FanningSparks – Page 55 – A DIY and lifestyle blog authored by Peg Frizzell.

DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial

A pyramid trellis, or tuteur, is the perfect way to add height to a garden space. Unlike a traditional trellis which requires a wall or other support, the pyramid trellis can be placed anywhere. A pyramid trellis can play a starring role with interesting design, materials and colors. Or it can play a supporting role and hold up climbing vines and flowers. Either way, a pyramid trellis can add character and interest to the garden.

A pyramid trellis is an easy project you can do yourself. Choosing a design that doesn’t require complex multi-angle cuts is the key to simplifying this project. It’s also a great opportunity to make something that’s unique and one-of-a-kind. Vary the materials, the dimensions and the colors to make it your own. I’ve made 4 pyramid trellises, 3 for myself and 1 as a gift. Today, I’m going to show you how to make your very own pyramid trellis. This is a substantial structure; it is nearly 6’ high and nearly 2’ square at the base. I created this step-by-step tutorial while making the below pyramid trellis as a surprise for my beloved sister.

Materials/Supplies Needed

Lath Strips: 12 – strips of 7/32” x 1 ½” x 8’ long PVC Lattice Molding
The first three pyramid trellises I made were constructed from 6’ wood lath strips. I was able to buy these at my local Home Depot in Georgia. However I made the fourth pyramid trellis while visiting my sister in Nova Scotia and was only able to find wood lath strips in 4 foot lengths. I substituted 8’ PVC Lattice Molding for the wood lath. The PVC was considerably more expensive than the wood but comes prefinished and is very easy to work with. I’ll be showing the PVC version in this tutorial.

Finial: a decorative top about 1 foot high and no more than 3″ square at the base.
This is the fun part! Use your imagination to finish off the top of your pyramid trellis. I found the perfect resin finials at Hobby Lobby when I made my first three pyramid trellises (shown on green trellis in above photo). But they were no longer available and I had to get creative for this most recent version. I used a furniture leg of turned wood topped with a curtain rod finial. More details in the below tutorial.

Screws: 32 – size #4 ¾” flat wood screws
Screws: 4 – size #8 1 ½” flat wood screws
Screw Hooks: 4 – 1 ⅞” The screw hooks are big enough to slip over a piece of rebar which can be used to anchor your trellis.
Staples: 1 ⅜” long preferably rust resistant
Wood: 1 – 1″ x 4″ x 8″ long pine or other softwood
Tape: Masking or painter’s tape
Paint: Exterior paint in your desired color. Since I left this trellis pyramid white, I only needed to paint the finial and the anchors and to cover up the staples and screws.
Sandpaper:
Templates: Download the DIY Pyramid Trellis – Complimentary Download – Sept 2018 . See More Info below for an outline of the contents.

Tools / Working Space Needed

Jigsaw with an appropriate blade for cutting PVC or wood lath. Alternatively, use whatever saw you have available and are comfortable using.
Drill with appropriate bits for the screws and screw hooks.
Staple Gun: An electric staple gun is ideal but a manual staple gun would also work.
Paint Brush and any other painting supplies needed.
Clamp
Tape Measure
Pencil
Work Surface: 58” by 25”
Barn: You may also want to borrow your sister’s cool barn to work in but obviously that’s optional.

Assembly

At a high level, the construction process is quite straightforward. Cut 40 pieces of wood lath to the specified lengths. Lay the parts on a large flat surface to staple together into 4 identical sides. Stand up the 4 sides into a square and connect. Cut and attach the parts for the finial and the anchors. Here are the detailed step-by-step instructions.

Step #1 Cut Lath Strips

There are several guides included in the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file to assist you with this step. Print the Templates for Angled Cuts and the Templates for parts H, I, J, K on heavy paper. Ensure they printed to the intended size and cut out. If the template pieces are not the intended size, you may need to adjust your printer settings (see instructions on the cover page in the download file).
Review the Cut Plan and Part List. The Part List shows the specifics of each part to be cut including the length, quantity and angled cut instructions. Note the “How to Cut Ends” column. Some ends are straight, others are cut at a 10°angle and others are cut into a picket shape with 45° angles. The ends may be parallel or non-parallel. The angles of the Legs (Part A) must be parallel. The angles of the Crosspieces (Parts B-E and H) must be non-parallel. See the Angled Cuts Guidance for diagrams of parallel and non-parallel cuts. Take care to cut all ends as indicated.
The Cut List shows which parts to cut from each 8’ length. It is color-coded to match the Part List.

