Feathering Our Nest With Love: Part 2 & a Crafty Quick Fix!

We've surged full steam ahead on making over our bedroom! Despite the heat and the handicap of living in small apartment with very limited workspace, we've made quite a bit of progress! Jay is thrilled because he's gotten to use some new power tools we received as wedding gifts and I'm super excited to get a paintbrush back in my hands!

Here's a quick preview of some of our progress:

Removed all the hardware from Jay's tall dresser. Helpful tip: Use duct tape to label the lids of re-used plastic yogurt containers. Store any loose hardware you may need again in these containers. Write the name of the project on the duct (and if you're anything like me, the date too! You might have more than one project going at once!)


Primed all the drawers and the dresser itself with Zinsser. The primer I chose purportedly adheres to painted and finished metal, wood, masonry, etc. without the need for sanding. This snapshot is the top of the dresser after one coat.
After two coats of primer (with thorough drying time), I got to add my first coat of real paint! Our color of choice: Aqua Bay by Pittsburgh Paints. We have an exciting finish to add over top of the Aqua Bay paint, but we're anxiously awaiting it's arrival from the postman! Stay tuned!!!

And as promised, a crafty quick fix perfect for any living space!

Crafty Quick Fix: DIY Privacy Fabric Window Clings

Achieve a comforting sense of privacy while letting in the natural light! This project is perfect for apartment dwellers or anyone looking for an inexpensive and removable solution.

Supplies: White Cotton Fabric, Scissors, Ruler or Tape Measure, Iron, Plastic storage bin, Spray Starch

Step 1: Assemble supplies (Image A)

Step 2: Measure the width of your selected window. (Image B) Choose how much of the actual window you want to cover. Since our window contains two panes of 27”, we decided to cover the bottom 27 square inches of each pane. This allows unfiltered light through the top portion of the window, while still providing plenty of privacy from the lower portion. (We have blinds we can lower if we ever want to reduce the level of light in the room!)

Step 3: Clean your window with glass cleaner. We like Seventh Generation Free & Clear Glass and Surface Cleaner!

Step 4: Cut your white cotton fabric to the appropriate size to fit your window. Since I need two 27” squares for my window, I’ve resorted to the old origami trick of folding a right triangle to achieve my square! (Image C) Iron out any wrinkles. You want your fabric as wrinkle-free as possible.

Step 5: Using your plastic storage bin to protect your work surfaces, gently begin dousing your fabric with spray starch. (Image D) Use your spray starch as directed, giving the fabric a good soaking.

Step 6: Once your fabric is thoroughly moist with starch, hang on your clean window pane. Beginning at the top, gently smooth out any wrinkles. Continue to spray your fabric with starch to encourage adhesion. Once all of the initial wrinkles have been smoothed out, apply a thorough coat of starch to the entire fabric. (Image E)

Step 7: Repeat steps 4 through 6 for any additional panes you wish to cover. Rinse your hands, wash out your plastic bin, and revel in your privacy! Image F is a snapshot of our window from the outside at night. The left window pane is completed and the right pane jealously awaits it’s turn!

Tomorrow I'll have updates on the progress to our DIY headboard and Jay's quality time with his new toys!