Pelmet Box Tutorial

I’m an organized person, so when I start with a project, there are sketches and measurements taken several times before even the first piece of material is purchased. To start on the Pelmet box for London’s new room, I took the measurements of the window. Here they are:

From there, I came up with a design for the pelmet box, resulting in:

Also before I can start a project, I like to have all the necessary materials available and ready – in some cases purchased. This time around it involved:

• 2 foam core science project boards
• Masking or duct tape
• ½” square wood dowel, 1 yard in length
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Batting
• Fabric
• Trim
• Ruler
• Exacto Knife
• Pen
• Cutting Board
• Stapler and staples
• Measuring tape

Step 1: Measuring and Cutting

Starting with one piece of the science board, foam core board, I turned it side ways and measured my widths and lengths for half of the overall pelmet box. I always measure twice, to avoid miscuts. I use what I call a quilter’s ruler to measure, draw straight lines with a pen as well as to make the straight cuts. I also always place the ruler on the side of board I will be using so any miscut goes on to the spare. It’s also key to cut slowly, and with foam core board, you need to make several passes with the Exacto knife to get through completely. If you try to force the board apart, you end up with ragged or worse, torn edges. Always start with a new blade on the Exacto knife as well.



The first of two foam core science boards



The clear ruler is what I call a quilter's ruler. Note the cutting board underneath - don't want to risk cutting the carpet.

Step 2: Measuring & Cutting the Arch

To make the arch that reflects the arch in London’s actual window, I tied a piece of string to a pencil, measured it to be 1 1/2 feet and holding the end of the string at the lower corner of my foam core piece, drew my quarter circle. I made several passes with the pencil to get a defined arch. Then I cut very, very slowly.

 

You can see my faint pencil line that created the arch

Safely cut out

The blue tape is where the foam core science board had a slit cut into it so it could stand up. I didn't want this one to move so the tape is to secure it and take away its flexibility.

Step 3: Mirroring my first piece

This is where the measuring went out the window. For the second piece for the front, I simply flipped the first piece over, drew the necessary cut lines and then used the quilting ruler to cut straight lines. Viola, the two front pieces are done.

Given the second piece was just a mirror image of the first, I flipped the first over and traced its outline for the second

See?

Step 4: Sides

Given the sides of the box are simple rectangles, it was pretty easy, following my measurements again.

Step 5: Back panels.

The back panels were also rectangles. I originally planned to have the back panels only 1” wide, but decided this was too thin so I went with 1 ½” wide. Sometimes plans need to be deviated once you start to see it visually. The only reason for this panel is to affix the box to the wall.

The front, side and back pieces

Step 6: Connecting the pieces

While on Sydney’s Pelment box, I used duct tape to connect all the pieces together, I couldn’t find it this time. But I did have a new roll of painters tape on hand after having taped off the windows in the new office so Cameron could get painting started. Excluding scotch tape, any thick width, strong tape will work as the connections will further be strengthened by the wood dowel pieces, batting and fabric. One thing I learned later in the project is it may be better to consider using thick masking tape if you have a light colored fabric.

All together now

So you can see some of the securing of the inside

And more of the outside

Step 7: Strengthening 90 degree angles

With the wood dowel, I used a hand saw to cut the yard length down to about 2” pieces. I then used my glue gun to secure these small pieces to the various 90 degree angles on the inside of the pelmet box to strengthen the connections and angles.

The wood dowels in the inside 90-degree angles

Step 8: Batting

I laid the batting out flat on the floor and placed the pelmet box front side face down and cut a size of batting that would cover the front and the sides only. No need for it on top, as no one will see it. I then used the glue gun again to affix the batting to the front of the pelmet box, pulling it tight as I went. The key is to work one end to the next and in small portions. Then I cut any excess batting off.

  

First I cut a piece just over the size I would need

Gluing time

Then cut off the excess.

Step 9: Covering the box with Fabric

Being that I needed to purchase the fabric in advance of this project, I already knew I needed a piece that was 80” long. The fabric was 43” wide, which would cover top to bottom of the box. The 80” length would go from side to side, starting from the inside, so that the back/wall panel was covered as well. The total length to cover the box this way was 78”, but I like to add a little extra just to be on the safe side, so that’s how I came up with the 80” number.