Mark each piece with the part letter.

Sand all cuts. You should have 40 parts at this stage.

Step #2 Prepare Work Surface

Select a large, flat work surface at least 58” by 25”. Use masking or painter’s tape to mark a triangle on the surface as follows. Choose one 25” edge to be the bottom of the triangle. Mark the center of this edge. Measure and mark 10” to the left and right of center. Label these as A. Measure and mark 56 ⅞” up from the center of the bottom edge. This will be the peak of your triangle. Next mark the 4 crosspieces. Measure up from the bottom edge and mark as follows:
At 4 ⅛” from bottom, mark B.
At 18” from bottom, mark C.
At 28 ⅝” from bottom, mark D.
At 38 ¼” from bottom, mark E.

Run pieces of tape from each side of the bottom of the triangle (marked A) to the peak. It’s not necessary to have these lined up perfectly since the lath strips will be straight. Place a mark at each of the above points along both sides of the triangle. Your work surface should look like this:

Step #3 Assemble Pyramid Sides

Align the lath strips with the markings on your work surface. Note you’ll be placing the front side of your lath strips down on the work surface and working on the back sides. Start with the legs which are the outside angles of your triangle. Place one Part A along the right side. At the bottom of the triangle, align the inside edge of Part A at the 10” mark and ensure the angles match. At the top peak of the triangle, align the inside edge of Part A with the inside edge sitting on the center mark. You may wish to tape the part to your work surface to keep it in place. Repeat this same procedure with another Part A on the left side of the triangle.

Attach the top crosspiece Part H. The short edge should align with the top of the two Part As. The sides of crosspiece H should be indented by the thickness of your lath. Use a scrap piece of lath to check this alignment as shown below (note the photo doesn’t show Part H). Staple Part H in place.

Attach the bottom crosspiece Part B aligning the top edge with your 38 ¼” mark. The sides of Part B should be indented in the same way as Part H. Staple in place.

Attach the remaining 3 crosspieces – Parts C, D and E – in this same manner.

To attach the pickets, remove the partially assembled pyramid side from the work surface. At the bottom of your triangle, measure 4 ⅞” from the center line to the right. Taking care to align with the bottom edge of your work surface, place a piece of tape at the 4 ⅞” spot, mark and label G. Repeat this step to the left of center.

Place the pickets on your work surface. Align the long center picket – Part F – with the center marks keeping the bottom end one-tape-width up from the bottom edge. In the finished pyramid trellis only the legs – Parts A – touch the ground. As shown below, align the center of one of the short pickets – Part G – with the 4 ⅞” G mark keeping the bottom end one-tape-width up from the bottom edge.

The picket should be parallel to the long center picket (part F). Repeat this step with the other short picket – Part G. Place the partially assembled pyramid side back on the work surface with the front side facing down (the same way as it was constructed). In this way, all staples enter from the back and will not show on the front of the pyramid trellis. Ensure the pickets remained in position. Staple all 3 pickets in place.

At this point, your pyramid side should look like this on the work surface…

…and like this when standing:

Assemble the other 3 pyramid sides following step 3.

Step #4 Paint Pyramid Sides

Clean up the parts by removing labels and erasing marks. If your wood isn’t finished, this is the time to paint. It’s much easier to paint the pyramid sides before they’re fastened together. At this point, you should have 4 finished sides like this:

#5 Assemble Pyramid

The next step is to attach the 4 sides into a pyramid. Use tape to temporarily hold the sides together while you’re working.

The trick is to alternate the sides so they overlap… one end is over and the other end is under. See the Pyramid Assembly Detailed Diagram in the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file for details. Use small wood screws (#4 ¾” long) to fasten at every crosspiece and leg juncture. Be sure to drill pilot holes first. Optionally, you may wish to staple the sides together before screwing them.

