Tufted Headboard Tutorial from Mallory and Savannah of Classy Clutter

I am really excited to have Mallory and Savannah here to share their amazing tufted headboard tutorial with you! They are both extremely talented, and Mallory was one of the first bloggers I "met" when I started blogging, she was extremely supportive, just when I needed it. They also have a really great linky party every Saturday, so be sure to check it out! Here's Mallory and Savannah, I'm sure you'll love them!



Hello Commoner's Castle Readers! We're Mallory and Savannah, the author's of the DIY/Home blog, Classy Clutter.  We are beyond thrilled to be over at Lauren's blog sharing a post with you today! We hope you enjoy our post and we'd love to have you stop by our blog!

While I was in Arizona over the Christmas break, Savannah and I tackled a few projects! Of course! It's pretty much our favorite thing to do when we are together! That and going out for sushi ;) One project we really wanted to get done was her youngest daughter's bed. Her (almost) two year old little angel was done with her baby crib and needed a big girl bed! Savannah knew exactly what she wanted but she was a little nervous to tackle it herself. It was definitely a two person job but turned out to be a really fun project!

Savannah had an adorable twin bed that she found at a local thrift store for a steal. Most people would look at it and think... "great lines, cute bed, I'll paint it and it'll be fantastic!" well... that would be true BUT Savannah wanted to take it one step further! She wanted a white girly bed with a soft lime green upholstery and some killer cute colorful buttons! Not a tall order or anything.. ;)

First, we made a template of where we wanted the upholstery.  We used butcher paper and taped it to the bed frame.

Then we measured and marked where we wanted the tufts and buttons to be.

Next, we drew straight lines from each point to get an idea of where the folds in the tufts would be.

Next, we removed the template from the headboard and I traced and marked the foam while Savannah painted the headboard a gorgeous creamy white! 

I laid the butcher paper template on the foam (we used 2" upholstery foam from the fabric store) and traced in with a sharpie. (Yes, a purple one!) 

Then, we cut around the traced edge of the foam using a serrated knife. We also poked holes in the tuft markings.  (didn't get a pic of this step! Sorry!)

Next, we re-taped the template to the bed, after the paint dried. Then, we drilled holes in the headboard using the template tuft markings as a guide. 

Then, we made 17 fabric covered buttons for the tufting. They were so stinkin' cute! Totally worth the sore thumbs! You can get these button kits at a fabric store. We got hers at JoAnn's Fabrics.

Next, the upholstering began! We used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam piece to the headboard. Then we stapled a large piece of batting over the foam. We used a staple gun for the upholstery. 

Then, we trimmed the excess batting and we used some clamps to hold the upholstery fabric in place so we could begin the tufting process.

TIP: Do you tufting before you staple. If you staple the fabric first, your tufting may look too tight. We wanted nice deep tufts so we did not want to pull the fabric tight until the very end!

We used a long upholstery needle and upholstery thread. Start from the back fof the headboard and feed your needle through to the front, through the fabric.  Attach the button and run the needle back through to the back of the headboard and staple the remaining thread securely to the back. Make sure to pull the needle really tight to get really deep tufts!

The back should look like this when you're done with this step.

Next, we stapled the fabric to the headboard and trimmed the excess. 

Lookin' good! But we've got one more important step! Piping! 

Finally, we started making our own piping so it would match the green fabric. We already knew how to make piping but if you need help, here is a great tutorial. Click here. 

Then, hot glue your piping around the raw edges and TA-DA!!! DONE! 

Here's an up close picture of the piping and tufting...

We were so excited to tackle a project together since we haven't been able to do that in about 6 months! BAH! Sad huh!? It couldn't have turned out any better! We are a team and our team work always pays off! We both are in love with little Millie's bed! Savannah is working her tail off to get the rest of Millie's nursery turned into her big girl room!

Thanks so much for having us Lauren! We'd love for ya'll to stop by our blog and say hello!

Are you ready to tackle your next project yet?? Head over to Classy Clutter for more furniture and home decor inspiration!

Mallory and Savannah are best friends and the brains behind Classy Clutter, a one-stop shop for all things creative with a focus on Furniture and Home Décor. Both are moms with a mission for being creative on the cheap!  Mallory is a full-time mom of two little boys and a student.  She runs her Etsy Shop –Heartfelt Designs and Photography Business from her home in New York. Savannah is a cosmetologist at an Arizona salon called Hair Do and keeps busy doing furniture, crafts and activities with her two little girls!  Classy Clutter keeps them connected from NY to AZ! Classy Clutter is your place for inspiration, tips and tutorials!  Please hop over and check us out!  We’d love to have you!

Thanks so much ladies! This is an A-MA-ZING project, and I'm so glad you shared it here!

Alyssa from Clever Nest

Today we have Alyssa here from Clever Nest, and I love what she chose to share about. Please take a minute to check out her blog. She is kind and funny, and you will love her! Here's Alyssa...