I like using foam core board because to adhere the fabric I can use your run-of-the-mill desk stapler. Laying the fabric facedown on the floor, I then put the pelmet box facedown over the fabric. I stapled on one side, pulled the fabric tight and stapled the other side. Then I did the bottom, pulled tight again and did the top.

For the arch, there was cutting involved. First, I cut out the bulk of the middle, then every 3 to 4 inches cut a slat so I could fold the fabric to the back easily. Just make sure not to cut the slat up to the board.

Just when I thought I was done and was getting ready to take a picture, I discovered why thick masking tape may have been better to use than blue painters tape or duct tape, at least when using light colored fabric. I could see the blue painters tape!

I undid all my staples (all I had to do was get a finger nail under it and pull – love foam core board!) except for the staples that lined the fabric around the arch. I added another layer of batting and for added protection, a layer of masking tape! Then I restapled!

  

Lay the fabric flat on the floor, face down.

Then staple tight

Fabric is on - now just the trim

Step 10: Trim Time!

As an added finishing touch, I wanted to add some trim. Thinking I was going to find a trim that could go up into the arch, I ended up going to Joanns for 5 1/2 yards of whatever I found. When I found this sparkly trim I loved it but walked away a few times because I wasn't sure how it would do in the arch. But, it was all I liked or could find, so I bought the 5 1/2 yards. By the time I got home (I bought it on my trip to Chico) I knew I wouldn't need the full 5 1/2 yards, as I decided not to try it in the arch and just line the top and bottom of the pelmet box.

I have plans for the extra, though, so it won't go to waste. As for adhering the trim, it was done quickly with my trusty glue gun. Even Cameron mentioned how it added a little something extra.

 

The final product from afar - if you look closely you can still see tape. Maybe white duct tape next time?



Close-up of the trim

 So there you have it, my DIY Pelmet Box. Now to just get the room ready for decorating!

~ Sarah

London’s New Room Update

While progress on the office remodel and Cameron moving into it is definitely moving at a slower pace than I would like or am currently comfortable with, progress on projects for London’s room are proceeding.

This past weekend, I managed to get the curtains completed. I even asked London if she liked them when I was done and she said yes and asked if they were hers! You’ll have to wait and see them when her room is pulled together and revealed. Cross your fingers that this is sooner rather than later.

Last week, after searching the web, and in the stores of HomeGoods and Tuesday Morning, I finally found the kind of comforter I was envisioning. I wanted it to be blue as that is London’s current favorite color. And guess where I found it. Ikea.com.

But it wasn’t that easy – of course not, not after all the searching I had done. The comforter wasn’t available for online orders and it seemed the twin/full size version wasn’t in stock in Sacramento, Emeryville or Palo Alto. There wasn’t even an expected in stock prognosis date available online or through store phone systems. By the way, try to avoid ever calling an Ikea’s phone system when they open. I have done this twice now and find if very aggravating – the system is either not own, or at least the stock prognosis line is not on until a good hour after the store has opened. This happened with both the Sacramento and Tempe, AZ stores.

Speaking of the Tempe, AZ store, online it showed they did have the comforter in the right size in stock. I called my mom for help. I asked if she and my dad could plan a visit to the Tempe store? My mom did one better and took her neighbor Barb with her this morning! Had she waited for my dad, they wouldn’t have been able to go until Thursday at the earliest. A quick call to my mom by 11 AM this morning and she already had the comforter in her bag, along with the recommended pillow to go inside the included, matching pillow sham as well as a few other special treats for London.

Here’s a picture of the comforter:

I completed the curtains by Sunday afternoon which meant I had the time to sit down and take measurements of the pillows for London’s bed and come up with designs for them. With the comforter coming with one matching pillow sham, I decided I only needed two large pillows to complement it, the curtains and the pelmet box and I wanted the design to be the same. Here is what I came up with, but image the solid orange to be a polka dot orange:

Recently, London received a package from my parents. In it was a cute vintage print Hawaiian dress, a turtle shirt from Hawaii, some PJs that I’ve been using as regular clothes (you cannot tell they are meant to be PJs and I think she should be on the beach combing for shells when she wears them) some socks, and some quilters squares for me to use in her room. There was solid orange, solid pink and then matching polka dot versions. The colors were spot on with the rest of the fabric and the orange is really going to help break up some of the pink!