Your pyramid should be quite firm at this point but the next two steps will strengthen it substantially.

Step #6 Finish the Top

Use templates I and J from the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file. The small square (Part J) should fit snuggly inside the top of your pyramid. The large square (Part I) should sit on top of the pyramid and align with the sides. Make any necessary adjustments to the templates. Use the templates to cut two squares from the 1″ x 4″ x 8″ wood.

Mark the center of the two squares. Center the small square on the large square and attach with #8 1 ½” wood screws as shown below.

The next step is to add your finial. As noted in the Materials/Supplies Needed list above, this is where you get to be creative and put your personal mark on your pyramid trellis! The actual parts you use for the finial will dictate how to attach it. With my first pyramid trellises, I drilled a hole in the top squares and inserted a dowel to hold the finial. On the pyramid trellis in this tutorial, I used wood screws to attach the curtain finial to the turned furniture leg and then screwed that into the top squares.

It looked much better after assembly and a little paint:

Insert the top squares (and your finial) into the top of the pyramid, pre-drill and screw in place through the top crosspiece.

Step #7 Add Anchors

This is the final step. To be honest, my first pyramid trellises don’t have anchors. I learned the hard way, wind will blow over these pyramid trellises if they’re not tied down. Adding anchors to the bottom of the legs makes it easier to ground them. The idea is to insert small triangular supports with screw hooks in the bottom of each corner where the legs come together. After placing your pyramid trellis in the garden, slip pieces of rebar through the screw hooks and drive the rebar into the ground.

Use template K from the DIY Pyramid Trellis Download file to cut 4 triangles from the 1″ x 4″ x 8″ wood. Paint if needed. The anchor pieces will look like this.

Insert a screw hook into the long edge of each triangle. Be sure to pre-drill so the wood doesn’t split. Then slip the anchor piece into the bottom corner where the legs come together, pre-drill and screw in place.

That’s it! Your pyramid trellis is done! But the fun’s not over yet; now you get to decide where to put it! Or in this case, my sister gets to decide.

More Info

Be sure to download the DIY Pyramid Trellis – Complimentary Download – Sept 2018 for the guides mentioned in the above instructions. The following are included:
1. Angled Cuts Guidance
2. Templates for Angled Cuts
3. Templates for Parts H, I, J, K
4. Cut Plan and Part List
5. Pyramid Assembly Detailed Diagram (for Step #5)

Special thanks to the folks at This Old House for the post How to Build a Pyramid Trellis which inspired the version I shared today.

Today’s Takeaways

A pyramid trellis can add character and interest to the garden.
A pyramid trellis is an achievable project to do yourself.
This pyramid trellis can be customized. Change the color, size, design and finial to make it your own.

Decorate Interiors Nature Wildlife

Patterns by Mother Nature

When it comes to decorating my home, one of the steps I enjoy the most is selecting textiles. There are numerous surfaces that allow me to incorporate color, pattern and texture with fabric and other textiles. Some examples are upholstery, pillows, seat covers, bedding, blankets, quilts, shades, curtains, tablecloths, runners, towels, rugs and mats. The best part is the countless options from which to choose. Whether I shop for ready-made or create my own, this is the perfect opportunity to add personality to our home.

In my previous post, Color Palette by Mother Nature, I shared the idea of looking to nature for color inspiration. Today, I’d like to take a similar approach with patterns. We’ll look at several different types of patterns including animal prints, stripes, floral, foliage, geometric and abstracts… all courtesy of Mother Nature. A pattern is defined as a discernible regularity where elements repeat in a predictable manner. In the world of interior design and decorating, pattern is used to foster cohesiveness and add interest. Typically, patterns work closely with color and shape to add continuity to a living space.

Let’s begin with the popular pattern category of animal prints. I’ll share a few of my all-time favorite photos taken while on safari in South Africa to illustrate these splendid patterns. This beautiful leopard had the perfect lookout perch. There’s much to say about this photo (see More Info below) but we’ll just admire those gorgeous leopard spots for today.

