DIY Cushion Covers

I'm on a mission to redecorate my house without spending a bag of money. What this really means is that I have been spending hours upon hours scouring Pinterest and Google search for inspiration and tutorials. I've become so engrossed with it, I've been actually having dreams about what I want to do so I figured that instead of just annoying my friends and family with random pics and questions about tools and installation methods, I would share my experiments here. 

If you're as into decor as I am, *high five sister!* If not, I have hundreds of other posts on other topics I promise. So now let's get into it.

I went looking for material to recover my couch cushions because I was changing the colour scheme of my living room. I am yet to find something I love, things that were similar were very expensive at over $600 a yard and for something I would be looking at everyday I didn't think that was a fair trade off.

So, I dug through my two suitcases of unused fabric I've been hoarding saving for the future and found a plain white cotton - the possibilities alone made me dizzy with joy. A few days later, this happened-

Now you can see from the close-up that there are some mistakes where the paint leaked past the stencil but that's because I kept lifting it up to see what it looked like. I'm really an excited kid at heart especially when I get to make things. Don't worry it won't happen to you if you're patient. I'll stop blabbing now and get to it:

You Will Need:

• Fabric of your choosing -you can choose any colour. I liked cotton because it's super easy to use, durable and doesn't require special care to wash in case it gets stained.
• Acrylic/Fabric paint in a colour you like. (I got mine at Liguanea Drug & Garden you can pick yours up here)
• Stencil (I made mine using cartridge paper but you can download one from the internet and print it.)
• Sponge brush or rag
• Tape
• Scissors

Method

1. Measure the cushions you want to cover. Don't assume they are perfectly square. Determine whether you will need a lining for your fabric - you don't want to cover over the original fabric only to have it show through. If you need a lining you will want to double the fabric so just double your measurements.
2. Cut the fabric for the front of the cushions only (you'll see why later) and lay them out on a flat surface, tape the edges down so they don't move and make sure they are completely flat without any ripples.
3. Print/Make your stencil. I wanted a quatrefoil print but I couldn't bother to scale, size and print a pattern for my stencil. I kind of just figured out that I could use a square and half circles to create a similar effect so I drew that onto cartridge paper and then cut it out using an art knife.) It's far easier to print to scale I guess, but my creative side of my brain was making the math side of my brain lazy.
4. Lay down your stencil using tape and with a pencil mark the edge/bottom of your stencil so you will know where the lay it down for the next line and have even spacing.
5. Pour out your paint onto a plate and wet your foam brush or an old rag. It shouldn't be dripping but it needs to be moist so that it can get into the fabric properly. I was going for an almost tie-dyed effect so I didn't want it to be super clean lines but sort of faded like vintage tapestry especially since the paint was metallic.. If you want cleaner lines use the sponge brush, and for a more organic effect use cloth and dab rather than swipe on the paint.
6. Remove the stencil carefully and keep going until all your fabric pieces are covered. You can vary the way you apply the stencil or you can stick to one method. Just get creative!
7. Let it dry and press it so the paint is locked into the fabric

Sewing Instructions

DISCLAIMER: I did not use a pattern, I would rate myself as an Intermediate with sewing and I have a machine. This doesn't have to be done with a machine, a firm double backstitch by hand could get the job done but it will take longer.

1. Not someone who can sew? If you are familiar with fabric glue go ahead and use that. If not, then take your actual cushion, and your newly printed fabric to your dressmaker/tailor. They won't charge you much to stitch them up.
2. If you do sew, get some upholstery thread - you want this to be durable.
3. Lay the front of the cushion down and measure the sides again *cut once measure twice*
4. You will need two pieces for the back. Why? So you can slip the cover off and on to wash it, or to just change it out if you change your mind. The pieces need to overlap - so use the following example as a guide:
1. If your front piece measures 20 x 20 then cut Piece A to measure 15 x 20 and the Piece B 13 x 20
2. The overlap needs to be sizable enough to lay flat but not too small because this will cause it to gape
3. Hem one 20 inch side of Piece A then a 20 inch side of Piece B
5. Attach the un-hemmed side Piece A to the front matching the sides that measure the same together right sides facing each other. (The 20 inch side to the other 20 inch side) Then do the same with Piece B.
6. Then lay Piece A over Piece B and sew the top and bottom to the front piece.
7. Turn everything to the right side and check to see that everything is firmly in place. Iron and slip your cushion inside

THE END

This does not take long, but I got excited and finished one piece and stared at it for a couple days before completing the others. I also wanted to make sure I liked it enough and now I'm really happy with it. 

