DIY Beach Bedroom Series-DIY Pillows

My husband and I are finally getting around to doing something with our bedroom.  We both love the beach, but since we're not likely to get there anytime soon, we decided to make an attempt at a beach-themed bedroom.  It actually really all started with the headboard.  We wanted to make one but couldn't agree on what we wanted.  We scoured Pinterest high and low and came across picket fence headboards.  The beach-theme just naturally fell into place. 
We finished the headboard before I started the blog, so I don't have before and after pictures, but just imagine a very light tan wall and nothing where the headboard used to be.  Pretty bland....  I also don't have any pictures of what it looked like along the way, but it shouldn't be too hard to imagine.

Here's what it looks like now...

Not at all the finished product, but you get the idea.  I sent a picture of it to my mom when we finished it.  She said it looked whimsical..........Not what I was going for.  Hopfully with a few nautical accents it'll look better.


Anyway, onto what this post is really about.  The pillows!  I love me some accent pillows!
I saw some pillows at Ross that I could almost love.  If they hadn't been so boring and still rather expensive for our budget bedroom, I might have gotten them.  But what I did love, and what screamed beach decor, was the burlap trim around the edge of the pillow.  Since I have been in love with burlap as of late, I thought, "this is the perfect quick and easy DIY project for me."  Well...yes and no.  If this is a first project for you, it can easily be done.  Just pick the right material.  The blue and the grey/white fabrics are both from the home decor section at Joann's.  They were both easy to work with, not to mention they were 60% off plus an additional 15% on top of that.  I only needed a half yard of each, so it was only a few bucks for each fabric.  I already had pillow forms laying around.  I found a coral color I loved in the remnant section, which happened to be 75% off.  It was taffeta, but I could work with that.  So far, I was doing pretty good.  Now for the trim.  Here's a little tip...skip the trim section and look for the ribbon.  They have burlap ribbon that is way cheaper than the trim; however, they did have some burlap trim that I wanted to try on the coral pillow.  You can see it in the picture above.  It has decorative holes in it, that I think make it look a little more interesting.  If I was to do it over, though, I'd skip that too.  It was so hard to work with, especially on taffeta.  But it did give some nice contrast.

Step 1:
Figure out the size you'll need for your pillows.  If you're buying a pillow form the packaging will tell you what size it it.  Add about an inch to each side.  If you're using old pillows, take off the covering and lay it over your fabric.
 

Cut about an inch around each edge.  Turn right sides together.  Sew 1/2" seams around all edges, leaving a generous amount (I left about 10" but it depends on the size of your pillow) on one side open for stuffing the pillow inside.

When you turn the case right side out you want it about a half inch to an inch bigger than the pillow form.

You will be sewing the trim around the edge, so you will need this extra space.  It's easiest to sew the trim on without the pillow inside, so you'll sew the three edges first, stuff the pillow in and then sew the fourth edge with the pillow inside.

I bought ribbon that was about 2 1/2 inches wides, so I folded the two sides in and ironed it flat on a low setting.

Then I folded the ribbon in half and sewed to the edge of the pillow.

I also didn't try to do anything fancy with the corners.  Just straight lines on every edge.  When you get to the fourth edge it will be the same, just a little trickier, as you'll have the pillow inside. 

In the end, you'll have an awesome new pillow!  Good luck!!

Kale Salad with Honey-Lemon Dressing

I've been making this salad a lot lately.  I'm not exactly sure where it originally came from.  I got the recipe from my mom a while back, so if anyone knows who originally made it, please let me know.  I'd love to give credit to whoever created this amazingly delicious and healthy salad!  Let me not forget to mention that it's super quick to throw together!

Doesn't that look delicious?!

Now, I'm not exactly a kale type of person.  The thought of  boiled kale makes me want to gag.  But you don't have to boil it and you don't have to put it in a smoothie to hide the taste!! 

First, wash and chop or shred your kale.  Make sure you remove the large stems as they tend to be a little bitter.  Put your chopped kale in your salad bowl and drizzle with olive oil.  I'm no chef (my toddler will attest to that) but from what I understand this also helps with the bitterness.  I could be completely off on that, so don't quote me on it.  Rub the olive oil into the kale for a minute or so.  It should glisten take on a nice green color instead of it's normal chalky appearance.  It'll look something like this...

Now you'll add the fixings!  This is where you can get a little creative.  I usually add a couple different types of fruits and then some candied nuts.  In the photo above I chopped apples and Bosc pears and then *candied some slivered almonds, but I've also used blueberries, raspberries, mango, strawberries, candied pecans and candied walnuts.  (I love the sweetness of the candied nuts, so for me those are a must!) 

For the dressing all you need is honey and lemon juice.  I use real lemons when I have them on hand, but I have to be honest, that isn't often.  My husband and I both think it tastes fine with the lemon juice in a bottle.  Mix together equal parts of lemon juice and honey.  You may have to adjust for your tastes.  My husband likes it a little sweeter, so I end up using less lemon juice.

And the great thing about this salad is that it stores really well, even with the dressing on!  Let me know what you think and if you come up with any other great combinations!!  Enjoy!