Color Schemes?
Question:I'm decorating my livingroom on a verrrryyy strict budget. I'm using some floor pillows for seating so I don't have to buy any furniture. My two questions:
What is the best way to make a floor pillow, cheaply?
and...
What color schemes would you use? My carpet is dark, dusty blue and my walls are white and grey pannelling. yuck. Can't paint or anything.
Thanks!
Answers:
Even if you don't sew a floor pillow (or any other pillow is very easy to make). The cheapest way I can think of to do it would be to use material you already have or can find used at a yard sale or thrift store. A full sized cotton or flannel sheet would work well. First figure out how big you want the pillow to be, then add about 2 inches to each side and measure it out on the material. I would make it a square shape for your first one. Also, don't forget you need to get 2 squares out of your fabric. Cut it out on the lines you measured. Now turn the two right sides of the material together and so it looks inside out. Pin along three edges to hold it and sew those 3 edges. If you don't have a machine this wouldn't be hard to do by hand either. On the 4th edge sew a little hem on each side so it looks finished. Flip the pillow right side out and stuff it w/batting (which can be bought at a craft store) On the 4th edge that you hemmed sew a button( or a couple, depending on how big you made the pillow) on one side and make a corresponding button hole on the other.
I can't help you with making the pillows, but I would go with primary colors..with blue carpet and white walls you need color, use red, yellow and blue pillows.
Floor pillows are usually pretty big - 24x24. I would look for some clearance or good sale price cloth tablecloths. This will probably be cheaper for you than buying fabric. Depending on how you feel about it, you might be able to find some pillows or cushions at a Goodwill or thrift shop. You can then use the tablecloth as if it were fabric, and sew it together into a pillow casing for the pillow forms or put the pillow form in the middle of the tablecloth (either cut with some extra fabric or folded over) and tie off each corner (or use color coordinated rubberbands). You could also use velcro (if you don't sew) around all four sides and then just velcro the pillow form into the fabric.
I have done this lots of times. Go to your local Joann's store - they often have their pillow inserts on sale for 40-50% off. Give them a call and ask, or look online at www.joanns.com
They have big ones too like you want. Also check out their fabric clearance wall at the back of the store. You will be able to get fabric very cheaply - maybe a dollar a yard. Walmart always has cheap dollar clearance fabrics too. I got some great dark denim there for a dollar a yard.
Talking of denim, I think that would be great for decorating. Pillows in denim, even a few different shades of denim would be fun. Pick another accent color or two, maybe red or orange, one you love, and use that for more pillows and lamps,pictures etc. Good luck!
Peach looks great with blues--or maroon maybe if you want them not to show a lotta dirt! get foam and material and thread and needles--If you have a machine to sew on that would be best--you can do it by hand but it will take awhile and you need to make small stitches and then you would have to back stitch so the thread makes a continuous line--sew it on the opposite side of the material that you want to show and when you are finished sewing about 4 inches or 6 maybe before you are done then--turn it inside out and put your foam in until you like how it feels--then finish stitching on the side you are using right at the corner. Go to Walmart for your fabric and talk to the clerk--she might help you out--you can put tassels on all four corners cheaply also if you want to. Ask her what fabric is on sale. You can make you some bookshelves with concrete blocks and wood--many times you can get wood on the side of the road where people are throwing it out! ou could cover that gray paneling like that and gives you some storage space for pictures--or you could put your stereo on it. Put nice pictures on the paneling or make a family portrait collage with dif frames --get those stick on hooks at walmart to hang them. Go to yard sales to get stuff--It;s real cheap
What about homemade beanbag chairs. I am sure you can find some leatherett at a fabric outlet store. They are quite easy to make. All you will need is plenty of those cushy pelet things, needle and thread. Sew three corners of leatherett together, dump in the cushy pellets and sew up the opening. Make sure you fill the pellets as close to the top as you can without fear of it being too full. If I am not mistaken leartherett is much cheaper than real leather and it comes in all sorts of colors. I would for your particular room choose spicy red and or orange colors. Now I was thinking for a table you could get some concrete bricks lay them on their side and place a board on top that you have painted white and varnished with a clear varnish so as to protect it.
The floor pillow can be made in generally the same way as the bean bag chairs, only you would be using foam rubber instead of those cushy things. In that case I would opt for checkered fabrics with splashes of spicy oranages and or reds.
Keep the table the same.
If you know of anyone who is getting rid of a couch or chair, you can use the forms from inside the cushions for a starting point. You can also use kingsize pillows, use different colors of shams (the "seams" would be concealed in the back and you can remove them to wash when they get dirty). As for colors, make the best with what you have like a heather gray, a darker stormy gray, navy blue and maybe a maroon. Stick with darker colors and they won't show the dirt like lighter colors would.
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