Will you be trying this? If you do, please tag me in your photo or tag #decoratewithjane so I can feature you on this blog. Check out my Instagram and Facebook page to stay up to date with what I'm doing.

Till next time,

*Jane

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DIY Style - Contrasting Sleeve Blazer

I am a jacket fiend, despite the fact that I live in tropical weather. Recently I acquired a mixed media jacket with faux leather contrasting sleeves and I cannot get enough of it. This inspired me to remix one ( or a few *ahem) of my older jackets to spruce them up and make them a little more trendy. The DIY is simple and you will not need a sewing machine so long as you are comfortable executing a backstitch. If you are completely clueless when it comes onto sewing then you can have your tailor or your dressmaker do this for you and it will still cost WAY less than buying a new jacket.

Contrast sleeve jackets are those jackets with a different colour or texture sleeve than the rest of the jacket. It adds a stylish element to what you're wearing with a modern edge and I am in love with the style. This DIY allows you to dip your toe in without committing because you can always switch the sleeves back so you still have a classic blazer. I really like this - Can you tell?

Okay so here we go!

Step One:
Choose two jackets of a similar style and length. Decide of the two, which jacket will be the shell and which jacket you will use the sleeves from. In the instance below, I am using my white jacket (Charlotte Russe, similar here) as the shell and the faux leather jacket (Wet Seal, similar here) as the sleeves for contrast.

Step Two:
Turn the jackets inside out and with a seam ripper, sharpened pencil, tweezer or a pin remove the lining around the seam where the sleeve is joined to the jacket. Once this is done then remove the stitching around the seam that attaches the sleeve to the jacket. Make sure you do this carefully and you do not use a pair of scissors in case you want to reattach the sleeve in the future. If you are working with more delicate fabrics like sequins, faux leather or satin you need to go very slowly and pull one stitch at a time so you don't rip the fabric.

Step Three:
Once both jackets have been de-sleeved, make a note of which sleeve is the right and left and what is the front and back of the sleeve. If you look closely you will usually see a seam going up the underside of the sleeve. This section is the part that comes up to the middle of your armpits, this is the first point of contact. Turn your shell (the part of the jacket that now looks like a vest) inside out and look for stitching or a seam that will line up with that long seam on the sleeve that goes up to your armpit - this is where you will make the first stitch.
Now take the sleeve (do not turn it inside out) and slip it inside the vest (which has been turned inside out) and through the arm hole. Line up the seams and pin the jacket at the following places: 

• that long armpit seam
• the top of the sleeve where it attaches to the shoulder (usually this section will be the pointiest section - pull out your sleeve and you will see)
• the half way points on each side between the top/shoulder and the armpit seam

Step Four

Do a preliminary stitch with your needle and thread like a running stitch or a base stitch (the standard in and out), remove the pins and try it on to make sure you've done it up properly and correct any bunching or gaps with your final stitch. If you are sewing by hand then I recommend you use a backstitch with doubled thread and go it over twice if your material is heavier like the faux leather I was using.

Et Voila! You're done!!!! Remember as long as you're careful when you're pulling out the stitches you can always just continue to swap out your sleeves. I hope you enjoy this one lovelies, and tag/mention me on Instagram in your DIY pics of your jackets so I can add them to a collage. Just tag #janekoysen.

Till later,

*Jane

 

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DIY Brush Cleaner Spray

Clean brushes are essential to getting the makeup look and colour pay off you want but cleaning your brushes is no fun. Even more importantly, dirty brushes lead to break outs and blackheads so deep cleaning your brushes is necessary. Sometimes, a quicker solution is necessary - Enter brush cleaner spray. It's a quickie way of cleaning your brushes. Just spray, wipe & dry.

 I did some research and some experimenting and what I've listed below is the best DIY brush cleaner solution that I've found. It didn't irritate my skin or leave behind residue on my brush or leave a film in the product I was using. 

You will need:

1 Cup of filtered room temperature water
1/4 Cup Isopropyl Alcohol (The kind you use to clean piercings. Remember you are trying to kill bacteria here)
1Teaspoon Hand Soap/Liquid Soap (try to use something unscented and clear it will have less irritants)
1 Teaspoon Baby Shampoo I recommend using baby shampoo if possible.
1 Tablespoon Conditioner
1 Empty Clean Spray Bottle 

Method

1. Pour all the ingredients into a glass or ceramic bowl making sure to pour in the alcohol last
2. Mix together making sure everything is now liquid. The conditioner may be lumpy so make sure to whisk to get it out
3. Pour into the empty spray bottle and shake up really hard.
4. Do a test spray onto your wrist. If no lumps come out then your good to go. If lumps come out then stick into the microwave and nuke for 15 seconds and shake again. You should be fine then

Use

1. Spray the solution onto a paper towel or a clean dry wash cloth 
2. Rub the brush back and forth until all the colour disappears.
3. Wipe the brush firmly with a dry cloth and voila you have a clean brush again!

