Me Woman, You Man Cave - REVEAL

You might remember that I started the Man Cave makeover project one weekend while my unaware hubby was out of town at deer camp. Since it is his room, I hadn't laid a decorating-hand on it. However, I felt that the room was under used and a thrifty weekend update was exactly what it needed to make the used-to-be-storage-room into a proper Man Cave.The goals for the remodel were to add storage and make it usable...without it looking like a game room or bar. Well, I am pleased to announce that the makeover is complete.

But first, let me remind you what the Man Cave looked like when we first moved in:

Yes, it was in need of a makeover. It looked more like a dorm room with the futon, sparse furnishings and moving day boxes than a man-worthy Man Cave. Actually, the room functioned more like a make-shift storage unit and was never used. Very sad.

Project List:
No-sew curtains made from sheets
Asymmetrical wall arrangement
Graphic and modern art
Reupholstered ottoman
Storage boxes, painted to match
Pillows made from sheets - using my no-sew method

Edit - the hubby helped spray paint the bike frame. He wanted me to make sure that I said that...

Man Cave Makeover Cost Breakdown:

Curtains              $8

Pillows                 $5

Rug                     $15

Artwork                $10.69

Asym. Art             $13

Sofa                     $149

Accessories         $15

TOTAL                 $215.69

Yes! A total room makeover for 215 bucks! Not too bad, if I say so myself. And, if you take out the sofa (since we had planned on upgrading the futon anyways), it totals $66.69. Wow!

Finishing Touches - Man Cave

I am so close to finishing the Man Cave makeover. I can smell it, see the finish, taste victory...however you want to put it. I have posted some tutorials on the bigger projects I did, and they are all located on the projects page and easy-to-find. You're welcome.  

But today I want to do a potpourri post about some of the finishing touches in the room before the big reveal.

First up - curtain tie-backs. I made these cute little tie-backs with sheet remnants. Super easy, and they match the curtains, but still stand out with the gray background. These are held into place by command adhesive hooks on the side of the window. No drilling required.

Next is the storage boxes on the TV stand. I snagged these boxes for $5 a piece at Wal-Mart; however, they were cream color. Not a problem to fix with some spray paint. I used the same color to spray paint the boxes as I used for the artwork.

This bold print rug was only $15 at Fred's! I think it is amazing and it has all the perfect colors. The pattern is just punchy enough for some visual interest, but not overwhelming.

Finally, the floor pillows were made from sheets...of course! I bought a fitted sheet instead of flat for the curtain project, so I used the fitted sheet for pillows. I am getting to be a pro at no-sew pillows.

Tomorrow is the big Man Cave makeover reveal. I am excited! The room looks sooo good!

Me Woman, You Man Cave - Part 2, Curtains

Okay, I have a confession to make....I semi-lied to y'all. So sorry. In the numero uno post I stated that Wal-Mart does not make me think of remodeling. Well, it doesn't. But it is a semi-lie because I found a kick-awesome comforter set which I had to snag for the guest bedroom, and I used sheets from Wal-Mart for curtains and pillow covers in the Man Cave.

Which brings me around to this post - curtains for the Man Cave. I had planned to use sheets all along as curtains in the Man Cave. (Got that bright idea from my crafty momma whose house sports sheet-curtains in two rooms.) I was just going to hang white sheets for an airy feeling. Then I thought I would paint stripes on the sheets for more of a graphic / Man Cave feeling, and it would go along with the artwork I made. But that plan changed when I went to get the white sheets. I found the perfect color striped sheets...no painting (or sewing) required.

Let the no-sew sheet-to-curtain project begin. Supplies needed: two twin flat sheets, steam-a-seam, scissors and an iron.

I said two flat sheets and guess what I did...I came home with a fitted sheet. Grrr! I got so excited about the sheets I didn't double-check to make sure they were both flat. Back to Wal-Mart. (And I didn't exchange the fitted sheet, I'm going to use it to make floor pillows.)

Step 1 - position the sheet so the top end is towards you, and the sheet is face down

Step 2 - Add steam-a-seam along the seam that is already in the curtain. Fold the top part of the sheet over and iron (as seen in the above picture). Ta da, instant curtain rod hole.

Step 3 - Hang on curtain rod. Here's a trick for curtain rod height - since these are twin sheets and I have 8' ceilings, place a level along the top of the wall flush with the ceiling. Then place the curtain rod mounts flush to the level and mark the holes to drill. This will leave a little space at the top of the curtains and they will fall almost to the floor. If you want the curtains to puddle, move the curtain rod down from the ceiling.

I really like the horizontal stipe in the sheet-curtain. That was an added bonus!

One hung, one to go.

Project cost breakdown:

Two twin flat sheets       $8 for the pair

Steam-a-seam               $0, already owned

Total                             $8

$8 for a pair of curtains, can't beat that deal! And they were so easy to make too! I also have pillow cases to make some pillows for the couch using my tried-and-true no-sew pillow method. And don't forget about the fitted sheet mistake which will soon be floor pillows for that empty corner in the picture above.

Have y'all made any curtains lately? Ever made curtains from sheets? Or taken an idea from the parents' casa and tried it in yours?

Me Woman, You Man Cave - Part 1, Art

Man Cave. I think it's every man's dream, and my hubby's got one. It's the extra bedroom and it is his place to store and stash his many, many hobbies and deconstruct bicycles....not for my touching. I have touched and remodeled everything else in the house, the way I wanted it. I thought the least I could do was have a dedicated space for the hubby, the Man Cave.

We have lived in the house over a year and I have held true to the "no-touching-the-man-cave" policy I set in place.......until now. It's like an itch you have to scratch or shaking Christmas presents.  I just couldn't wait any longer. And does the hubby know that I touched the Man Cave? Heck no! He's off at deer camp again which equals an entire weekend that I could be in the Man Cave, with free reign. He he he!  Basically - I'm like a little girl, giddy with anticipation.

Let me remind you of what the room looked like for an entire year before I entered it.

Where to start? I want to hang curtains, add pillows, and the room is in major need of something on the walls. Let's start with the something on the walls. And in the spirit of DIY, we need to make the artwork, of course! Since it is a Man Cave, I want the art to be simple, yet graphic and "manly"....but not dead animal-ish.

Needed supplies for graphic/simple/manly artwork: canvas, spraypaint, and masking tape.

To make the pattern, add strips of masking tape in no particular pattern to the canvas. Be sure to extend the strips onto the edges so the pattern continues. Here is what mine looks like while adding the tape.

After you get the tape on the canvas, it's time for spray paint.

Give the canvas two coats of spray paint and let it dry. Then the fun part, peeling off the tape.



Looks great! Yipee! Hang on the wall and enjoy. This was almost too easy; hardly took any time to make. Double yipee! 

Project cost breakdown:

Canvas                  $6.30 (30% off)

Tape                     $1.99 on sale

Paint                      $2.40 on sale

Total                     $10.69

I love it...especially for $10. And when the hubby got home, he loved it too - the entire room. (I'll post about the other projects I did in the room - no sew curtains from sheets, no sew pillows, and asymmetrical wall art grouping.) He thought the artwork was inspired by Van Halen's Frankenstein guitar...which it wasn't, but it does look similar. So now the artwork is extra great for a Man Cave.

Have y'all made any artwork lately? Ever made any artwork inspired from a guitar? What are your thoughts on a Man Cave? Should it be a no-woman / don't touch zone? Or is a little woman-design-touch okay?