The two smaller decorative pillows I wanted to be different. Here’s the design for the first one:

It will include the satin turquoise ribbon I used on the curtain as well as some of the left over trim on the pelmet box.

Here is the second:

I know this one will be a bit time consuming, but I think I will be able to get all these done by the end of the week. Wish me luck. All are going to have a sleeve back that have an inch over-lap at the slip so I can slip the covers on and off the pillows easily.

Here are the updated lists:

~ Sarah

Silhouette Art Tutorial

 

I was able to accomplish one project for London’s room completely this last weekend. Well almost completely, the frames in which the images are in I want to paint, but that can wait until I get the paint. That won’t happen until I have a dresser to paint.

 

Anyway, found a couple of ideas for cheap art solutions on Pinterest, combining two.

 

The first pin  has you search on Google for a silhouette and showed Disney Character silhouettes.

 

The second pin has you use scrapbook paper to make the silhouettes.

 

Both ideas are then mounted and framed.

 

London is in love with Minnie Mouse these days, so I decided to make a Minnie silhouette. I wanted to do more than one and love odd numbers, so I also decided to do one of Mickey and one of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle from Disneyland. All will be grouped together on a wall in her new room.

 

I’ll be doing Daisy, Donald and Cinderella’s Castle from the Magic Kingdom for Sydney’s room in September.

Supplies needed:

• Frames
• Scrapbook paper
• Cardstock
• Plain paper
• Exacto knife
• Scissors
• Glue Stick

 

Step 1: Find the desired silhouette. I couldn’t find a silhouette for Minnie or the castle so I found pictures and in Paint, created a black outline of the image and actually hallowed out the insides to just be white, that way I wouldn’t be wasting ink, as these were just a step in my stenciling process.

 

 

Step 2: I printed each silhouette out on white 8 ½ x 11 paper.
Step 3: Because I had to enlarge the mage to fit one sheet of paper, before I cut it out, I went around the edge with a sharpie to make a solid line, versus trying to follow the pixilated one that resulted from the print.

Before outlining

 

After outlining

Step 4: Cut out the image.

 

 

Step 5: Because plain paper is flimsy, I then traced the image onto a sheet of cardstock and cut that image out – this way I can keep the cardstock image for future use, if I ever need to recreate these.

 

 

Step 6: Next I traced around the stencil onto the back of my selected scrapbook paper. I made sure the stencil was facing the opposite direction of how I wanted the final product to look. This was particularly important with the castle image.

 

 

Step 7: Cut again. I used a mixture of scissors and an Exacto knife to get the job done.

 

 

Step 8: My background scrapbook paper was too big for the frames I picked up at Ikea, so I used my paper guillotine to get it down to size.

 

Step 9: And finally I glued the silhouette to the background paper, framed it and done!

 

 

What do you think?

 ~ Sarah

Black-Out Curtains & Pelmet Box

In my 4th of July post I mentioned making black-out curtains for London’s room. After having these babies up for a few weeks, Cameron and I are wishing I had made them sooner. And blackout curtains will be my first project for London’s new room, which I just ordered the fabric for. I am quite excited about.

Here’s why we set to making these curtains. London’s room gets the morning sun directly. In the summer months, this means she gets up early, even on weekends, because it is so light in her room and also because it can get pretty warm in there quickly. But the evening light was also disturbing her sleep. We found we had to move her bedtime back farther and farther, but soon she wasn’t getting enough sleep except during her weekend afternoon naps – which is when her room was at its darkest until the sun was actually down. This meant for a cranky girl each morning and evening during the week and all day on weekends sometimes.

Our solution? Make some blackout curtains for her window and a draft catcher for outside her bedroom door. I’d also seen a tutorial online on how to make Pelmet boxes from foam core board, and wanted to attempt it to add a little décor element to the room, to tie in the curtains more and after some thought as to the design, these would also work to combat light coming out the top of the blinds, bouncing off the ceiling and lighting the room any way. You can find that tutorial here.
 