Shelf life

This can last for up to three months. After this, I would recommend you rinse out the spray bottle and the nozzle with warm water and make a fresh batch.

If you prefer the factory-made kind, MAC and Cinema Secrets and said to be the best in the business right now. You can pick up a bottle here.

Will you be trying this? Let me know how it works out for you.

Till later,

*Jane

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Baking Soda Beauty - At Home DIYs

Baking Soda is one of those products with so many hidden uses and benefits. Typically known as a household do-it-all, it is sometimes overlooked in many a beauty routine. A girlfriend of mine  was surprised when we were discussing what I've used it for over the past couple years so I thought I would share with you dolls some of the ways I use it in my beauty routine.

Anti-Acne Mask : I already have a post on this here. Baking Soda works as an alternative to those more expensive masks in the drug store and it also has the benefit of brightening the skin and killing bacteria. 

Teeth Whitening: Add baking soda to your toothpaste for a brighter smile, or make a paste with distilled hydrogen peroxide to get rid of stains on your teeth.

Clarifying shampoo: Add a teaspoon of this to your shampoo to get rid of residue and buildup and to get your hair squeaky clean. Or, if you use a lot of gel or pomade sprinkle a teaspoon onto your scalp and massage it in lightly as a scrub for your scalp then rinse out. As with anything applied to your scalp, avoid this if you have used any chemicals or have cut your scalp within 72 hours or it will burn.

Body Scrub: To keep your skin looking polished, get rid of bacteria that can cause acne, encourage cell turnover which helps with fading scars and dark marks, and to get rid of or prevent ingrown hairs use a body scrub. Mix baking soda with a little of your body wash and gently rub in with your palm. Let it sit for two minutes then rinse off with warm water.

Brush Cleaner : If you have sensitive skin, then its a good idea to use something that's a bit more organic than the typical brush cleaner. Baking soda can be a safe alternative. Dissolve a tablespoon in warm water and spray onto the brush and wipe out the product on a clean towel or a hand towel.

Whitening finger nails : If you wear dark colours on your nails you may notice that sometimes when you remove your nail polish, your fingernails are stained or yellowed. A quick way to get rid of this is to soak your nails in a bowl of warm water where you have dissolved baking soda for about five minutes after removing your nail polish.

Are you a fan of baking soda? Will you be trying any of these out soon? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Till later

**Jane

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DIY - Customize Your Lip Colour

Every woman is different and what may suit your friend may not suit you. When I purchase a lip colour that is slightly off for me, I don't let that stop me from wearing it I just fiddle around until I find out what shade to add to make it work. It reminds me of mixing colours to get it just right for a painting.

Sometimes, you want that custom colour ready to wear and in a form that you can carry with you. So one day, I came up with this quick DIY to customize my lip colour in a more permanent, easy-to-go way. 

Step One 

Clean out an old container with a lid that is sturdy enough to go into the microwave.

                           

Step Two

This may sound painful. Cut a small chunk off the top of the lipstick bullet in one clean cut. Equate the amount with the colour pay off you want. For example, I wanted an orange-y red with the base being red. So I cut a bigger portion of the red bullet than the orange one.

Step Three

Cut the chunks up smaller and place in the container with a small drop of olive oil or argan oil and nuke in the microwave on LOW for twelve seconds three times mixing in between each microwave session.

Step Four

Add one more tiny drop of oil and mix together one last time to get rid of any streaks.

Step Five

Place in the fridge for half hour to one hour then apply with a lip brush or your finger to your lips.

Voila!

If you try it, let me know.

Till later,

*Jane

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Take It Off! (Lazy Girl's Guide to Good Skin Part 1)

I've been guilty of being too lazy tired to wash my make up off when I come in from a night out, and that smear of cream blush on my pillow case always mocks me the next morning promising that I will almost certainly be seeing a new pimple by the end of the day. Without a doubt, putting on makeup is more fun than taking it off. BUT like, all other good hygienic habits, it must be done. So, of course I had to devise the laziest way to take it all off at the end of any kind of day. *Disclaimer - I'm not a dermatologist, skin specialist or medical professional. This is just what I think from my own experience*

Here we go:

Work Day :

Whether you're a super busy run-around person or you sit behind a desk all day, the optimum time to take off your makeup is as soon as you get home. Why? The longer your skin has to breathe with absolutely nothing on it, is the longer it has to recover on its own. Remember how it feels to take your shoes off and wiggle your toes? That's what you're doing for your face.