 ’Ello everybody : ). I’m Alyssa Wine of Clever Nest, and I was so excited when Lauren asked me to guest blog for her one year blogversary! I’m  a loyal fan of Lauren’s, I think she’s fantastic, and her entry way make over is the bomb. Lauren, thanks for letting me be part of the fun!

Now, it’s time to confess a dirty little secret of mine.

Self Diagnosis

I follow quite a few awesome DIY blogs (that’s not the confession). The confession is, some days when I’m reading the posts of my blogging friends and the wonderful things they’re up to, I feel… intimidated. Seeing picture after picture of beautiful homes, flawlessly executed crafts, and overly photogenic children I think, “how can I compete with this?”  Everybody but me obviously has perfect lives and spends their time smiling and painting chevrons on things all day long!

This is true for Pinterest as well.

I know I’m being dramatic, but, have you ever felt that way too? I look around my house and see my hubby’s dirty socks on the coffee table, my half finished craft sitting on the dining room table, and the baby smooshing crackers into the tile.

I have named this feeling. I call it,  Comparison Rage And Preoccupation syndrome. Otherwise known as, feeling like C.R.A.P.

Getting’ Real

The first thing I do when I start feeling this way is to remind myself that beautiful pictures show only one side of the room, er, story.

Here’s a real life example. I wrote a post revealing my little guy’s newly finished nursery (you can see the full post here). Before a camera got anywhere near that room,  I dusted, vacuumed, removed half Andrew’s diaper and wipe paraphernalia, fluffed blankets, and styled stuffed critters.  Here’s some of the pics I posted-

Now, here’s the pics I did not show anybody. If you had turned to the right, you’d see why I didn’t show the closet view.

Stunning. We haven’t exactly gotten around to installing closet doors. Thankfully Andrew is still young, and not yet old enough to know how he’s being neglected by his parents. And if you had turned to see the hallway, you’d find even more good stuff. 

Ye lovely Pile O’ Mess. I scooped up everything that wasn’t photo worthy and dumped it out of view! I just walked in the other room and took a picture of what the nursery looks like on a normal, blanket fluffing free day.

 My Andrew sign is wilting... 

That’s the plain, unphotogenic truth. I appreciate it so much when my favorite blogging ladies show their behind the scenes pictures! Their houses on a normal day, the untouched rooms with gloriously high stuff piles, even divulging their secret to making a bathroom towel look extra fluffy in the “after” shot. It reminds me that, they live real life too, just like me.

You Got This

The second thing I do to alleviate feeling like C.R.A.P. is to remember my triumphs. I definitely don’t always knock it out of the park (the time I hung a fish-turkey on the wall!),

but sweet comments by family, friends, and you guys remind me that sometimes I do get it right. We’re all trying to make our lives a little more awesome, and chances are, we underestimate how much what we do means to those around us!

Embrace the Fail

When all else fails, I stop blog surfing and type in this website. CraftFail. I discovered this site a while back and I always leave feeling better about my artsy endeavors (I was not paid to say this, I just think they’re awesome!). Here you can laugh along with fellow crafters who had their project fail hilariously and miserably. You can even see one of my very own flops on there, this lovely thing!

Holy Restickable Gluestick Batman. It wasn’t funny at the time, but now it is! : ) Sometimes a good laugh reminds me not to take it all too seriously.

Craftians, Unite!

Nobody paints chevrons all day, certainly not me. I know that, but sometimes a reminder is good for the soul! My house doesn’t look like a magazine cover 7 days a week, and that’s ok. My crafts sometimes are only fit to amuse. I’m a real human being with a stuff pile just as big as the one I’m sure my favorite bloggers have at their house too.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with cleaning up before you show off your space, or showing off our sweet craft ideas. We all like looking at pretty pictures! BUT-  what I’m saying is, let’s not let those glossy, white balanced, staged pictures fool us. Let them inspire and motivate us to be creative, never make us feel like second class uncraftians. Will you join me in fighting C.R.A.P.?  Pinky swear?

<3 Alyssa

www.myclevernest.com

(Sorry for saying C.R.A.P. so much, mom. It had the letters I needed.)


I know I am guilty of C.R.A.P. from time to time. I am also most definitely not living in a photo ready house in a moments notice. I often find myself taking pictures while trying to avoid a pile of laundry, or toys. I'm in Alyssa! How about the rest of you? 

Lampshade Makeover from Jennifer of Dimples & Tangles

I am so excited to have Jennifer here from dimples & tangles. She is super talented, and has amazing taste when it comes to interior design. She really doesn't need much of an introduction, so here's Jennifer...


Hello to all of you fellow a Commoner's Castle readers!  I have so enjoyed Lauren's blog and am thrilled that she invited me to share with you today.  I'm also a fairly new blogger and have been so blessed to become a part of this wonderfully supportive blogging community.


