We are thrilled to be welcoming Laurie Cosgrove as new Art & DIY Contributer here at New Nostalgia. Laurie will be here one Saturday a month sharing her love for the arts.
Laurie is a graphic artist and the author of Beauty Divine Design where she posts on everything from design trends and tutorials to her random daily life. She has such a way with beauty, and her taste is divine!
Laurie also is the founder of Beauty Divine Design company which focuses on providing photographers with design templates. Click here to visit her shop.
Laurie Cosgrove
Art & DIY Contributer
{you will have to click through to her site to see her whole face (and her cutie little family). She is a beauty, and she just so happens to be my baby sister. I love her so, and so will you!}
Hi everyone! I am excited to be joining the New Nostalgia team & look forward to getting artsy & creating beauty with all of you.
For a long time, my excuses for not putting effort into my home decor were “I don’t have the money” or “My crafting skills stink!” But more and more I’m realizing that I don’t have to spend $50 on one item from Pottery Barn and I CAN make things myself. I’m even beginning to like things a little imperfect and surprising instead of having that cookie-cutter catalog look in my house.
Having something cute in your house is fun. Having something cute + “yours” in your house makes it feel more like home.
One of the projects I recently tried was this DIY No-Sew Type Pillow. Being a graphic designer, I’ve been swooning over every decor item on Pinterest featuring typography. I was starting to feel like I couldn’t really call myself a designer without at least ONE ampersand in my house! So a DIY project was in order and this is what I came up with!
Instructions:
1. Gather Materials // Get all of your supplies together in one place (preferably with good music or a movie on. I parked it in front of Downton Abby). You definitely do not have to buy the pillow and fabric brand new. My pillow is from the clearance aisle at Walmart and my fabric was an old pillow case.
You will need:
~Colored fabric
~Toss Pillow or pillow cover
~Pencil
~x-acto knife
~Cutting surface/cardboard box
~Fabric tape
~Candle
~Printed stencil*
2. Trace Design // Using a pencil (lightly) trace the design on the back side of your fabric. If you’re using a stencil, make sure to flip it backwards. If you’re going to free-hand it like I did you might want to draw on the front of your fabric and cut just inside the pencil line.
3. Cut Out Design // Lay out your colored fabric over a cutting surface – I just used a cardboard box on the floor. Using your X-acto knife (or really sharp scissors) cut your design out of the fabric.
4. Seal Edges // You might notice some fraying around the edges of your fabric. Too fix it, hold your design close to the heat of a candle and slowly turn it so that all of the edges start to harden. (not too close!! It will catch on fire and you’ll have to start again- not fun!)
5. Attach to Pillow // Once your design is fully sealed, you can position it where you want it on the pillow or cover. If your design is pretty simple and your pillow isn’t going to get a lot of wear, you can use fabric tape to attach it to your pillow. if you think it’s going to get tossed around a lot (or regularly trampled by your children) you can pin it in place and sew a basic stitch around the outside of your design to attach it to the pillow.
6. Place It // Give yourself a high-five now that it’s done! You can even run over it lightly with an iron to finish and then give the pillow a chop to fluff it up again. Put it somewhere that makes you smile (and Instagram that baby ASAP).
*By the way, you can replace the ampersand design with something else- like a monogram of a silhouette design (deer head silhouettes are fun!). Make it something you really love. You can use my pages below or create your own. Have fun!