After briefly looking at the tutorial, I came up with this design for the pelmet box:

I ended up using duct tape to secure the pieces together, which was only the main and the two sides as I accidently bought foam core science project presentation boards with built-in side panels rather than the single, flat foam core boards. While these boards are more expensive, in a way it worked out for the best and it only took one project board to make the pelmet box versus several pieces of single foam core boards and I had less seams to secure.

Wherever there was a 90-degree angle I used a piece of a ½” square wood dowel (usually not longer than 2 inches) to secure the 90-degree angle. I used my good ol’ hot glue gun to secure the wood dowels to the board.

I also used it to secure batting to the outside of the box. When it came to covering and securing fabric to the box, Isimply used a stapler.

Here are the few things I would have done differently (And will be doing next time):

• Extend the pelmet box 6 inches wider than the actual window to make room for the curtains to part (I only did 4 inches this time)
• Make the box deeper than 4 inches, again aiming for 6.
• Have the fabric wrap around all the way to the back of the front panel so you don’t see foam core when looking up from directly below the window
• Add a decorative trim to the top and bottom to add a finishing touch

All in all, it was a pretty easy project to make once I had all the materials and a clear kitchen island to lay it all out on. The island has become my new craft station – I can get crafts done while still keeping an eye on London so Cameron can work on other things.

The curtains were quite easy. I picked out a different fabric for the back, front and the trim. The trim fabric was also used on the pelmet box. First, I sandwiched a piece of canvas leftover from our wedding in between the front and back. Then I used the edge fabric to line the inside edge of each curtain and the bottom edge. I also used the edge fabric and the backside fabric to make some tiebacks for the curtains for when I want them open as I only folded the top down 3 inches to create a hole for the curtain rod to go through and didn’t secure any pull rod to make opening the curtains easy. They are pretty heavy so they don’t move along the curtain rod all that easily. I’ll probably add some kind of pull rod once I come up with one.

Sorry for the lack of how-to pictures – when I get head down in a project, I don’t think about things like that. I'll try to take some when I do the curtains and pelmet box for London’s new room.

But, ever since we got these curtains up, London has been going to bed at a decent time and getting good rest. She’s even sleeping in on the weekends. One Sunday recently we made it to 9 AM! She’s even asked to go “nite nite” a few times versus us asking/making her go down. And, her room is cooler in the mornings.

These curtains have had enough of an impact that once we complete everything for London’s new room, I’ll be looking at making some for the window that sits above the landing of our stairs. It lets in the sun from the west and can really heat the house up during the long summer days.

Oh yeah, I mentioned the draft catcher as well. It works great to block the evening sun from streaming in under London's door. I made it a little too long so I will be re-doing it when I make another to cover both girls' doors, but here it is for now:

When we get done with blackout curtains and draft catchers, I might actually be running low on the canvas left over from our wedding - and I still want to make some grocery totes for ourselves!

~ Sarah

It's All Done!!!!!

Ok, so not completely. I still need to get some fabric and turn it into an actual stocking, but the hard part is over!
~ Sarah

Good Dog

For a lab, Tulley is one of the best. Having only just turned 2 in November, people’s first impressions of her are how small she is (many think she is still a pup; she’s only 55 lbs), and how mild-tempered she is. She has been an amazing dog, especially for London and was just what I needed when I was laid off and 5 months pregnant.

Not that we didn’t have those normal lab/puppy struggles with Tulley along the way. My bathroom baseboards and a missing patch of carpet in the family room can attest to that.

One thing we really worked on with Tulley from the very beginning was feeding time. Labs will eat house and home if you let them and never, ever miss a meal. If they do, something is wrong. Melody on the other hand, being a shepherd/husky mix as well as an “old lady”, has always been a grazer. This meant teaching Tulley to leave Mel’s full bowl of food alone, always. We are proud that this is something Tulley has mastered.

Then last Friday morning when I went to grab Tulley’s bowl to feed her, I noticed there was a little bit of her dinner left over. While puzzled, I strugged it off. She was right next to me begging for breakfast any way. But then she didn’t eat her breakfast. She just stared at the bowl and wagged her tail. I gave her the ok command several times and petted her back as added incentive. She finally just went back upstairs to bed. I mentioned the weirdness to Cameron but we both continued to shrug it off. Cameron let her romp outside for part of the day and reported back that he had spied her eating grass. We assumed that her tummy was upset and that she’d be back to normal the next day. Nope. Tulley didn’t eat all weekend.

