Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com

A bedroom isn’t complete without a profusion of pillows. My first project (page 75), Serenity Sham, is so easy to make! My second project is a Pieced Shower Curtain on page 86. Brighten your morning with this pieced shower curtain topped with colorful grommets. Check it out!

Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com

Sill-Length: floor-length curtains or drapes fall into graceful curves if the tiebacks are placed at the height of the window sill.

Placed Low: by placing tiebacks low (about 2/3 of the way down from the top of the curtains), an illusion of a tall, narrow window is created. This effect will obscure light because more of the window is covered by the curtains.

Placed High: to create an illusion of height, place the tiebacks about 1/3 of the way down from the top. This effect will also let in the most light.

Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.

• Use a hand steamer or steam iron to steam fringe ends to remove kinks. Use a kitchen mitt on your hand as a portable “ironing board” when pressing already-hung curtains.
• Unruly tassels or fringes can be brushed softly with a hairbrush to untangle and fluff them. Select a brush with plastic bristles that are spaced 1/4 inch apart and have little balls on the tips. Uneven fringe ends can be trimmed with scissors. (However, don’t cut loops or twisted bullion fringes. They will just unwind!).

This tip excerpted from More Splash Than Cash Window Treatment by Donna Babylon.

Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.

This tip is excerpted from More Splash Than Cash Window Treatments by Donna Babylon.

Cut a piece of cardboard to the length of the tassel. Wrap embroidery floss around the cardboard to achieve the desired thickness. To make the tassel head, gather the floss at one edge of the cardboard and tie it together with matching floss. Remove the cardboard and tie another piece of floss 1/2 inch to 1 inch below the knotted end. Cut the floss loops to create the tassel tails. Tip excerpted from Donna Babylon’s book, More Splash Than Cash Window Treatments

Donna Babylon is a nationally known home decorating expert. Her latest book, Decorating Sewlutions: Learn To Sew As You Decorate Your Home can be found at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com

• Set up a permanent work area for the duration of your project. You’ll lose time and momentum if you have to break down your work area after you finish each day.
• Work on as large a surface as possible. If you’re using a dining room table, extend the table to its maximum size. If all else fails, move away all the furniture and use the floor.
• Make sure you have a good light source in your work area.
• Keep all of your tools orderly and within reach.
• When sewing large volumes of fabric, keep the weight of the fabric from pulling on the needle by positioning a chair in front of and behind the sewing machine to “catch” the fabric as you sew.
• Wind three bobbins before you start a large project; you will always have a spare at your fingertips.
• Start each project with a new needle; needles become dull through use.
• Press by lifting the iron up and down. “Sweeping” the iron back and forth stretches the bias edges and seams.
• Always work with clean hands during the construction process. Avoid eating and drinking in your work area because spills and stains can be the downfall of any sewing project.

Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book, Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home is now available at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com.

Photo excerpted from Learn To Sew as You Decorate Your Home

Sometimes, it’s the simple things that can take a room from being so-so to becoming sensational. Consider these suggestions for creating an interesting room.

• Determine what shapes dominate the room you are decorating. Look at the shapes of your sofa, television, tables, bed, dresser and so on. If the majority of the lines are squares or rectangles, add some interesting accessories that are circular in shape.
• Do you have either (1) a lot of fabric-covered items in the room or (2) a lot of matching wood surfaces? This sameness can be boring to the eye. An easy solution is to introduce other surfaces or textures such as smooth glass, shiny metallics, or even baskets and rugs. Consider using opposite textures within the same room: rough and smooth, dark and light, shiny and dull.
• Arrange the accessories in the room so they are different eye levels. For example, use two different-sized table lamps in the same room or group together some accessories that are of different heights on a shelf, mantel, or side table.
• Make sure to include area rugs that are in proportion to your furnishing. They will tie the room together.
• Include plenty of green plants in your decorating scheme for texture and a touch of nature. Make the plants part of the grouping-don’t place them off on their own.

Donna Babylon is a DIY and sewing guru. Her latest book is Decorating Sewlutions: Learn to Sew as You Decorate Your Home. Learn more at www.MoreSplashThanCash.com .