Fabulous Find Friday...you did what with that napkin?

I've said before how much I love cloth napkins.  Rarely do I actually use them for their intended purpose, but I love them for making accent pillows.

I don't know about you, but I have a hard time finding accent pillows.  It's just something I'm really picky about.  But with cloth napkins, my options are significantly expanded.  I have been able to find some really fabulous prints and patterns in napkins, that I haven't ever found in accent pillows.  

Not only that, cloth napkins are typically about 20 inches square which is just the perfect size for an accent pillow...it's like they are just begging to become pillows, right?

Cloth napkins are also very affordable generally.  You can easily make an accent pillow for under $10 each...which is significantly cheaper than the pillows I've seen around for no less than $20-$25 each.

I stopped by World Market {one of my favorite stores} a week or two ago and stopped by their cloth napkins section...because I felt like it!

I was pleasantly surprised.

I loved this set of 4 napkins for $15.95.  The colors make excited for fall for some reason.

I thought these little birdie napkins were so cute.  I immediately wished I had a nursery to decorate because these would look great there.

I loved the bright, floral print of these napkins.  They just make me happy.

These ikat napkins are super cool...and again makin' me excited for fall with all the fall-ish colors.

These napkins are the exact colors of my family room.  I wish I had come across them before I spent a small fortune on pre-made pillows.

I love the colors.  I love the whippoorwill.  This print just makes me smile.

I love these teal napkins {they also come in red}.  I love the scalloped pattern and the color combination.  I purchased a set of these for accent pillows in my master bedroom.  I love that they have a slightly more masculine feel, which I'm sure studs will appreciate as well.

So, my tip of the day...

If you are in the market for accent pillows but not having a lot of luck, try checking out the kitchen linen section of your favorite store.  Not only will you end up with chic, one of kind pillows, you will also save a bum load of money.

  

Just Call Me Bob {Villa}

I woke in a Bob Villa sorta mood today and had a hankerin' to build something. I thought about it for a little while, and after throwing around a couple of ideas, I finally settled on this:

You might remember this cute little thing from an earlier post. It's an "aged wood bench" from World Market and retails for $149. When I saw the price it felt like someone reached down my throat and puched my stomach from the inside.

I love this little bench. I really wanted this little bench. I have the perfect spot picked out for this little bench. But, there is no flippin' way I'm spending one hundred and fitty dollas on it...even if I love it almost as much as my kids.

After analyzing the picture for a while, and channeling my inner Bob, I came up with a way to recreate the look for only a couple of bucks...no seriously.

The best part...it only requires a few supplies:

* a table saw{if you don't have one, the guys at Home Depot do}

* a piece of wood {I used a leftover piece of 8x8x12 board, they retail for about $7}

* a wooden dowel{I used a cedar ballister. It cost about $2.50}

* Screws

* Wood Glue

The World Market version measures 34inches x 18inches, so I started out by cutting my board into three piecs: one at 34 inches, and two at 18 inches.

Then I dry fit my three cut pieces and measured the distance between the two legs.

Next, I found the center of each leg and measured up four inches from the bottom,

and drilled pilot holes

After that, I drilled pilot holes in the ends of my ballister and applied wood glue.

Then I screwed each of the legs to either end of the ballister.

I did the same for the top of bench. I centered the board on the legs, drilled pilot holes

applied some wood glue

then screwed it on.

When I referred back to the inspiration pic, I realized that the support dowel looked like it when through the board and protruded out the side. So, I decided to cut two, 1 1/2 inch pieces of ballister and glue them to the outsides of the legs, so that I could achieve the illusion of the wood extending all the way through the board. This wasn't a necessary step, it's purely aesthetic, but I think it adds a little somethin' somethin'. But you be the judge.


I decided to use my bench as an end table, since I didn't have one. But I think it would look super cute in the entry way, by the front door, or in a childs room. Really it would look fabulous anywhere.

I had to give my bench a good sanding. It had spray paint and spackle, and who knows what else on it since it had been sitting in the basement for a few years. You can still sorta see a little of the red spray paint, but it doesn't bother me too much. I didn't stain the wood, but I did give a nice coat of lemon wax just to help bring out the grain.

Now I realize that my little bench isn't nearly as beautiful as the World Market version, but bare in mind that it cost me under $10 to make, while the inspiration version retails for $149. So, while my bench may be a little rough around the edges...literally, I saved myself a whopping $139, so who really cares.