Interiors: Preloved delights with vintage-chic aficionado, Sarah Moore


Author Sarah Moore shows how to create a unique look for your home by giving preloved items a new lease of life. Recycling can be glamorous after all…


Reclaiming fabric

Reclaiming fabric that has been used as curtains or bedding is a good alternative to that rare find of a bolt or yardage of unused vintage material. Large pieces of fabric can be trimmed and unpicked to be used to upholster chairs or make curtains

floral fabric swatch

Get the best from your vintage fabrics

➜ Fabrics need to be in good condition in the main – strong and unfaded – so that they can withstand the process of cutting, sewing and usage afterwards.

➜ Hold woollen fabrics up to the light to check for areas of wear that might cause problems after making.

➜ Give everything a good wash in a colour-kind detergent and then iron it before you begin.

➜ Think carefully before cutting up precious fabrics. To minimise wastage, keep in mind the old expression ‘measure twice, cut once’.

➜ Mix and match new fabrics with old. Striped ticking, plain dyed linen and calico sit really well alongside old fabrics – this means they are ideal linings, allowing you to make your vintage fabrics go twice as far.


Sarah at a market

Sarah finds most of her vintage fabrics at markets and car-boot sales



Dish cloths

Dish cloths

Dishy numbers...Vintage linen fabric offcuts make fantastic one-off tea towels once the edges have been hemmed. Finish with a decorative trim such as pretty ribbons, lace, ricrac or bobbles.












FRESHEN UP LACKLUSTRE LINEN

Most vintage bedding comes from an era of eiderdowns and blankets, so it is rare to find a duvet cover. Making a cover from old sheets is simple, cost-effective and allows you to create something unique that will work with your other bedding.

You will need

  • Two vintage sheets l Tailor’s chalk
  • Pins l Scissors l Sewing machine 
  • Cotton l Ruler

How to

  • Before you begin, wash and iron the two sheets. Then align them wrong sides facing, with the prettiest or hemmed edges of the sheets at the foot end.
  • Place a duvet on top of the sheets and draw around it in tailor’s chalk.  
  • Pin the sheets together inside the chalk lines, as well as in the centre, to ensure the sheets cannot move when they are being sewn.
  • Cut along the chalk lines. Then sew together the two long edges and one short edge of the cover, working with a 1cm seam allowance and removing the pins as you go. 
  • Turn the cover right sides out and iron well.
  • For a super-neat finish, sew another line of stitches about 2cm around the three sides, enclosing the cut edges inside the fabric and making a smart trim.
  • To finish the open end, place the cover right sides out. At the opening, sew about one third of the way in from each side, just near the existing hem of the sheet, and leave a big enough gap for the duvet to feed into.

FRESHEN UP LACKLUSTRE LINEN

Freshen up lacklustre linen 


GIVE OLD CHINA A CHIC NEW PURPOSE

Teapot and books

Teapot and books

Rather than throw away an old teapot with a chipped spout or a few cracks, why not repurpose it – with the addition of plaster of paris – into a bookend? It will also make a great alternative doorstop.

How to

  • Clean and dry the outside of the china thoroughly. Put a few heavy stones or old weights into the bottom of the vessel, but well below the top line of where the plaster of paris will settle.
  • Mix up the plaster (available from art shops) in an old bowl or plastic jug according to the packet instructions. When you have a smooth mixture, carefully pour it into the vessel and tap it gently to remove any air bubbles. Leave it for 24 hours to ensure it is totally set.
  • Attach any lids (for example, on a teapot) with superglue so that they cannot be removed or fall off.
  • Be warned: with this project, the china will sometimes split as the mixture dries but the plaster will hold all the pieces together.


UPGRADE YOUR IRONING BOARD


You can spend a long time in very close proximity to an ironing board every week; and most of the time the surfboard of the laundry world has to perch somewhere in the home, often in view. Why not make your ironing board cover as beautiful as it functional?

upgrade your ironing board

Upgrade your ironing board


You will need

  • Ironing board
  • Heavyweight upholstery fabric
  • Tailor’s chalk
  • Fabric scissors
  • Pins
  • Iron
  • Sewing machine
  • Thread
  • Large safety pin
  • Strong string (for the drawstring, twice the length of board’s perimeter)
  • The original padded cover, or several layers of blanket for padding

How to

  • Remove any old covers from the board. However, if the existing cover isn’t damaged, use this as padding for the new version.
  • Lay the fabric on a large table with the right side facing down. Place the ironing board face down on to it and draw a chalk line around the perimeter, about 10cm from the edge. Cut out the shape. Now fold over a 2cm hem all around the edge, pin it and iron the hem in place.
  • Starting at the pointier end of the board, sew the hem to create a channel that is at least 1cm wide – for the drawstring to pass through – removing the pins as you go. Leave a small gap of about 5cm between the start and end of the stitching to allow you to feed the drawstring into and out of the hem.
  • Attach the safety pin to one end of your strong string or tape and feed the pin through the perimeter channel of the cover. Push it out through the other end of the hem.
  • Cut several layers of blanket to the size and shape of the ironing board, leaving a couple of centimetres on all sides. Stack these on top of the board to create a thick layer of padding, or use the old cover as padding. Now place the new cover over the top.
  • Pulling on both ends of the drawstring, gradually tighten the cover over the board. Keep pulling until the hemmed edge is as tight as it can be under the board, then tie the string securely in place.


