The Bedroom Makeover Continues

My next project, as mentioned in the previous post, was to make shag rugs for the floor. I took to the Internet once again and came across making shag rugs from remnant pieces of material. After realizing that even with a rotary cutter this would take forever, I got the brilliant (insert eye roll) idea to latch hook my own. "Latch hook?!" you say. Yup! That old (and apparently) dying art from yesteryear.

So, off to the searching for info I went. Now, latch hooking itself is EASY! Even this old woman remembered how to do that. Finding information on how long to CUT the yarn so it would have a "shaggy" effect was NOT easy. Pre-cut yarn would be too short (2.5 inches). FINALLY I came across a site: http://ourtownusa.net/yarnyard/cutrugy.htm I figured that 4" was a good length. 

Deciding on the TYPE of yarn for rugs sent me onto another long search. End result: Wool is best. Acrylic blend is better. But you can get away with simple acrylic (most yarn compositions) if the rug won't have a lot of foot traffic. 

I also opted to cut my own since I didn't know how much I would need. Better to just be able to run to the craft store, rather than have to pay shipping and wait for the mail if I needed more. 

Turns outs 15,120 threads later...I would have done a LOT of waiting.

But to quickly cut this yarn I need something that would cut multiple pieces.

VOILE!!

Small piece of wood with two dowel rods

Yarn wrapped around the dowels

Finished yarn length 4"

I took a scrap of wood, measured 4" apart, drilled holes half way through the scrap wood the diameter of dowels and placed dowels in holes. You can glue them in place at this point, but I wanted to make it portable and able to "break down". Next I wound my yarn around and around and around (not too thick though, I still have to cut it). I made a mark in the middle of the scrap wood between the dowels, held the yarn (still on dowels) and cut. Done! 4" length of lots of yarn!! Now...they are not going to be EXACTLY all 4" but since you will end up having to give the rug a "haircut" at the end it isn't a big deal.

There are also several ways to bind your rug: 1. duct tape (not recommended) 2. rug binding tape or 3. whip stitch with yarn or rug thread (what I did).

For a super plush feel I hooked every rung and doubled the yarn. Yeah, it took longer (3 weeks). The FEEL of it was worth the time though. It's a good sign when the kids come into your room to just WALK on the rug. The rug is 11' x 48". Here's the finished product:

There ya have it! A latch hooked shag rug! One down. 2 left to go!  Any questions, feel free to ask! Hope this inspires you to make your own!

The Bedroom is done...well...ALMOST

Yeah...I am SO not a blogger. Two years since my last post?! Explains why I never kept a diary as a child. Husband said that I should really jot down when I finish all my projects so I can look back on them, hence why I am writing. He's right. There. I said it. ;)

Anyway...this post is about our recently re-done bedroom. Two years ago Hubs and I busted down our old bed frame with the intention of building a platform bed. Aside from the bathroom, our room is the smallest in the house(9x9), so space is at a premium. BUT...24 months later we were still sleeping on a box spring and mattress on the floor. Hrumph!

We started with a NEW mattress. It is heavenly!! It is by Dormeo. BUY one...no seriously, these beds are AWESOME! I digress. Knowing we could not put this bed on the box spring, let alone on the floor, forced us to build that frippin' platform bed. I used Ana White's Twin Storage Captain's Bed woodworking plans. http://ana-white.com/2010/05/twin-storage-captains-bed Check this site out! It has GREAT ideas! The plans are simple and super easy to follow. With the help of my BIL to cut the wood (simple stock pine) and piece it together We had our bed frame! YEA! 

Now, I didn't want stain and I wanted it to look aged. After hours of scouring the internet for ways to achieve that without tons of staining, sanding, waiting...zzzzzz...I opted for the old steel wool in vinegar and then add water. It was quick and easy and gave it a gray/brown color. Here is what I did: 3 steel wool pads, 2 quarts of vinegar. Let it sit for 7 days (the longer it sits the better the color)in a bucket with a lid. Add the same amount of water as you did vinegar. "Paint" on with a foam brush. Let dry. Whew! I know...what a tiring process right? Be forewarned, the wood WILL smell like vinegar for a few days, but WILL dissipate. I promise.

Next came deciding if we wanted a headboard or to cover the wall in fabric. Hubs wanted a headboard. So...I took the idea of the Captain's bed, re-worked it and made the headboard the exact same way. We had to put the side cubbies up off the floor since we have a wall register. Unfortunately we also have lathe and plaster walls and I was worried about them falling. Honestly though, L-brackets (which you can see in the picture and I need to still paint to the wall color) and 52 drywall screws later and that sucker isn't going ANYWHERE! I did get my fabric on the way though. Between the top cubby and side wall cubbies I stapled some quilt batting on the wall, then stapled some fabric over it and finally finished off with some ribbon hot glued on to hide the staples.

The lanterns on the top shelf I found in my parent's garage. I thank my father for being a pack rat. :) I washed them down with some steel wool and vinegar, cleaned the globes, placed battery operated Christmas lights inside and they are now nightlights. LOVE them!

 The little boy and girl neck rolls on the bed I made with 4 towels, 1 yard of fabric and some cording. They are easy to do. Roll up two towels per neck roll, pin. Measure diameter of roll, add 3/8" seam allowance. Make a small pocket for cording on both short ends and sew. Sew large seam together. Snip two spots for cording to go through. Insert towels. Remove pins. Thread cording and tie it. The "appliques" were made using a boy and girl silhouette I found on the internet, reversing the image, applying heat bond to fabric, and cutting out image. Peeled off the back of heat bond, applied fray check and then ironed on. It was WAY cheaper than buying those foam neck rolls.

The shades were done with just some painter's tape and acrylic paint. I REFUSE to give up my darkening shades. Not happening.

So that's where things stand now. I still have 3 rugs to make, pictures to hang and the dresser to re-do, but the MOST important thing is I have a bed!! I am an adult now! Go me! Take that IKEA!