Heart and Home How to: Re-Cover a Lampshade

I recently found a plain, little old lamp when I was second-hand shopping. (I don't remember how much I paid for it, but I know it was close to free!) I thought it would be fun and easy to turn it into a cute, fun, jazzy, little old lamp without too much trouble, just by recovering the lamp shade.


Which is just what I did. It's easy to do it yourself! Here's how:


First I gathered all my materials: spray adhesive (Craft Bond), fabric, trim, scissors, paper for a pattern, and of course, the lamp shade.





The shade is very boring in it's present state:





I made a pattern with the paper, by laying the shade on it's side and tracing it as I rolled it across the paper. The pattern is like one half of a circle, or like a little rainbow shape! I cut it a little larger on purpose.


(It's always easier to trim away excess, rather than stretch a too small piece of fabric!)




The next step is easy: cut out the fabric to the pattern. I folded mine and place it on the fold of the fabric. Less cutting that way. (That sounds so lazy!) Also, the fabric is symmetrical when you cut it this way:




Then it's time to fit the fabric to the shade. There was a bit of trimming to make it fit exactly.




I turned the fabric inside out to trace my final cutting lines on it. Then a quick trim with the scissors, and a spritz of the spray adhesive (do that outside!!!) and the fabric gets smoothed carefully onto the shade.

The finishing touch is gluing on the braided trim. I used my hot glue gun, and did a little bit at a time, smoothing and coaxing it into place, cutting it at an angle and gluing down the ends when I got to the end.

Doing the cutting last ensures that you have the perfect length. It's tricky to measure exactly right around the curved shade. Cutting first and gluing second leaves too much room for error- (believe me, I know. What to do when you're short 1/2 an inch?? Not much, except to tear it off and start over. Not Good!)

That's really all there is to it! A simple project with fabric scraps and some purchased trim. Total cost: $5.00 for the trim. I already had all the other supplies, and I'm sure most of you have fabric and glue stashed away, too.

Here's the finished product:

The jazzed up lamp, in it's new spot on the living room bookcase:

I think it looks great, and adds a nice warm glow to that corner of the room.

Posted for Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps on the Porch, and Thrifty Treasures, at Southern Hospitality. Thank you Susan and Rhoda !

Enjoy, until next time.

XO

Heidi

A Heart and Home Walk - in the Pink!

Good morning! It's Pink Saturday!

Walking early Saturday morning, I admire the lush gardens in the surrounding neighborhoods.

An abundance of pink roses and colorful impatiens enliven this front porch:


The faintest touch of pink dusts the edges of these luscious white roses:

and tall, skinny "naked ladies" are bunched together, looking quite regal:

"Naked" or not, they have happy faces!

I come upon more lovely pink roses, climbing among the grape vines and rambling along a fence.

Like the grapes, these roses look good enough to eat!

Spying a dwarf apple tree, I'm surprised by the color of the fruit:

which, upon closer inspection

is most definitely PINK, each apple blushing in the sun.

But that's no surprise to my sweet new friend, who lives among the plants and trees...

.....here in this lovely neighborhood among the redwoods.

A special posting for Pink Saturday, at How Sweet the Sound. Thank you Beverly!

Until next time,

XO

Heidi

A Heart and Home White Wednesday

Posting for Faded Charm Cottage:

White Wednesday conjures up images in my imagination:

Of a snowy white tabletop,

Of turtle doves and garden statuary,

Of grey and white shadows on linen and lace

And treasures from the sea bleached by the sun, iridescent in the candle light.

White is the color of optimism, and hope, and surrender,

and the magic, and promise, and joy of new love.

Thanks, Kathleen, at Faded Charm Cottage.

Until next time!
XO
Heidi

My Favorite Things -At Heart and Home (part one)

Awhile ago, I looked around the house and was surprised to discover how much I've accumulated over the years. I try to sort through everything once in awhile and reduce.

I do get rid of things occasionally, but my efforts don't seem to have a very big effect. We have a lot of stuff! A Lot! The style around here is definitely not minimalist. Also, I do love to shop!

