DIY Home Office Desk Skirt Hides Clutter

Does your desk look like this underneath?

Looking for an instant way to hide your 'under desk' clutter?

I have a small work space that sits in an awkward area and accumulates a lot of clutter and wires underneath.  After staring at my crap long enough I decided it was time to conceal the mess-in a pretty way. 

This is great project for renters who have a work space they share with their living room or bedroom.  Also works super well for inexpensive plain desks!!

With little cost and even less labor, I created a table apron out of a single ready made drape! 

Now I no longer see the mess.

  

This desk apron can be removed any time and placed back on again because it is held on with Velcro!

MY INGREDIENTS:

1. A curtain from Target- Threshold™ Farrah Fretwork Window Panel

 (or any piece of fabric a few inches bigger than the size of the length and height of your desk will do!)

2. A pack of 'sticky back Velcro Squares' - Most office supply, craft stores and home repair stores carry this.  Choose black or white to blend in with your desk (I would have used white for this project, but wanted you to see the squares so chose black.

3. Stitch Witchery - Most craft stores carry this.  

4. An iron and ironing board.

5. Scissors.

STEPS:

STEP 1. 

Measure the length (width) you need from desk leg to desk leg and add on two inches on either side.  

 Fold the two inches over to the back side of the fabric on each side, and using the stitch witchery,  iron a straight line.  

STEP 2.

Attach one side of the Velcro squares along the desk as shown above.  They should stick on quickly.  Place the coordinating back side of each Velcro square on top of the matching square so the sticky side is facing you.

Stretch the newly ironed fabric along the Velcro squares pressing it firmly to the sticky squares as seen above.  YOU HAVE NOT CUT THE LENGTH OF THE FABRIC YET.

STEP 3.

The fabric is now attached to the Velcro on the desk as shown above.  Using push pins create a hem where the fabric hits the floor.  Remove the fabric from the desk.  The one side of the Velcro should come off with the fabric (if it does not, use a thread and needle to keep it  attached.) 

Now, like you did to the sides of the fabric, create a hem along the bottom with the stitch witchery, using the push pins as your guide.

DONE! FINISHED! TA DA!

Now clutter disappears!  

And with one swift movement of the hand, you can remove the apron and get to your clutter!

This is a fun and functional idea for small spaces!!

Bedrooms In Progress

Describe the perfect bedroom using three adjectives.  For me it is:

Soft.  Happy.  Comfy.

At LoveYourRoom we are having fun working away on a few bedrooms that I'd love to share with you; each completely different from the next!  Keep in mind they are works in progress:

Master Bedroom 

BEFORE

IN PROGRESS NOW

Guest Bedroom

BEFORE

IN PROGRESS NOW

Guest Bedroom

BEFORE

Once all the furniture and decor arrives a lot of work goes into installing it all!  
p.s. I seriously dislike ironing!

IN PROGRESS NOW
(we created the artwork above bed using graphic scrap paper! Saved us tons of $$)

Guest Bedroom

BEFORE

IN PROGRESS NOW

Using Outdoor Artwork At Your Home

This time of year many us have turned our decorating skills toward the outdoors.   Stores and online websites carry an abundance of choices for furniture and floor decor.  There also seems to be a large amount of outdoor wall art to choose from these days.  Adding art on a wall or fence can give life, color, and architectural interest to an exterior space just like it does in an indoor room.  

Yesterday on 69 News At Sunrise I gave tips on how to use outdoor wall art.  

VIEW IT HERE

During the show Eve Tannery reminded me that it was my two year anniversary on the show.  Its a fun short decorating segment.

Also go HERE to see a bunch of outdoor rooms I think are very well designed, get more tips, and find out where to get the artwork from the show!!  Like this one...

SEE MORE

'Spring Up' Your Entryway

COMBINE COLOR AND SOFT TEXTURE TO CREATE A STYLISH AND FUNCTIONAL ENTRYWAY

Now that spring is here, is your foyer longing for a little 'spring up'?  Now is the perfect time to clean the clutter and welcome the sunshine in!  

...as seen on TV.  Watch the video HERE!

GET THIS LOOK!  

See below for similar products that are in this photo.....