Watching the elegant giraffe lean over to drink is an unforgettable experience. The giraffe’s spots are another outstanding example of an animal pattern.

Stripes are a classic pattern. The zebra’s distinctive black and white stripes are the perfect illustration.

While not nearly as dramatic, this birch bark is another example of the beauty of stripes.

Florals are beloved patterns in surface design. These purple coneflowers repeat to create a lovely floral pattern.

Here a single bearded iris bloom showcases a subtle mix of branching patterns.

Foliage inspires another category of patterns. Ferns and succulents, in particular, are very much in vogue. Here a graceful fern casts intriguing shadows on the moss covered ground.

In this close-up, the veins of a hosta leaf illustrate a pleasing branching pattern.

Here’s another example of a foliage pattern. The distinctive branching pattern, repetition of the curly edging and the bumpy leaf structure all combine to transform the lowly cabbage into a thing of beauty.

Often the repetition of a simple shape forms a pattern. These shapes can be geometric or organic. Here the simple oblong shape of a catkin repeats to form a handsome geometric pattern.

The disk florets in the center of this sunflower create an intricate geometric pattern. The repetition of the flower petals (more correctly the ray florets) provide another lovely pattern. I love how that one little wayward petal disrupts the pattern and shakes things up!

The triangular scales on this pine cone form a familiar geometric pattern.

The delicate spiral shape of this fern frond provides another example of a repeating pattern.

The raindrops on this Lady’s Mantle leaf form an interesting, circular pattern.

The final pattern category I’d like to include is abstracts. By definition, abstract is non-representational and does not depict a person, place, or thing in the natural world. So it would be difficult to draw upon Mother Nature for examples. But given that we’re simply looking at types of patterns for interior design, I’ll use a looser definition and take the liberty to include these two examples. The below photo is polished granite with the look of movement. This is actually our new kitchen countertop in Viscount White.

Our final photo is another example of an abstract pattern. It’s actually clouds at sunset but resembles a watercolor.

More Info

Color and pattern work together to add life to a room. See the post, Color Palette by Mother Nature, for more information about inspiring color palettes.
Jan 22, 2019 Update: Check out Texture by Mother Nature for even more decorating inspiration from nature.
May 19, 2020 Update: Form by Mother Nature is the latest post in this series.

In addition to color and pattern, there are 5 more interior design elements. They are space, line, forms, light and texture. The Interior Design Academy explains the 7 elements of design must work in harmony to create an aesthetically pleasing interior.

To see more photos and learn about my African safari, see my post on Majestic Lovable Elephants.

I learned an interesting fact about patterns in nature while researching this post. Scientists have found that the endless variations seen in nature can actually be traced back to a few simple themes and rules. For instance, the familiar form of Queen Anne’s Lace, is referred to as a branching pattern with an explosion shape. This pattern illustrates how nature has found the most efficient way to reach all points in a large area while moving the shortest distance. The dense array of florets in the Queen Anne’s Lace flower head attracts the most insects possible.

Today’s Takeaways

Consider broadening your scope and looking at all options before narrowing down to a selection.
Consult Mother Nature for pattern inspiration. Take time to observe the variety of patterns in nature.
Use pattern in your surroundings to foster cohesiveness and add interest.

Agritourism Canada Nova Scotia Travel

A Visit to Mabel Murple’s

The most unlikely circumstances can lead to the most delightful surprises. A 100-year-old farmstead on a narrow dirt road in the quiet rural community of River John, Nova Scotia, Canada is a case in point. This is where Mabel Murple’s Book Shoppe & Dreamery is located.

Make Nova Scotia Photos Travel

First Light at Peggy’s Cove

There’s something magical about the time between first light and sunrise. The sky shifts from darkness to light as the world slowly wakes up. Light is soft and diffused. Skies turn pink and gold. The pace is measured and unfolds slowly. It’s peaceful and calm. Everything is quiet and still in anticipation.