Finally, on Sunday and the worried mother that I am, I resorted to grabbing a hand of food and placing it near her mouth. She ate it. I poured some food on the floor and she ate it. But when we asked her to eat food from the bowl, Tulley just wouldn’t eat. The same thing was true Monday morning. A call to the doctor only suggested we bring her in if she didn’t eat by Tuesday. Cameron doesn’t think that the doctor listened to him carefully, though. She was eating – just not her normal food from her bowl. She had no problem gobbling up the Ritz crackers London offered her when I wasn’t looking.

Monday night I decided to make her rice and boiled chicken – how could she resist that? And she couldn’t. Tulley gobbled it right down. But I also put it in her hunting bowl since her normal bowl was full of dog food and I was too lazy to go dump it back in the bin in the garage. After eating the rice and chicken with no problem, I placed some food from the normal bowl to the hunting bowl. And she ate it up. So, I performed a quick clean on the normal bowl and put some food back in it. Nope. What was it about this bowl?

Cameron and I finally came to the conclusion that we may have switched bowls on her. Tulley’s and Melody’s bowls are almost the same. The only difference is one has a dog silhouette on it. Neither Cameron and I know which dog had that bowl before, but we have to assume it was Mel’s after all this crazieness.

It had never occurred to us that Tulley would know the difference and shy away from Mel’s bowl, even when she was starving and we’d given her the ok command a million times.

Mel, on the other hand, doesn’t differentiate, which means with food lying around in two bowls all day long for a few days, she’d helped herself to both. So to Tulley both bowls now appeared to be Melody’s. It’s taken a few more washings, and food mixed in with rice and chicken in the bowl a couple of times for Tulley to be eating normally again.

We can’t have Tulley starving just because we mix up the bowls so I started to think about a solution. Obviously, we need a way to distinguish between the two. I went online to look at personalized bowls, but all are ceramic, which is dangerous lying around our kitchen floor, and starting prices were about $20. Add in tax and shipping and getting the right sized bowls and who knows how much that would cost.

I’ve been following several DIY blogs lately, which got me thinking – how can I do this on my own? And then it struck me – Stickers! Better yet, I could create something and print it out on the sticker paper we already have, left over from our Christmas basket projects. We don’t wash the bowls enough nor do we ever soak them so I’m not too worried about them deteriorating too quickly. And they'll be easy to replace when they do.

A little clip art grabbed off the internet, and playing around in paint, plus Cameron putting my sticker paper in the printer, and viola - stickers!

I also gave the dog bowls a good scrubbing before putting the stickers on.

Before

After

Has your healthy dog ever stopped eating for no clear reason? What other weird things have you experienced with your dogs?

Tootles,
Sarah

My Wonderful World of Crafts Returns!

As I predicted, my house was in livable condition as was our guest room by Labor Day weekend. I had spent the evenings of the Thursday and Friday before that weekend organizing my craft room. After my parents visit, I happily chose a project that had been shelved around Christmas, and started on it again.

The craft I chose was Cameron’s Fraternity Shirt quilt. Last Christmas I had made 3 similar quilts for some of our friends, and had intended to make Cameron’s right after Christmas. His proposing and our setting a date sidelined that thought, and the move added to its delay. I am happy to say I am back on track and estimate I’ll be done with this project well before Christmas this year, even Thanksgiving – I’m aiming for before Halloween.

I also started the process of organizing the wedding photos. Between the photos from the photographer, photos friends and relatives have shared with us and the table camera pictures, we have a lot to chose from to go into picture frames around the house and an eventual wedding album. Thing is, I am having a ton of fun doing such, as I do love organizing.

I figure this is as much as I should take on for now. Once the dumpster comes and the bed is gone from my craft room, I may take more on, but I don’t want to clutter my clean house with all my projects right after getting it in order. A room to spread out in will be great.

Here’s a picture of most of the pieces that will go into Cameron’s quilt. Watch for more posts as I make progress to a completed project.

Love Always,
Sarah