Family Room Progress: Easy Pillow Covers Made From Cloth Napkins

We are continuing to plug along in our basement family room remodel.  The mantel needs one more coat of paint.  Jason wanted so badly to get it done before his spring break was over, but he caught a nasty cold virus instead.  I am so excited to share it with you though!  In the meantime, I made some pillows to help brighten the room up a little bit.  While shopping at World Market a couple of weeks ago, I spotted these napkins on clearance.  I had seen other people make pillow covers for throw pillows out of cloth napkins before so I thought I would give it a try.  Turns out, it was pretty easy and very inexpensive!

Each pillow required two napkins to make the covers.  The price for each napkin was $1.98, making each pillow a great deal.  I didn't need to buy any inserts because I was recovering some throw pillows I didn't care for anymore.

Here are the finished pillows.

While I was at it, I also made some covers for the living room.  These pretty yellow and brown napkins were a Pottery Barn clearance find awhile ago.  I love how throw pillows no longer have to be an expensive luxury now that I have something to sew with.  How thankful I am for that little machine!

Do you own a sewing machine?  What is your favorite thing to make with it?

Thank you so much for reading!

Our Weekend and Signs of Progress

Our weekend was full and busy.  Here are some highlights, in a nutshell.  Or not, because those darn squirrels keep digging up my tulips...

I finally picked out a sewing machine!  My parents and siblings graciously gave me a gift card to purchase one and I love it.  I have already spent hours on it, but that's mostly because I pretty much have no idea what I'm doing.  My first project was to make my boys some whales, based off of an idea I pinned off of Pinterest.

Here is my pin.  Yes, I know mine look nothing like the beautiful whales in the pinned picture.  However, I have been bitten by the sewing bug and things can only improve from now on, right?!?  

Pancakes were enjoyed by all.  But mostly by the boys, who both ate more than mom and dad.

I made French baguettes for the first time.

We enjoyed one last meal of boeuf bourguignon before we begin to eat things that taste more like Spring!

I removed hardware on my desk and filled holes.  Priming never happened because that wind was strong this weekend!

We planted grass seeds in a few containers.  The boys are already looking forward to "mowing."

Jason built some shelves for the boys' toys in an unused corner of the basement play room.  I bought some baskets but am unsure yet if I'll keep them.  I also have to paint the shelves.  Obviously, something needs to be done to corral those toys.  Or perhaps we should just have a yard sale.

I started making new cushion covers for our chair in the basement.

I almost ripped my hair out trying to figure out that zipper and I really wished my mom lived next door so that she could just come over and help me!

The bead board wall behind the fireplace is painted, the hearth stained and covered with a few coats of polyurethane, and the the nail holes filled and sanded.  We only have to paint the fireplace mantel and we can call this project done!

I would apologize for all of the boring, simple sentences in this post, but I'm much too tired to care.  How's that for being honest?

Have a great week!