In the world of film and video production, this time period is called the “magic hour” because of the way the natural light is diffused. Since the sun hasn’t yet risen, there are no shadows and subjects can be beautifully lit with soft light. Magic hour is followed by the “golden hour” which occurs directly after the sun rises. During golden hour the light is rich and warm and the world has a soft glow. Golden hour is a favorite time for photographers shooting in natural light. The sequence is reversed in the evening when the sun sets. To be 100% accurate about it, neither period is exactly an hour long since the timing varies from location to location and season to season.

When traveling around the world, I often make an effort to view my surroundings during the early morning hours. The below photo, one of my favorites, was taken before sunrise at the Notre-Damede la Garde in Marseille France. I’ll never forget walking up the hill to the basilica in the bitter cold darkness of a January morning. But the panoramic view of the city and port as the early morning sky slowly lit up were worth every bit of discomfort. It was glorious!

More recently, I had the pleasure of watching the world shift from darkness to light at Peggy’s Cove in Nova Scotia, Canada. Our visit took place in August so the weather was perfect but it did require a mighty early start. We set out at 4:30 am to catch first light (special thanks to my sister, nieces and nephew for sharing the adventure!).
Peggy’s Cove, being on the coastline, is often foggy but it was beautifully clear that morning. We found the perfect vantage point and settled in for Mother Nature’s performance. She did not disappoint! It was another glorious show!

Peggy’s Cove is known for its rugged beauty. The quaint fishing village is surrounded by huge granite boulders facing the Atlantic Ocean.

The classic red-and-white lighthouse, officially called Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, is an iconic Canadian image. It’s a popular destination and the site is often crowded with visitors. Avoiding those crowds is another advantage of visiting Peggy’s Cove in the early morning. In fact, we had this beautiful place to ourselves.
You can see the difference between the magic hour and golden hour lighting in the two photos below. The first photo was taken with first light during the magic hour. The second photo was taken after sunrise during the golden hour.

It appears building cairns, especially inuksuit, has become very popular at Peggy’s Cove. An inukshuk, traditionally made by Inuit people, is a man-made structure of rough stones stacked in the form of a human figure. An inukshuk is commonly thought to communicate “Now the people will know we were here”.

More Info

Peggy’s Cove is renowned for its rugged beauty and is a popular destination. As a native Nova Scotian, I’ve visited the area many times and can honestly say it never disappoints. If you ever have a chance to visit Nova Scotia, I highly recommend you stop by Peggy’s Cove. For more info see the Peggy’s Cove Coastal Region website.

Magic Hour, an app by elfinda apps, calculates the time of sunrise and sunset and the adjacent magic/golden hour by location and date. As you can see in the below screenshot from the Magic Hour About page, magic/golden hour is typically when the sun is between 6 degrees below the horizon to 6 degrees above.

Today’s Takeaways

Consider visiting popular destinations during the early morning hours.
Make time to experience Mother Nature’s performance between first light and sunrise. Research the best times for your location and season.
Consider taking photos during the magic or golden hour for beautiful diffused light.

Decorate Exteriors Interiors

A Before Tour of Our New Casual Lake House

Today, I’d like to take you on a virtual tour of our new casual lakefront home. We’ve been busy moving, settling in and turning this new-to-us house into our home. We’ve completed the first major projects but still have many updates and changes planned. But before we get into all of the improvements I’d like to show you the house as it existed when we bought it. This is the “before” of what I hope will be an ever-evolving “after”.

Let’s start with the setting since that was the biggest factor in our decision to buy this property. The house is situated on a large treed lot on the shores of Lake Oconee in the state of Georgia, USA. Well… technically we’re located on the shores of the Oconee River which feeds into Lake Oconee. The wooded area we see across the water (shown in the photo below) is part of the Oconee National Forest. It’s a lovely quiet area surrounded by nature. We love it!

The house itself is a Cape Cod style. Here’s the front of the house. The pretty front porch runs across the front of the house. There are lots of opportunities for landscaping and flower gardening. The garage is accessed at the basement level on the right.

The house has a simple, casual feel. It was previously used part time as a vacation home. The first thing we noticed when we entered the house was the view of the lake. The below wall of windows is in the living room directly opposite the front door. There are hardwood floors and a rustic fieldstone fireplace.