Make it easy by putting a pack of makeup remover wipes close to where you put down your bag or take off your jewellery when you get in, and you're less likely to forget to do it. After you've wiped it all off, on your next trip to the bathroom splash your face with some water.

Gym/Workout:

Always always always sweat make-up free. Makeup and sweat is a horrible combination for your pores and will leave you super clogged. Yes, I know you still need to look presentable at the gym, but for the sake of your skin, please wipe off your face make up (foundation, blush, bronzer, highlighter) at least. If you don't want to go completely bare leave on your eye makeup, make sure you're wearing waterproof mascara and that your eyeliner is on your top lid only, otherwise you will end up with raccoon eyes. Plus, foundation on your gym towel just looks like dirt, or worse...skid marks.

Make it easy by slipping a pack of makeup remover wipes into your gym bag. Reduce smears by wiping off your foundation and blush before you change your clothes. Never mind if you look like you're missing a little colour. Working up a good sweat will make you flushed and glowing naturally.

Night out on the Town:

You're finally home and your feet ache and you can barely stand but you slathered on the makeup earlier and you need to wipe it off. Typically, we go heavier with the makeup at night and are even more lackadaisical about taking it off when we get in.But this is exactly why we need to do it. Heavier makeup requires a two-step process especially if you're gonna be too lazy tired to wash your face.

Take a makeup remover wipe or two and wipe everything off as best as you can. Wipes can end up leaving your face slightly sticky so you can always substitute the second wipe for witch hazel on a cotton pad. The second step is a face oil. Didn't see that coming did you? An oil, in its virgin form like tea tree oil or argan oil will do alot for your skin. The moisturizing properties will help to combat the dehydration from any alcohol you consumed or any smoke that was in the air while the anti-bacterial properties will nix any remaining dirt that could be clogging your pores. Get your oils here if you live in Kingston, Jamaica.

My favourite make-up removers are:

  

Neutrogena                                        Simple                                                   Ponds

                                                                                                                     (Keep this in the fridge)

DIY- Makeup Removers I like:

- Witch Hazel & Rose Water

- Olive Oil and Witch Hazel

Fave Eye Make-up Remover:

Neutrogena Oil-free Eye Makeup Remover

Remember ladies, just washing your face doesn't remove your makeup. Your best bet is to use a make-up remover (store bought or DIY) and then to wash your face. I don't recommend using an exfoliating scrub after you've used a makeup remover. A cream cleanser or other regular cleanser will do the job without irritating your skin.

If you want a step-by-step breakdown on how to make your own makeup remover leave me a comment and I'll get right on it. 

Till later,

**Jane

PS - Can we take a minute to just swoon at the loveliness of cream blush at night? Especially in candlelit areas? Swoooooon!

P PS - Yes, I'm starting a new series of posts, and aren't you a smarty pants for noticing.

  

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Ten Step Programme to Thicker Hair

Lush, bouncy, thick hair is the stuff of wet dreams. *ahem*. That's why Herbal Essence's concept of the shampoo ad hasn't changed for years. But, what they don't tell you is that getting your hair healthy happens in those times when you're not sudsing up. 

Here are ten steps to getting thicker hair. I basically swear by this. One month of this and your hair will feel so much healthier. Here you are luvs:

