DIY Linen & Lace Closet Curtains

Way back when we turned a spare room into my first studio, we removed the closet doors to maximize the space:

The doors have been off ever since, but after the room became our master bedroom it was feeling a little bare:

At the moment, the closet is being used as Brad's workspace since my little sister has moved into the man cave. It's just a temporary setup and will be replaced with a dresser (most likely) when she moves out later this year.

I wanted to bring something soft and textured to the space, so I decided curtains would be my best bet. After going back and forth about what type of curtains (patterned, solid, striped?) I settled on a combination—natural linen fabric with lace trim. All DIY, of course, as I'd never be able to find something like this in a store (or at least in my budget).

I picked up my supplies at JoAnn's—5 yards of linen and 5 yards of ruffley lace trim that I spent far too long picking out.

I love me some fresh linen...

The first step, as with any fabric curtain project, is to wash and dry them as they will shrink. My panels went from 53" wide and 91" long to 49" wide and 86" long. Glad I bought extra.

Once dry, I ironed the wrinkles out (although this fabric is naturally "relaxed" and will never be completely smooth, which is fine by me).

Then I laid out my panel on a flat surface. I use my wood floors as a guide to make sure everything is lined up.

The bolt of fabric must have been a bit crooked because my edges were not straight at all...

After trimming the crookedness off both ends, it was time to measure where I should make my fold for the rod pocket. I measured my closet and decided I needed about 3-4" off the length for the curtains to touch the floor, so I used my big ruler and made a line at 7" which is where the folded edge would end up at.

After trimming off all the scraggly ends, I got out my ironing board, ran a strip of stitch witchery along the line and ironed my hem:

All done:

For the bottom end, I just folded the very ends over so the rough cut edge wouldn't show:

Now for the fun part—ruffling it up.

For this I simply used my stitch witchery along the edge of the front of the curtain and centered the lace over it:

It wasn't necessary to do the opposite side because it'd be up against the wall hidden in the closet.

Repeat the process for the second panel and I had myself some fancy curtains!

To hang them, I picked up this adjustable rod for under $10 at Walmart:

They slid right on:

And here they are...

I love the romantic touch they add to the space.

(just picture it with a pretty vintage dresser instead of looking like a cubicle in there)

The length worked out pretty well—they just barely kiss the ground.

Here's how the rod looks from a lower angle. It's holding up quite well, but just to be safe, Brad drilled a couple hidden screws in the center to keep it wedged in place.

So yeah, I'm a little in love with my new curtains and the girly touch they add to an otherwise gender neutral/slightly masculine room. It kinda feels like Valentine's Day. In the french countryside (just me?)

I have a few more things to do in here, but we're waiting on my sister to move out before I can reclaim the closet and make a proper reveal/after post (no rush girl, stay as long as you want!)

Another living room switch up is planned for my next project. It involves more pretty/romantic-ish fabric. Woo hoo!

Comfort Works Slipcover Winner!

Alright, you've had a full week to enter the giveaway... ready to find out who won?!



After a random drawing, the winner is.....



*drumroll please*

.........

..............

...................

.........................


Ashley Mayes @ Bigger Than the Three of Us!



Congrats Ashley! Please email me at jennasuedesignco [at] gmail.com and I'll get you in touch with Rachel at Comfort Works to get started on your new slipcover. Can't wait to see what you do with yours!


Thank you to everyone who commented and participated in the giveaway! Up next I'll be turning my attention back to our work in progress master bedroom with another no-sew curtain project. These ones will have a little extra something though—let's see what happens!

My new Kivik slipcover and a Comfort Works Giveaway!

Happy Sunday—this post is coming to you from a cozy spot on my new living room couch! Well, the couch isn't new but the look sure is. Here's the back story:

Shortly after we first moved in nearly a few years ago, we purchased this Ikea Kivik sectional in Teno Grey:

It was perfect and we loved it. But then I started updating the room, and my style began to evolve...

Still loved the couch, but the amount of greige in the room and lack of pattern was becoming a bit too plain for me. I was bored—ready to step out of my comfort zone and spice things up a bit. That and, well, there were a couple stubborn stains I couldn't get out. It was time for a facelift.

Luckily, a nice lady named Rachel from Comfort Works came to my rescue and offered to let me choose one of their fabulous slipcovers. Normally I decline these offers, but I couldn't pass this one up. I was like a kid in a candy store browsing through all the fabric options on their website...

My perfect dream couch is made of fluffy white cozy linen goodness... like this:

But I just... can't. I don't understand the logistics of this couch. In what world would it not be stained and ruined forever in one day? I mean, we're clean people and we don't even have children and it still would never work. Someone with a white couch please explain how you do it (without spending 3 hours a day on stain removal/laundry duty).

So anyway, after I let go of my white couch dream, I started thinking of ways to liven things up in there. I found some Pinspiration...

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Get the idea yet? STRIPES! I've always loved stripes, and what better way to take a risk than on a slipcover I can switch up when I need to?

So I requested my fabric samples—a mix of stripes plus some neutrals thrown in there, just in case:

In the end, I decided on 'Somerset Mint', which is the far right swatch with the blue & tan stripes.

I showed a closeup of my cover next to my new rug last time...

Meant for each other <3.

The other night I invited a friend over to help me swap out the covers. With my couch it required a little disassembling, and the extra set of hands helped on some of the tighter fitting areas (these covers fit nice and snug, exactly like the factory!)

And a couple hours later the room was transformed:

Can you spot the kitty?

I also switched out the pillow covers, and I'm really happy with the final results after everything came together:

I'll admit, I was slightly nervous at first about the change. Going from something that blends into the background to something a bit more in-your-face can take some getting used to. But the more I see it, the happier I am with my decision.

I think it feels homier. The room has more character.

The fitment is spot on, and I am so pleased with the quality. You'd never know the couch didn't come this way from the factory.

My new grain sack pillows feel right at home here...

I'm glad I took a personal risk—I think it paid off. I'm still scared of stains so I made sure to Scotch Guard it. Hopefully that will keep it nice and new looking so we can enjoy it for years to come.

What do you think of the new look? Does your couch need updating as well? Well, here comes the fun part. Rachel wanted to give one of my readers a new slipcover, too! And before you say you don't have any Ikea furniture that needs a new look... good news: they can make slipcovers for anything! Dining chairs, pillows, bench cushions, ottomans, etc. Any piece of furniture you have, just give them the dimensions and they'll work with you to make something  custom and perfect.

Check out these Pottery Barn dining chair slipcovers they made for Jami at Freckled Laundry...

Drool.

You can check out what else they've done in their Gallery or Facebook page. I'm so glad I found them, because custom slipcovers with super personalized service isn't easy to come by. I predict more of their slipcovers in my future.

Want to win a slipcover of your choice worth $150? Here's how:

First, visit the Comfort Works Facebook page and post a photo on their wall of a sofa/slipcover you love. It can be your own or an inspiration photo... just anything that shows your style.

Then, leave a comment here saying why you'd like to win—what would you want slipcovered?

That's it! The winner will be chosen next week and announced here on the blog. Competition is open worldwide (yay!)

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my afternoon and this warm summer day. Good luck all!