The kitchen, while a little dated, is spacious and has a convenient L-shaped layout.

The lakeside porch is spacious and a wonderful place to relax.

Here’s that same porch (second floor) as you look at the house from the lakeside yard.

Heading back inside, the roomy master bedroom also has a view of the lake. It has a nice large bathroom with garden tub and separate shower.

The second floor is accessed from stairs off the living room.

There are two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. Both bedrooms have dormers and sloped ceilings as is typical of a Cape Cod style house. We plan to use one of these rooms as our guest room/office and the other as my studio.

The basement has one large finished (although unheated/uncooled) room with a walkout to the back yard. The 2-car garage is on this same level.

There’s a large dock a few steps away across the lakeside yard. It faces east and provides the perfect place to watch the sun rise as I start my day.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick walk-through of our new casual lakefront home. I’m eager to share some of the changes we’ve made and those we’re still dreaming about making.

More Info

Moving into a new house often involves painting interior house surfaces such as walls, trim and cabinets. This has certainly been the case with our recent move. We’ve painted the kitchen cabinets, painted the master bedroom, and painted walls and trim around new doors and windows. In the post, Glide It On and 14 More Painting Tips, I share the top 15 things I learned during my recent painting marathon.
We recently made some minor improvements to increase the comfort and enhance the appearance of our small guest bathroom. We switched to a curved shower rod and mounted it up high. Then re-purposed an existing shower curtain to fit. Nothing earth shattering… just a few small changes which had a big impact. See the post, Small Change > Big Impact in Guest Bath, for the full story.
Update Nov 1, 2020: We’ve made improvements gradually. I’ve shared a few in the following posts:
. The post, Our Pony Wall and Banquette Combo, shows how we modified the entryway and kitchen areas. In the post, Our New Architectural Jewelry, I share the new light fixtures we added.
. I’ve had fun making mosaic mirrors for the bathrooms. You can see the results in the posts: Pair of Mosaic Mirrors Completed and My Mandala-Inspired Oval Design.
. Our garage workshop underwent a facelift. Check it out in 10 Tips from our Gussied Up Workshop.
. Considerable effort has gone into enhancing our outdoor spaces. Check out Zinnias Rock! And More Cutting Garden Tips and Our Garden Prepares to Leap.

Today’s Takeaways

Searching for a new house can be daunting especially if you have a long list of “must have” criteria. Be sure to prioritize and force yourself to identify the critical few.
Don’t rush house hunting. Keep an open mind and be willing to consider alternatives.
Once you’ve found the “one”, you may wish to create a set of before photos for a visual record of your home’s progression.

Decorate How Tos Interiors Make

Small Change > Big Impact in Guest Bath

Our small guest bathroom has been seeing a lot of action while we renovate the master bathroom at our new home. Making major changes to this bathroom is not in the cards just now. But we decided making minor improvements to increase the comfort and enhance the appearance were worthwhile. The first change was to switch to a curved shower rod. It’s surprising how much roomier the shower area feels with one of these. The second change was to install the shower rod up high and close to the ceiling to give the illusion of more space in this very small room. Of course, as is typical with these types of small projects, one thing leads to another!

Mounting the new shower rod higher meant an extra-long shower curtain was needed. I already had a standard size fabric shower curtain which I liked. I’d spent a considerable amount of time finding just the right one when I decorated our previous bathroom and I wasn’t keen to go through that search again. It’s a pretty pattern by Cynthia Rowley in a medley of aqua, teal and white. Re-purposing the existing shower curtain seemed like the best option. The challenge would be to insert a piece fabric without it being obvious. I’d like to share how I made this simple, but impactful, change.

Below are the before and after photos to set the stage. The before photo shows the small guest bathroom as it existed when we moved in. I’m grateful to the previous owners for leaving the plastic shower curtain in place; it was the perfect temporary solution. The after photo shows the bathroom with the new shower rod and the re-purposed shower curtain. Nothing earth shattering here! Just an example of how a few simple changes can make a noticeable improvement.

