Home Swoon Home: no-sew projects with fabric

For years I shied away from anything DIY that was fabric-related because I don't sew and I don't have a sewing machine.  That's all changed since I discovered the magic of fusible seam tape and whipped out the good ol' glue gun.  Here's the low down (down low, no doubt) on these super easy projects:

The Fabric

Unfortunately, I don't live near many good fabric stores.  We have a few JoAnns, but I have never had much luck with the selection there.  Instead, I buy my fabric online.  My favorite site, hands down, is Fabric.com.

The prices and selection at Fabric.com are pretty amazing.  The shipping is fast (and often free), and I can always find a coupon code, which saves me even more money, and you know how much I love that.  Plus, the customer service is absolutely top-notch:  I once received a fabric that I did not order, and when I called the Fabric.com customer service center, they were apologetic and quickly sent the correct order, did not charge me a penny and let me keep the incorrect fabric (even though I offered to send it back).  Nice.

No Sew Tape Projects

So, once I receive my fabric, one option is to use this no sew tape, which fuses fabric together, kind of a non-sew hem.  You just iron on and it holds.  Here is the tape that I prefer to use: Steam a Seam 2 (which I purchase from Fabric.com)

I have used the fusible tape on curtains to "hem" them to the correct length.  And, I've used the tape to cover over my living room bench's cushions, which were dull as dishwater before I added the punchy print.  Covering the seat cushions was a little time-consuming and required a lot of tape and ironing, but it was worth it.   If you do this, make sure to purchase upholstery weight fabric that will not show dirt or stains, as you won't be able to remove the cushion covers for washing.

Here are the pictures of my projects:

Glue Gun Fabric Projects

I know ... I know ... you hear the word "glue gun" and you have visions of bedazzlers and crazy tacky things.  Not so.  I love my glue gun and have found it to be as important a tool in home decorating as a drill or hammer.  I used my glue gun to create fabric backings for a few shelves in my home.  Before I added the fabric, the shelves were just kind of blah - the wine buffet was just too starkly white and the living room espresso shelf was way too dark.  The pop of pattern and color really makes the rooms and ties into the other colors in the space.  And the project was so simple.  I just bought some foam board from Target, measured the space, cut the foam board to size, cut my fabric with about one inch extra on each side, used a dot of hot glue to affix it and dunzo!  Here are my fabric-backed shelves in all their fancy glory:

There you go! Easy peasy and kind of fun to boot.  In case you're wondering, the fabric I used for both of these projects was the Premier Prints Barber Taupe/Robin, available at Fabric.com of course.  And because I don't already have enough on my to do list, I asked for (and received!) a mini-sewing machine for Christmas, this one, and now, I'm going to try my hand at some real sewing.

Talk to me about any fabric projects you have tackled or that are on your list.  I'd love to hear!

See you swoon,