CREATE A CUPBOARD TO COVET

Decorative wallpaper and a lick of paint will provide an instant pick-me-up for any storage furniture that has seen better days.

create a cupboard to covet

Create a cupboard to covet


You will need

  • Cupboard
  • Sandpaper
  • Masking tape
  • Chalk paint
  • Paintbrushes
  • Clear wax 
  • Measuring tape
  • Wallpaper
  • Pencil 
  • Ruler
  • Scissors
  • PVA glue

How to

  • Before you start painting, carefully check over your furniture and sand away splinters or loose flakes of paint. Apply masking tape to any handles, keyholes or hinges that you want to keep in their original state.
  • Give the outside of the cupboard a good coat of chalk paint (anniesloane.com has an excellent range). Allow it to dry thoroughly before opening the cupboard to paint any parts of the interior that you would like painted rather than papered.
  • When the paint is completely dry, remove the masking tape. Next, add a layer of clear wax to the painted areas with a clean dry brush to seal the surface of the slightly porous paint.
  • Measure the areas of the interior that you would like to paper, then transfer these dimensions to the back of your wallpaper using a pencil and ruler.

Now cut out the shapes.

  • To fix the wallpaper, apply a thin layer of PVA glue with a brush to each surface, one at a time, and press the paper in place, smoothing out any air bubbles as you go.


bug wallpaper

MAKE AN IMPRESSION: Add a contemporary touch to vintage wallpaper by customising it with stamps. Butterflies, bees, beetles and flowers all make a great contrast.

For a good selection of pretty stamps, try paperchase.co.uk and coxandcox.co.uk. If you want to create a more dramatic effect, fill in any empty areas of the prints made by the stamps with coloured inks.

rehouse an old shelf unit

Revamp and old shelf unit


BE CREATIVE WITH A CRATE

A vintage apple crate lends itself very well to being upcycled into a perfect bedside table.

You will need

  • Apple crate or bushel box
  • Paint and paintbrushes (optional)
  • Tape measure
  • Piece of soft wood for the interior shelf
  • Batten (approximately 15mm x 30mm and 70cm long)
  • Handsaw
  • Wood glue
  • Small pin nails
  • Small hammer

How to

  • Give the apple crate a good wash and leave to dry outside in the sun, or on some newspaper by the radiator. Once completely dry, paint the inside (if required).
  • To make a shelf for the box, cut a piece of wood to fit the interior of the box at the required height. Builders’ merchants will cut wood to size for you, or you may have an old chopping board or tray that fits for a quick fix.
  • Using a handsaw, cut the batten in two pieces the same depth as the shelf and then stick them in place with wood glue – then use small pin nails to hammer the battens firmly in place, from the inside of the crate. When the glue has dried, slide the shelf in place. 
  • For an optional extra, add a vintage fabric curtain, made to measure and held in place with two hooks and a length of curtain wire.
get creative with a crate

get creative with a crate


REHOUSE AN OLD SHELF UNIT

Transform a shelving unit into a cute doll’s house with the addition of vintage wallpaper ‘walls’ and ‘floors’.

How to

  • Check over the shelves to ensure there are no nails or bits of splintered wood that might hurt small fingers.
  • Use PVA glue (applied with a brush) to stick the wallpaper in place.
  • Add the finishing touch with an offcut of carpet cut to size and held in place with double-sided tape.









A SKIRT IS REBORN

This shade is made from material from an old skirt. A simple drawstring channel is sewn in place at the top and bottom and threaded through with strong ribbon. The skirt is then popped over the frame and the ribbons tied together and tightened until the fabric gathers around the shade. An old belt is then used to add definition to the shape of the frame.


a skirt is re-born

a skirt is re-born


STEP UP YOUR STAIRCASE

What’s not to love about flowers in the home? These floral stairs with
wallpaper-covered risers are a creative take on the classic stair runner.


floral stairs

floral stairs


You will need

  • Tape measure
  • Pencil
  • Metal ruler
  • Thick card for template
  • Scissors or craft knife and board
  • Selection of vintage papers
  • PVA glue and brush
  • Clear acrylic varnish

How to

  • Measure one of the risers in the middle of the staircase and use the dimensions to create a card template using scissors or a craft knife and board. Check that this fits on all the steps – the first and last often vary slightly.
  • On the back of your wallpaper, draw around the template, then cut out the pieces. Measure and cut out any risers that vary from the template.
  • Make sure the stairs are free of dust and any loose particles, then paint one riser at a time with a thin layer of PVA glue and smooth the paper in place. Push out any air bubbles or creases towards the edge of the stairs. Pay particular attention to the edges, ensuring that they are glued in place.
  • Wait until the glue is totally dry, about 24 hours, then cover the surface of each riser with a light coat of clear acrylic varnish to protect the paper.

Other ideas for vintage wallpaper

➜ Use oddments of your favourite papers to create a ‘patchwork’ of pattern to jazz up a feature wall. Cut the paper into equal squares and use wallpaper paste to hang.
➜ Cut panels of paper to fit the fronts of drawers on a storage chest. Use PVA glue to secure the paper in place and protect with a coat of clear varnish.


This is an edited extract from Vintage Home: Stylish Ideas And Over 50 Projects From Furniture To Decorating by Sarah Moore which will be published on Thursday by Kyle Books, price £17.99. To order a copy for £12.99 with free p&p, contact the YOU Bookshop on 0844 472 4157, you-bookshop.co.uk

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