Here’s how I lengthened the shower curtain. My starting point was a standard 72” (length) by 71” (width) purchased shower curtain made of a geometric printed fabric (shown in after photo above). The first step was to come up with a new design. I determined that the new shower curtain should be about 84” long… an additional 12”. It would have been easy to simply add a 12” strip of fabric to the bottom of the existing shower curtain but I thought that would look too obvious. A simple sketch helped me determine the proportions and placement of the additional fabric. Graph paper helped with the scale. I divided the length into 4 equal sections (ie 4 21-inch sections). The sketch, as you can see below, is very rough.

Originally, I thought I’d simply replace the third strip (section E) with new fabric. But the sketch helped me determine that inserting more than one stripe (sections B, D and F) would appear more intentional. I decided to go with stripes in two different heights which I dubbed as short and tall stripes. I also decided to use two coordinating fabrics; a plain white and a coordinating color print. My design called for one tall stripe in the new coordinating color print and 3 short stripes of the plain white for a nice balanced look. This exercise helped me visualize the final outcome. At this point, I was pleased with the design… at least, it looked good on paper!

The next step was to purchase fabric. Using trusty old Excel, I factored in ¼” seam allowances, locked in the exact measurements and determined the yardage I would need. I decided to use the new fabric horizontally which meant two yards of printed fabric (2 x 36”) were needed. Alternatively, I could have purchased only 1 yard and used it vertically but that would have required me to piece together the strips with a center seam. I already had enough plain white cotton in my fabric stash so that was covered. Only the coordinating print for the tall stripe had to be purchased. In hindsight, it would have been better to buy an extra ¼ yard for the tall stripe; so 2 ¼ yards in total. The extra 9” would have provided some wiggle room and made it easier to get everything lined up perfectly for the side hems.

Because the shower curtain is fabric and used with a plastic liner, any simple cotton will work for the new tall stripe. It took a little effort but I found a coordinating print in the quilting cotton section at the local fabric store. Of course, I was anxious to see if it actually looked as good as I envisioned. I laid out the fabrics in the approximate proportions to get a preview. I also took some photos to view them on my computer screen. I’ve found that I see things in a photo that I miss when I’m looking at it directly. Viewing my planned design in these ways assured me I was on the right track.

The next step was to prepare the fabric. I pressed it to remove wrinkles and creases. Then measured and cut the various pieces to the width of the shower curtain including:

. Section A – Top of original curtain – 21 ¼”
. Section B – Short stripe of white fabric – 4”
. Section C – Tall stripe of original curtain – 18”
. Section D – Short stripe of white fabric – 4”
. Section E – Tall stripe of new coordinating print fabric – 18”
. Section F – Short stripe of white fabric – 4”
. Section G – Bottom of original curtain – 17 ¾”

I marked each of the pieces with the section letter taking care to position the tape marker consistently from piece to piece.

Sewing the pieces together was the next step. I simply sewed the fabric strips together with a series of straight overcast seams. I ensured the sections were in the right sequence with all the right sides facing up. Then I finished the side hems on the unfinished sections. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have assumed the shower curtain was square. It turned out to be wider in the middle than at the top and bottom. It would have been easier to have corrected this, by trimming the middle section to match the top and bottom sections, before I sewed all the strips together. A final pass with the iron flattened the seams and ensured a nice, smooth finish.

The last step was to install the new curved shower rod and hang my pretty, re-purposed shower curtain.

Today’s Takeaways

Small decorating changes can be impactful.
Consider repurposing an existing item instead of purchasing something new.
Planning is a big part of a successful project design. Consider sketching out your design to help visualize it. Lay out the pieces to preview the final outcome. Double check your progress with photos.

DIY Pyramid Trellis Tutorial

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Patterns by Mother Nature

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

A Visit to Mabel Murple’s

First Light at Peggy’s Cove

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

A Before Tour of Our New Casual Lake House

More Info

Today’s Takeaways

Small Change > Big Impact in Guest Bath

Trap Some Christmas Cheer

FanningSparks Appliqued Scoodie

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