Inspired by.... DIY Crochet Rug!

This morning I am wishing, not for the first time, that I could crochet:

I want, I NEED this rug for Fern's room! I found these images here, from this talented crafter who made hers from jerseys scraps... 

... but I can't crochet, not even at all!

I did an Etsy search and found this one I quite like:

from here, $70

This one is nice, too:

from here, $100

This one kinda gets my heart racing too:

from here, $59

What to do? I've been searching for the perfect rug for ages, but rugs are so darn expensive and I have never found that is just right for her room. I am loving the idea of a handmade rug, and these ones have given me some real food for thought! That last image in particular is giving me goosebumps... I'll let you know what I decide!

ps. If any of you can crochet and will volunteer to make me a rug like this, contact me! I'd rather pay YOU rather than a store!

x

Additions to Fern's Room...

There were a couple of recent additions to Fern's big-girl room last week that I thought I'd share with you today... coupled with my guilt at neglecting the kids' bedrooms over the last 12 months while I've been busy setting up my business and inspired by the pretty girl's bedroom I shared with you the other day, I decided it was time to start redecorating my daughter's little space!

It started when I bought this piece on a whim...

I was driving past Preston Hunter Interiors and was having a little bo-peep through the window when I spied this little cane and wood side table... it's up cycled and vintage, it was half price and I luuuuuuuuuurve it. Done!

My daughter previously had an even more vintage side table that was more than a little wobbly and in desperate need of a revamp. That one is moving to my 'get round to it one day' pile! This one boasts a drawer, space to hold books and toys and can be painted any manner of fun colours; Im thinking turquoise once I tire of the white gloss!

But when we installed the table I realised Fern needed a little light for next to her bed. I looked online and considered one from fellow Madeit seller Lulu's Lamps. Her lamp shades are handmade and divine but I couldn't find quite the fabric I was after, so I decided to make my own.

I found a base and shade at good old Kmart for a whopping $15:

Then Fern and I went to a couple of fabric stores and chose this fabric:

... and then we made this with it:

... loving that the whole thing cost about $20 so when we tire of the fabric or when Elliott breaks it ;) it is easily replaceable! 

So now that wall of Fern's looks like this:

... and Fern and I are happy! So pretty. But I have other plans for my daughter's room in the pipeline, so stay tuned, folks!  

Did you get up to any DIY over the weekend that was? 

Fern's Revamped Ikea Drawers

Remember this post when I bought a chest of Ikea drawers for Fern's 'big girl' room? Well, over the weekend I attached the sweet pink glass handles I ordered from Etsy in place of the existing black ones and transformed them from drab to... well, I think fab?

Here's the before:

And the after:

I have ditched the old change table from Fern's room and am temporarily using the top of the new drawers to hold the changing pad which seems to be working out fine... except that Fern thinks its funny to grab and pull down all the hats from the string above whenever I change her nappy. grrrr. I am storing the nappies and creams in the top drawer. Of course, I can't wait to get rid of the changing pad entirely so I can style her drawers; I have so many ideas for her 'big girl' room and its all hinging on her moving into a proper bed and being toilet trained! So, should only be another 400 years then?!

This whole toilet training thing is a topic for a whole other post... but I must admit its got me intimidated. I havn't even begun to go there yet; I've decided I'll wait til Summer and start the fun then; she'll turn two in January so it seems good timing. Though ironically, as I type this post, my daughter has just climbed out of bed, opened her bedroom door and crept out to the edge of the living room, knowing she should be in bed asleep. Pointing at her bottom, she just announced "mummy, poo, a poo!" And sure enough. So, maybe we're more ready than what I think. hmmmm.

Apart from that, I'm heading country for a few days to stay with my inlaws while hubby is away in NZ... I've talked incessantly about how much better at sewing my MIL is than myself, so I'm sure I'll have a few crafty goodies to share with you whence I return!

Enjoy your Monday xo

Pimping Up my Ikea Purchase

So, yesterday I dragged my husband under much duress down to Ikea. He hates shopping as a rule, so a day at Ikea is really his idea of hell. But Sundays are our 'family' day, the only day we are all home together, and this last Sunday he ditched us to race his bike... so this was payback time!

I needed to buy a chest of drawers for Fern to store her clothes in, and I had a gift voucher generously donated by Ikea when they came to photograph our home in May... gotta love that.

I think I've mentioned in previous posts that Fern is getting a daybed to sleep in once she graduates from her cot. It's sort of vintagey looking, so I wanted to get a chest of drawers to match.

As it turns out, I not only found the perfect piece at Ikea -- it's also on sale!! This is what I bought for just $249 (I didn't get the mirror you see below):

It is really sweet and a bargain at $250, but the handles are a little ho-hum... so I went on a search last night to see whether I could find something a bit more colourful and feminine, and found these on Etsy:

They are hand-cut glass, so shabby-CHIC and perfect for the look I'm creating in Fern's 'big girl' room. And, they're only US$15.50 for 4! I'm just waiting on a price for 6, and then I'm ordering them. Will post pics once I have them! Now, I'm wondering whether I should go one step further and line the drawers in some pretty paper? We'll see...

What Ikea purchased have you 'pimped'?