1. Go easy on the hair washing: Your hair is at its weakest when it is wet; and since washing your hair means stripping it of its oils (yes, even sulfate-free shampoos strip the hair a bit) it means that its protection is at its lowest. And since your hair is dead already all that tugging and stretching and pulling makes it even weaker. Try your hand at dry shampoo and wash for hygienic purposes not because you want your hair to be more pliable.
2. Forget the ponytail, Bend and Snap!: That tiny little elastic band can cause friction in your hair and encourage breakage. Ever wonder why the very centre of the hair in your ponytail is growing thin? It's because you keep putting pressure on it. Instead, twist your hair loosely, bend it and pin with a snap clip or a hair pin. Ever so often change the height of the twist and the place you pin your hair.
3. Protein treatment: Your hair is basically creepy-looking skin so you need to nourish it. Imagine what your skin would look like if you didn't lotion it for days? Better yet, compare the hair on your arms to the hair underneath your arms. Feel how course the hair underneath your arms feel? That's un-moisturized hair. Don't do that to yourself okay? (I am by no means encouraging anyone to lotion their pits)
4. Forget the heat: Seriously, put down the flat iron, the blow dryer and the curling iron. If you want your hair to be lush, then start giving it a break. Set your hair or wrap it instead, you'll cut down on frizz and breakage and your hair will start to feel and look like it actually belongs on your head. Need to be convinced of the damage heat can wreak? Watch this click me!
5. Feed your hair: Water, nuts, avocado, milk and supplements including fatty acids, vitamins A,C and E are nutrients your hair needs to thrive. Up your intake of healthy and you will start to see a difference.
6. Leave in: When you're stressed, your hair gets stressed too. Ever notice that you break out when you're super-stressed? What do you think is happening with your hair? It's getting weaker and weaker. You can combat this while you sleep if you use a leave-in treatment. Something as simple as combing in extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil while you sleep while give parched strands something to rejoice about.
7. Colour me not: Stay away from colour. Seriously, put down the bleach. Seriously. Yes I know you want that beautiful colour but if you do it while your hair is damaged it will just look trashy and start to break in a few weeks. It's hard, I know (my hair is naturally the colour of mud) but hey it's worth it to spot a random picture of you on Facebook with your hair all glossy and shiny
8. Hot Oil is your friend: hot oil treatments before you shampoo or chemically treat your hair will give your strands a nice coat and help it to absorb the moisture it needs to stand up to the stress of being washed. And the good news is is that all you need is three tablespoons of your fave virgin oil.
9. The Right Tools: Yup yup, the combs and brushes and hot tools you use in your hair do make a difference. For combs you want to make sure the teeth are smooth all the way around so that it doesn't snag or rip your hair. For brushes it is important that the bristles are smooth as well but most importantly they need to be flexible. If a brush scrapes your skin uncomfortably then it won't do a good job on your hair. For anything heat-wise ceramic is better than metal and ions are better for your hair. Read your labels ladies, because we don't have money or time to waste.
10. The Ginger Trick: Indian women are notoriously known for their long thick tresses so borrow this trick from them. Every other week peel a small ginger. Grate or process half of it and run the juice and the pulp through your scalp and along your hair line. Poke a fork into the remaining half so it becomes runny and rub in small circles (almost like your massaging your scalp) over areas that are thinning out. What's the science behind this? No clue, but the ginger is said to be a natural stimulant that doesn't cause irritation (hint menthol) while it contains natural antibodies that fortify hair.

And there you have it. Try this out and let me know what your experience is. 

Till later,

*Jane

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Three to Try

The weekend is finally here, so why not try three new things? 

This week felt so much longer because of the half week last week, and I am itching to get out of the office and out of my suit and relax. To keep you smiling and occupied this weekend (read - not bored, drooling and zoning out to repeats on your couch) you can try these three:

GO

CRU - Bar and Lounge
Equal parts cool, sexy and inviting - CRU bar opened in December 2012. The decor and vibe is that of a cooler gathering at a lush upstairs deck. The service is quick and attentive, the music un-offensive and un-intrusive and the menu selections satisfyingly varied. They also offer finger food to munch on while you catch up with your friends.
This is an upscale bar, so fashionable attire is appropriate. The crowd is everyone from the after-work corporate world crew to regular fiction-ites - mostly the 21 to 40 crowd. Walk with a business card because you never know who you'll bump into.

1,2 : source ; 3: source

WEAR

Sneakers/Kicks

Sneakers/Kicks are making a comeback and while we are predicted be in a drought right now, covered footwear is still a style staple among the Jamaican crowd. Try the style out this weekend and enjoy the comfort, and edgier vibe they offer.

For women, the sneaker wedge is all the rage now. A pair I would wear with skinny jeans, a silk/chiffon blouse and a faux leather jacket is:

source

For the men, Grandeur for Men has a pair I would recommend:

source

CRAFT

DIY String Chandeliers/Balls

If your home is looking a bit bare now that the Christmas decorations are down, why not DIY something easy and fun and kinda cool? All you need is some cornstarch, water, glue, some string and balloons. Hammer in a nail and attach a couple high up on a corner wall in your house; string it up as a chandelier or display on your coffee table.

(my picture)

(my picture)

source

The directions I followed are here.

What are your plans this weekend? Trying anything new?

Till later,

Jane

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