CasaSugar

Cool Idea: Baubled Wire Vase

CasaSugar — Sat, 17 Jan 2009 05:30:54 -0800

This one-of-a-kind vase, owned by a relative of mine, was wrapped with basic copper wire and strung with a melange of vintage beads and buttons. The glass vase itself is a basic cylinder shape - the kind a florist would use - but the adornment gives it remarkable flair that I find quite chic. Recreating this vase wouldn't be difficult, even for a novice beader, but amassing such an extraordinary collection of baubles would be a feat in itself. Furthermore, I love how it's been used here to hold serving utensils in the kitchen window, so that it can be enjoyed daily!

Casa Quickie: New Uses For Old Buttons

CasaSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:00:00 -0800

The folks over at Wish have devised a cute and clever way to repurpose those bags of spare buttons sitting in your junk drawer. Use them to keep pairs of earrings together by slipping their posts or hooks through the button holes. If you sport pins or brooches, this will trick will work for them as well. I must say it's a pretty useful idea; my post earrings are always getting lost. Of course, I've got my hook earrings neatly hung on the shutter earring display I made. There's a reason why the expression "cute as a button," is what it is: buttons are darn cute, especially a collection as colorful as this one. So, to learn one more way to repurpose your remnant buttons, read more.

You can use a big ole collection of buttons to cover the back of a medallion chair. Though the project is simple but time consuming, it's worth it, as it can add personality to an otherwise prim and proper piece of furniture.
Source and Source

Etsy Find: Felt Flower Button Bouquets

CasaSugar — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:00:16 -0700

If the fleeting beauty of a fresh floral bouquet isn't what you had in mind for your wedding or other celebration, you're in luck. Etsy seller Princess Lasertron makes custom bouquets from hand-stitched felt and vintage buttons that will last well beyond your ceremony, and perhaps your five-year anniversary. But you needn't be tying the knot to take one home. The one-of-a-kind floral arrangements look just as good set in a glass vase on your dining room table, as they do with your Vera Wang. Prices run from $60 to $250.

DIY: Button-Backed Chair

CasaSugar — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 09:49:10 -0700

My grandmother, who's always had a great waste-not-want-not philosophy, has jars upon jars of buttons. When I was a little girl I used to spend hours going through all of the cool, decade-spanning buttons she'd collected, trying to think of a good use for them. And now, thanks to iVillage, I've found an awesome use for them. (Grandma? Are you reading? Need a project?)

I'm liking the funky vibe that the DIY element adds to this prim and proper chair. This project is from the book Simple Sewing with a French Twist: An Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes and Home Accessories with Style, by Celine Dupuy. As long as you can sew a button on a shirt, you can complete this project.

What You'll Need

Medallion chair
1 rectangle thick cotton fabric, 16 by 15 inches (40 by 38 cm)
1 rectangle thick iron-on interfacing, 16 by 15 inches (40 by 38 cm)
3 sheets paper, 11 by 17 inches
Scotch tape
Lots of buttons
Pencil
Dressmaking scissors
Tailor's chalk
Fine sewing needle
Tape measure or ruler
Spray textile adhesive
3 spools thread

For step-by-step instructions and a link to a slideshow, read more

First of all, if you're having any trouble following these directions, I suggest skipping directly to the slideshow on iVillage. But if you're crafting-savvy, just read on.

How to Make It

Join the sheets of paper together with Scotch tape. Position against the oval of the chair back and draw the outline to make a pattern. Cut out the oval of the pattern, draw the outline onto the iron-on interfacing, and cut out.
Press the oval of iron-on interfacing onto the thick cotton fabric using a hot iron. Let cool and then cut out the fabric, leaving a seam allowance of 1 1/4 inches (3 cm) around the iron-on oval (top illustration). Cut V-shaped notches around the edge of the fabric, press, fold down, and stick the notches to the iron-on interfacing with textile adhesive.
Cover the front of the oval with different-sized buttons, overlapping them slightly and stitching by hand with double pearlized thread . Then, stick the oval to the chair back with spray adhesive
Take a well-deserved sitdown on your lovely new chair!

In the News: Benjamin Button House Is Up For Grabs

CasaSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:00:00 -0800

The New Orleans home of Brad Pitt's character in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button can now be the setting of your own life story. The 7800-square-foot Victorian mansion in NOLA's Garden District is on the market for $2.85 million.To hear more details about the property, read more.