A partial list of my favorite things to hunt for when I'm out and about:

Tiny birds, and found nests:

and most wonderful bits of sea glass:

paper mache' trays from the 40's, and bird houses:

Sweet little angels:

And lovely linens, candles and shells:

I enjoy finding new pieces to add to my collections, though I've never really thought of them as actual collections. They are just little things I love to use and display around my home, and I'm always thrilled when I find one at a great bargain.

Of course, I'm grateful for the abundance of open space and natural surroundings near our home. I'm lucky that I can go "shopping" in the yard, the fields, and the beaches where we live. It's very affordable, and the best kind of shopping, if you ask me.

Until next time!

XO

Heidi

Heart and Home's New (Old) Weathervane

A little post for Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps on the Porch:

When we (and when I say we, I mean Mr. H&H-- xoxoxo--) finally got this little guy up and in his place of honor on the garage roof, I felt a great sense of completion, for some reason.

I suppose because I've been wanting a weather vane forever. But all the really nice ones were really nice and expensive, too expensive to justify because even though we've replaced the roof, the rain gutters haven't been put up yet (no completion there, but we'll get around to that, soon).

Anyway, when a neighbor brought me this broken, sad looking little guy, rescued from the trash heap in another neighbor's yard, I was thrilled.

It was just what I'd always wanted, quail and all.

It was old and faded, but sturdy. A few little adjustments were in order, and a little scrubbing and scraping. Then, we got right to work with that Krylon spray paint!! A little copper, a little more black, and there we had it:

Mr. Quail, looking really fine!

The arrow spins freely now, thanks to more elbow grease and loving attention by the Mr., and the directional letters are fresh and clean.

He looks quite proud, and ready for duty. So up on the roof he went. (Yup, Mr. H&H again, there was no way I was going up there.)

Now I'll always be able to tell which way the wind blows.

Everyday, rain or shine, we have a sentry on watch!

It makes me smile just knowing he's there.

Completion is very satisfying!

Thanks, Susan, for hosting Metamorphosis Monday, at Between Naps on the Porch.

Until next time

XO

Heidi

My Heart and Home Pink Fuchsia

Thank you, Beverly at How Sweet the Sound, for hosting Pink Saturday. Today I'm proudly sharing my favorite plant on the back deck: The Pink Fuchsia with Double Blossoms!

She may not look like much to you. But, this is the first fuchsia that has ever survived my tender loving care! And believe me, I have tried many times to grow them. Many Times. With NO Luck at all. ( I mean, no luck, as in dead plants within a few weeks. Very disappointing!) So that makes this one really special to me.

This past winter when we had our first frost of the season, I covered what was left of the poor tender thing in plastic baggies, to protect it for the rest of the winter.

Fuchsias do not like frost.

Fuchsias do not like too much sun.

Fuchsias do not like to be too dry, and they do not like too much water.

Apparently, fuchsias do not like too much of anything, including too much of me....until I found this one.

She has been a source of my pleasure and pride for over a year now. I am filled with gratitude and happiness whenever I tend to her finicky demands. And just look at all the buds waiting to open...that's my baby!

Because she's such a beauty, I am getting very bold. I am thinking of branching out and trying to grow another one.

Posted for Pink Saturday at How Sweet the Sound.
Until next time,

XO
Heidi

A Heart and Home Dinner on the Deck

On a warm summer evening, it's nice to dine outside on the deck.

This is where we spend most of our time in the early morning, late afternoon and early evenings, and on the weekends with friends.
There's a spot to relax, read, and stretch out for a nap on the little wicker couch.

But mostly we like to come out here to eat! Mr. H&H fires up the old fashioned charcoal barbeque and I prepare the rest of our meal in the kitchen that's just on the other side of the french door.

For the table in the summer, I love the cool and refreshing color combination of blue, white and green.

It's nice to mix and match glassware, and fun to have a variety from which to choose.Candlelight is always right at my table, day or night! I love the patina on that copper hurricane.

A round table is cozy for four, and very cozy for six! When there are more of us, we bring out additional tables.

The view of the orchard and the redwoods, the cool clean air, and the sound of the fountain makes this one of our favorite spots to gather. In the evening, we dine under a constellation of glass globes and copper stars brought back with us from Mexico. They cast a warm and welcoming glow over our table, and with additional candlelight, create a festive mood that allows us to linger here well after darkness falls. Posted for Tablescape Thursday, at Between Naps on the Porch.

Until next time!

XO

Heidi