Budget Decorator: 11 No-Sew Home Decor Projects
by Laura Gaskill · 11 photos · 13 comments
1. Stretch fabric for DIY wall art. If you have a piece of fabric that begs to be hung as art, it's easy to make it happen. Pick up canvas stretchers or a blank canvas at an art store, and use a staple gun to attach your fabric.
by Incorporated 
2. Customize curtains with ribbon trim. Update a plain set of curtains with colorful ribbon trim. Use a hot-glue gun or permanent fabric glue to attach the ribbon, being sure to smooth out lumps before the glue dries.
by Caitlin Wilson
3. Make over a dresser with decoupage. You can use anything from fabric to gift wrap or wallpaper scraps to transform a boring old chest of drawers into a unique statement piece. All you need is the fabric or paper of your choice, and a bottle of decoupage glue.
How to use decoupage glue
by Jennifer Bishop Design
How to use decoupage glue
4. Whip up burlap curtains. You can turn rustic and refreshingly inexpensive burlap into a pair of chic curtains by simply ironing in hems with fusible tape. Pop-in grommets (available at most well-stocked fabric stores) on top create a finished look that takes the look a step beyond basic.
by Julie Loves Home
5. Create balloon-style shades from fitted sheets. This ingenious project from the book Living in a Nutshell uses twin-size bedsheets to create quick and easy balloon shades. Read all about it (and more DIY project ideas) in this Houzz coverage.
by Harper Design from HarperCollins Publishers
6. Re-cover a table with oilcloth. Take a cue from the home of Yvonne Eijkenduijn and bring cheer to a plain tabletop with patterned oilcloth. Cut the oilcloth to fit your table, allowing plenty of overhang, then use a staple gun to attach the fabric.
See how to cover a tabletop in oilcloth
by Holly Marder
See how to cover a tabletop in oilcloth
7. Make an easy-clean kids' crafts table. Have a scrap of oilcloth left over from covering your big table? Use it to make an ideal easy-clean surface for a pint-size child's table.
With either the big or small version, you can always pry off the staples and change the fabric when you want to refresh the look.
by Amplio With either the big or small version, you can always pry off the staples and change the fabric when you want to refresh the look.
8. Embellish a lampshade. For such a small project, this can have a big impact on the mood of a room. Whether you choose fun, bobbing pom-poms, a crisp Greek key trim or simple grosgrain, a band of embellishment glued around the base of a lampshade can change the look of a lamp in seconds.
A hot-glue gun is fast and easy to use, and you can usually peel off the trim if you need to, even after it has dried. Permanent fabric glue will give you a smoother application (especially important for thinner ribbon trims), but it's less forgiving.
by Story & Space - Interior Design and Color Guidance A hot-glue gun is fast and easy to use, and you can usually peel off the trim if you need to, even after it has dried. Permanent fabric glue will give you a smoother application (especially important for thinner ribbon trims), but it's less forgiving.
9. Re-cover a chair seat. A small chair or bench with an upholstered seat can usually be pried off or unscrewed and re-covered without too much trouble. Remove the old fabric, stretch on your new selection, staple the fabric in place, and nail or screw the seat back on.
See how to re-cover a seat cushion
by French Larkspur
See how to re-cover a seat cushion
10. Make your own upholstered headboard. Feeling ambitious? Make your own fabric-covered headboard. This project doesn't require sewing, but you will need to know your way around a saw. Get the full tutorial on The Hunted Interior.
by The Hunted Interior
11. Stain fabric with tea for a unique look. Give fabric for any of your projects a vintage look by soaking it in a bucket filled with hot steeped tea (the more bags you use, the deeper the stain) for several hours.
Get the full tutorial for these tea-stained and painted chairs
by Sarah Greenman
Get the full tutorial for these tea-stained and painted chairs
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I made a similar board using mdf instead of foam. The hardware store cut it for me. I wedged it into my fireplace and secured it on the back side using duct place to baby proof the fireplace. It looks great so I'm considering keeping it up past the baby proofing phase.
Great ideas here, as always.