DO IT YOURSELF - Pleasure or Pain in the Neck?
“Do It Yourself” could have a different meaning for a different person. But it usually means you are taking on some kind of project using your own hands. We have all either experienced or heard horror stories of “Do It Yourself” projects and countless books have been written on the subject. Also, we have all seen some pretty amazing things that happen when people follow the “Do It Yourself” method.
FUSE LIFE STYLE — Weaving Style into our daily living with great Food & Recipe Ideas, Home Decor Pointers, Travel Tips and contemporary suggestions for Health & Wellness.
The FUSE Woman, Full & Complete,
Gail Gabriel
Life Styled Editor
LIFE STYLED
So many of us have grown up under the “Do It Yourself” style. Some of the reasons may have begun because of economy; but in my case, the reason grew from the economy phase of “Do It Yourself” to the wonder and sense of accomplishment phase. It is such a freedom of choice, but also a commitment to finish what you start.
My first projects started as gifts, i.e. the napkin holder from wood shop in 7th grade, embroidering on dishtowels; and later on from gifts to making my own clothes. Then when I moved away from home, all of a sudden I had an entire space to create in my own way. From just decorating one’s own bedroom to having several rooms to be responsible for was a big deal; and it truly was an expression of self.
But all of this takes time, and sometimes we don’t have enough of it to go the “Do It Yourself” route.
There are so many things in your living environment that you can do on your own or with the help of a partner and/or friend.
- window coverings
- tablecloths and napkins
- shower curtains
- bed coverings
changing the look of furniture pieces, i.e. tables and chairs,
- pillow covers
The list goes on and on. Making things is more fun when it is a shared experience, especially when you can help someone out.
So the project of the month is a simple one — updating the look of a bathroom. While the cabinet, sink, toilet, shower/tub and flooring don’t need to be changed out, it means that the rest gets a cosmetic treatment. That means, painting, updating the baseboards and door trim and changing out the shower curtain and possibly the color of the towels.
A shower curtain is just straight seams and for us the top has grommets for putting in the shower hooks. There are grommet kits that you can buy, which we did. However, on a window covering in our family room we chose to go to a retail place which had grommets and equipment and pay for the use of the machine with larger grommets and do it ourselves at that location. And that establishment happened to be “sewnow! fashion studio” which is featured in this months issue.
Remember, if you do make a shower curtain, you still need a plastic liner to keep the curtain itself from getting wet.
My favorite new gift idea is handmade cocktail napkins for many reasons:
1. It saves the environment from the paper waste. 2. It is a personal gift from the heart.
3. It can be seasonal, or holiday oriented.
4. It doesn’t take a lot of time.
What are some of the things in your closet or drawers that you aren’t using? Can the fabric be reused for something that someone else might appreciate OR that you might appreciate when it's been recycled for another use?
WILLIAMS-SANOMA
METRO MARKET PLACE
