prudent baby

diy pallet furniture

Which one is your favourite? I love the bright and vibrant colours in the last picture - they would work great to liven up my small garden for BBQs with my friends this summer.

Has anyone tried anything like this before? I'd love to see examples of what you guys have done to your outside escapes on twitter, or feel free to leave a link to your blogs in the comments below.

Helena xxx

// DIY Phone Case

Last Sunday was one of those delicious, rare weekend mornings where you have absolutely nothing planned. 

After managing to remain dreaming away for a good 10 hours, I awoke refreshed and ready to make the most of the crisp autumnal morning and take the pup on a long stroll. 

Nothing sparks your creativity like the beautiful English countryside. 

This little project has been one that I have been meaning to tackle for quite a while, but with the usual hum drum of everyday life taking up the majority of my spare time, it's one that quietly got forgotten.

The DIY was inspired by an Etsy post I saw a few months ago of a hand made phone case made out of hand dried flowers. 

Anyone that knows me too well will be able to tell you that there is no way I would ever bother with the faff of hand drying my own flowers. I'm more one of those kinds of DIY enthusiasts who only tackles projects that involve minimal effort and minimal materials. 

Hence the major adaption to the original project.

This is the perfect DIY to let your imagination run free. Go as crazy as you like. Paint on a snazzy geometric pattern, or heck, print out and transfer Ryan Goslings face to the inside (the thought did cross my mind). 

Materials list for my version of the DIY:

1. Clear phone case (you can find these anywhere on the web for less than £5 - I got mine from amazon)

2. Glitter nail varnish

3. Clear nail varnish

4. Paint brushes

5. Selection of acrylic paints

Step 1: Prepare your work surfaces and ensure plastic clear case is clean on the inside.

Step 2. Paint the inside of the case with your glittery nail varnish. The more sparkly you want it to be, the more coats you need to do. It's all about the layers baby.

Step 3: Allow to dry. (The time it took me to boil the kettle and brew a cup of tea was plenty of time.)

Step 4: Sorry, I lied. This isn't step 4. I just wanted to document and admire the fact that I managed to grow all my nails to this length without any of them breaking. A rare feat.

The 'real' step 4: Choose your colour and mix a good enough amount to cover the case.

Step 5: Apply a thick layer of paint to the inside of your case, ensuring to cover all surfaces equally.

Step 7: Allow paint to dry fully and then apply a layer or two of clear nail varnish to seal.

Make sure you let your case dry fully before using it on your phone. 

As promised, this DIY really is that easy. They could make the perfect presents for friends and families. You could even personalise them with their names using a gold Sharpie pen. The possibilities for variation are endless. 

I'm already planning my next Kate Spade inspired gold stripe case.

Helena x