With six bedrooms, six bathrooms, a large yard, a library, a music room, and a reception hall along with incredible architectural details, the house is a prime example of old New Orleans architecture: built for entertaining. Unfortunately, I have no interior photos to share, but according to the real estate agent for the property, "It's much nicer than what people saw in the movie." Referring to the O'Hara cotton plantation in Gone With the Wind, she says, "It's more like Tara the than a home for old people." I actually passed by the house a few times while the movie was filming and swooned over the exterior, but then again, New Orleans is known for its coveted cribs.
Source

The Inspired Interiors of Benjamin Button

CasaSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:00:37 -0800

Since I'm a romantic at heart, I couldn't resist The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. The love story between Benjamin (Brad Pitt) and Daisy (Cate Blanchett), which anchors the film, swept me away, while the amazing interiors, in hotels and homes ranging from Russia to New Orleans, kept me entranced. Here, Benjamin and Daisy laze together under a canopied bed. To cultivate a similar romance in your own home, try the Sheer Canopy Drape ($39.99) from Pottery Barn. To see more interiors from the film, check out the slideshow. Photos courtesy of Paramount Pictures

View Slideshow ›

Do You Decorate With Branches?

CasaSugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 08:00:00 -0700

I've really been loving the look of tall branches arranged in a vase lately. Of course, freshly-cut branches - like the ones from gorgeous pink cherry blossom trees - are always magnificent; remember seeing them on the set of She's Out of My League? I'm thinking about integrating some dried branches, like Billy buttons or Chinese lanterns, into my décor. It's a foolproof flower arrangement that's not faux and always looks fab! Do you decorate with branches?

Source

Desire/Acquire: Ruffled Shower Curtain

CasaSugar — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:11:00 -0800

It was love at first sight when I first set eyes on Anthropologie's Flamenco Shower Curtain ($118). Those cascading ruffles can't help but make a girl's heart go pitter-patter. The same goes for India Rose's Ruffled Shower Curtain ($110). Unfortunately, neither panel is very wallet-friendly - especially considering that shower curtains go for less than $30 at places like Bed Bath & Beyond. Luckily, I've found a ruffled curtain to help you get the look of these beauties for much, much less! Wanna see it?

Crave Worthy: Jonathan Adler Drysdale Chair

CasaSugar — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:00:27 -0800

I can't believe that I've never noticed the Jonathan Adler Drysdale Chair ($1,595) before; it's so me. Button tufting, check! Turned legs, check! Throw in white wood and pale-blue upholstery and you've swept me off my feet. The regal, oversize back of the chair is oddly, but fittingly, proportioned to its small legs. I also love how the back legs are so simple; it brings attention to the chair's wonderful turned front legs. And, this is a strange analogy, but do the slightly splayed back legs remind you of an athletic wheelchair, or is it just me? Regardless, I'd kill to have this knockout in my living room.

DIY: Sweater Blanket

CasaSugar — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:30:41 -0800

Ecofabulous recently featured Dutch company Ladak’s sustainable, handmade blankets, which are crafted from recycled sweaters, jeans, and blankets, and embellished with ribbon and fabric. As you can see, the blankets are absolutely lovely, and have a romantic, gypsy vibe to them.

You can find out where to buy one of these blankets here, but if you have basic sewing skills, you can craft something similar using old sweaters. It's the perfect project for a cold January day!

Here's What You'll Need

8 to 10 wool (cashmere, lambswool, merino, etc.) sweaters
ribbon, buttons and fabric, as you like, for embellishments
thread
scissors
non-permanent marker
sewing machine

Find out how to make it when you read more.

First, you'll want to felt the sweaters. Do this by tossing them in a hot washer with a pair of jeans (the jeans will help the sweaters to felt up better). Then, dry in a hot dryer. You'll have shrunken, tight-fibered sweaters when you're done.
Next, lay the first sweater flat on a table or cutting board. Cut out large rectangles from the front and the back of the sweater. You can also cut out smaller pieces from the sleeves. If you want to end with a less patchworky effect, you can also choose to cut out long strips of the fabric and sew them together, so you will have stripes instead of big patches.
Sew the pieces together with a zigzag stitch. One of the great things about this project is that you don't have to worry about hems because the fabric is already felted - nothing will unravel! Go over the seam a second time with the zigzag stitch on your machine to ensure you have a strong seam.
Piece together the strips as you sew them in the pattern that you like. Continue to sew up the long strips until you form the body of your blanket.
Now, add your additional fabrics, buttons, ribbon, etc., until you have the look you love.
Snuggle up with someone you love under your great new blanket!