1. Rug- Surya MAT-5441 Rug

2. Artwork-Turquoise Coral Wall Art

3. Woven Basket- Serena Lily Round Belly Baskets or make your own (SEE BELOW)
Woven baskets are great for storage left out in the open because it is flexible, inexpensive, comes in many different shapes and sizes, and light weight.

4. Table lamp - Regina Andrew Lighting

5. Knob- Ceramic Melon Knob in Aqua

6. Faux plant- Potted 6" Succulant

7. Dish for keys/sunglasses/phone- Bird Jewelry Dish

Other Decor That Is Right On Trend

Birds, birds and more birds are perfectly perfect for this spring!  Here's how you can bring a winged friend into your entryway:

Bring birds in through fabrics-so fun to use in an entry way!

You can get this fabric through Kuhns&Heller.

 Try reupholstering a bench cushion or pillow or two in this adorable bold Kasmir fabric.

Bird decor can be found every where!  

Another way to bring the bird theme is by adding a bit of a bird habitat, like a lantern or bird cage!

Birds are always in style, so of course, this Yellow Bird Cage from Nordstrom makes a great addition to an entryway!

LOVE THIS IDEA!!

Mix metal baskets with your woven ones!  Fill them with ornaments for Christmas, and see what else you can add to them for other seasons (like lemons and limes for the summer, and apples for the fall-use faux fruit of course!)

The key to creating a good basket arrangement is to keep it interesting.  Make sure the baskets have: 

• Different shapes, tones and sizes
• Made of different materials
• Odd numbers work well

Love these funky pink baskets from Serena & Lilly!

DIY PROJECT THAT ROCKS

Kick up the boldness of a wicker basket by painting parts of it.  Try turquoise stripes, a red cross sign, or anything you can think of!  It's so easy.  All you need is:

• painters tape
• some paint 
• paint brush

*you can also use spray paint

Take any old woven basket you have laying around the house, or buy a new one, then have fun adding any color to it, creating a unique work of art! 

And don't forget how useful a big woven basket can be!  

Watch Shosh and Eve on TV

30 Minute Table Runner Makeover

Do you own a table runner that has been either sadly laying across your table going unnoticed, or folded up in a cabinet because you were tired of it when it was displayed?  Well, I have an inexpensive and easy way to change up that runner in less than thirty minutes!!!

The runner before.

Last night I did this quick little DIY project I just had to share because it was so easy!

I had picked up an inexpensive table runner for a dining room I am decorating for my client Keri.  I loved the modern pattern and the colors, but it looked a bit boring when I placed it on the table.  So I bought some flirty little looped fabric trim, and in thirty minutes I created a runner that was more dramatic!  I have yet to bring the finished runner to Keri's home, so I don't have the 'AFTER' photos of her dining room, but I will soon!!

SUPPLIES YOU WILL NEED:

-Scissors

-Hot glue

-Decorative trim 

(pick up from a fabric store)

*My runner required 6 yards of trim

STEP 1

Measure the length of your runner.  

The amount of trim you will need is double the length your runner. 

I suggest bringing the runner to the fabric store with you and trying out different decorative trim options that could work with the colors on the runner!

STEP 2

Takes 30 minutes or less! 

Spread the runner across a table.  Starting at one corner, begin hot gluing the trim to the runner.  I suggest running a 4 to 6" line of glue like photo above, then pressing the trim down and holding for 15 seconds with your fingers like photo below.

Keep doing this across the length of the runner until you get to the corner edge.

STEP 3

Cut the excess trim off carefully.

TIP:

The edge you cut may fray like this.  

To stop the fraying, simple use the hot glue on the edges.

Edges should look like this!

STEP 4

Starting in the opposite corner, again, run the hot glue and trim all the way down the runner lengthwise, then cut the excess fabric, hot glue the frays down, and you are done!!!

Looks like this on the backside of the runner!  You get a very finished look!

BEFORE

AFTER

BEFORE

AFTER

This project had me thinking about what else you can add decorative trim to and turn it into a runner....how about buying a long piece of fabric and cutting it to create a runner, then adding the trim to hide the cut ends!  No sewing involved!  And you can get great deals on discontinued or large scraps/remnants of fabric at fabric and craft stores!