My Latest Love… Burlap

Yes, you read that right.  Burlap.  As in, the material used to store potatoes.  I LOVE it!  I have come across so many creative uses for it lately, and best of all, it’s cheap!  I’m talking, REALLY cheap.  I purchased some a couple weeks ago on eBay for $3/yard, and have since found it even cheaper at onlinefabricstore.net.

Burlap is so versatile and has so many uses, from controlling erosion and storing vegetables, to upholstering furniture and creating beautiful crafts or artwork for your home.  Whether your personal decorating preference is modern, contemporary, eclectic or traditional, you can find a way to incorporate it in your home in a way that complements your style.

So far, I’ve used it for 2 projects:  My framed monogram art which I blogged about a few days ago, and I also covered my husband’s previously too-feminine office chair with it.  It added a nice masculine touch to balance out the “girly” look of the chair.

[Back story on this chair:  I found this chair (in a much different condition) stashed in a storage room in an old office building where I used to work.  My boss said it had been left there by previous occupants and he was getting ready to take it to the dumpster.  It had been painted white, but all of the paint was chipping away, the back of the chair was cracked, and the yellowish satin upholstery was ripped to shreds.  It looked awful.  So you can imagine the look on his face when I asked if I could take it home and work on it.  I offered to pay him for it, and he said I could just take it for free, even though he thought I was a weirdo for wanting it.  I used wood filler to patch the chipped parts (although I need to re-patch a crack which has reappeared on the back), sanded, primed and painted it black, and recovered the seat.  I love breathing new life into old pieces of furniture!  I am still learning how to get better at it, but it is so much fun.]

Anyway, back to burlap!  I have found so many wonderful ideas recently for what it can be used for.