This is the very first project that I posted on my blog, and I thought I'd also share it with you.  I bought these lamps several years ago at Hobby Lobby for 80% off.  

Loved them as they were and they were the perfect size to flank my mantel...I love using lighting on the mantel!  I have enjoyed them but am gradually moving away from so much red in the family room, so I put them away for a while.  When the time came to pull them out and use them again (I have a big stash of accessories that I switch out all the time, do you?), I searched high and low for new shades.  Not an easy task, being that these shades are very tall and narrow. 


Usually I just recover a shade that I'm tired of, but this one had curvy lines that would have made it really difficult.  I couldn't walk into Ross or Target like I normally do and pick up a replacement.  I'm sure I could have found some online or from a fancy lighting store that would have been the right size, but I wasn't willing to shell out the big bucks that I knew I'd have to pay. 


I finally pulled out the scissors ready to snip off the old shade and try use it as a pattern to fashion some sort of new one, when a thought popped into my head.  Paint fixes everything, right?  Especially black paint!  Why not try painting them?  I was originally looking for a white shade, but knew that white wouldn't work over the red fabric.  I use a lot of black accents so I decided to try it.  


First, I snipped off the X cross pieces.  I didn't want to work around them.

I used a bottle of Fabric Medium from Hobby Lobby and mixed some with my black acrylic paint.  The medium helps the paint spread on more smoothly and evenly.

Using a foam brush, I applied the paint with a light touch as evenly as possible, being careful around the edges to get a clean line.  I did discover that if I pressed too firmly the paint soaked through to the white silk liner underneath. 

After the first coat I placed the shade back on the base with the light on and could still see the red showing through, so I painted a second coat.  

Perfect!  All it took was less than two dollars for the paint and about 20 minutes.

I think the darker shades add a touch of sophistication and 
are a nice contrast to the brick. 

In my opinion they look better than any replacement shade I might have found, and were much more budget-friendly!  Do you have an easy fix for tired lampshades?

  

Congratulations Lauren on your one year anniversary of blogging!  Keep up the good work!


Jennifer, Thanks so much for being a part of our blogiversary celebration, and for always being encouraging and inspiring.
I really hope you will all stop over to her site, and say hello! She has a beautiful home, and always has something amazing going on.

Pam from Simple Details is Here!

I am beyond thrilled to have Pam from Simple Details here to kick off our Blogiversary week! She is always so kind and supportive, and has amazing taste when it comes to interiors. Be sure to stop by and check out her amazing blog when you have a chance! Without further ado here's Pam...

Hi everyone, I'm Pam from Simple Details, I'm thrilled to be kicking off

Lauren's Blogiversary week!  Congrats on a fabulous year, Lauren! You couldn't be

 sweeter or more supportive and are a true delight to have in the blogging community! 

Today I'm sharing one of my favorite updates, our living room coffee table.

  I thought it was looking a little dark and heavy, and in my plan to update the living room

 that I started here, here, and here, I wanted to include a more neutral palette.

                                             So, I did what every diyer does - painted it!


                                                                       BEFORE

AFTER

                        

                                                                The Products:

Rustoleum Protective Enamel Oil Based - Gloss Almond

Anita's Metallic Craft Paint - Classic Gold

My Favorite Purdy Brush

Small Brush - from Kid's Art Kit

 The Price:

 Rustoleum Enamel - $9/ quart -  used about half

Metallic Paint - $3 - used about half

The Prep:

Per Rustoleum instructions, I gave it a light sand,

sprayed it down with water (squirt bottle) and dried. 

Taped off the fretwork and medallions I wanted to paint gold.

                                   

The Painting: 

I used 3 coats of Rustoleum Enamel,

allowing 24 hours drying time between coats.

After the 2nd coat I sanded lightly with 220 grit sandpaper

and then took my leaf blower to it

to get all the particles out of the thousands of crevices!

The Problems:

I wish I would have filled these little holes, and the area where the boards meet,

I did everything except pour the paint in them hoping they'd disappear, no luck.

This is the worst of them, and I'm sure it's one of those things only I notice. :)

                                                                    Patience!

                                     Each coat took almost two hours and the gold fretwork,
                              I lost track, I just kept at it whenever I had a few spare minutes,
                                                   the good news, it dried quickly! 

                        I love the high sheen lacquer finish ~ it was definitely worth the time!

If you like to check out my latest look for spring go here or stop by

Simple Details to see what's up with my latest projects. 

Thanks so much for inviting me over Lauren, wishing you another successful year!

Thanks so much Pam for sharing your gorgeous table makeover with us. I'm going to have to give the Rustoleum Protective Enamel a try, it looks wonderful! 

I am really excited about all the amazingly talented guest posters we have this week. 

I have some great project tutorials in the works as well, so stop back again, 

this week is sure to be jam packed full o' blogiversary goodness!