Awning Fabric on the Banister

 

 

So I’ve promised you photos of what I ended up doing with banister by the stairs to the basement in the back yard.

 

  

Here it is in all it’s past ghetto glory. One of the first things I did when I got access to the house was remove the wire fencing that was attached to the banister with bright green plant ties.

 

 

And here’s the lovely view with the deep overgrown weedy flower bed in front.

 

And a view with the flower bed plank and deck in place and fence still to be done. Bonus made sure everything went according to plan.

 

 

As you may remember I sanded and painted the banister and by then I had also made the decision to use the same fabric for the banister as for the awning I already had up but I did consider all kinds of options such as making a 50´s style zig-zag pattern with clothes line and having someone come weld in uprights.

 

And here was the nude version of the banister.

 

 

I also considered various way of attaching the fabric to the metal rods but decided on the option that was least stringy/eyelet-y, Velcro.

 

I’m sorry, no tutorial as I just winged it all the way and wasn’t really sure what I was doing but basically I sewed Velcro on top and bottom so the male and female would meet when folded over the rods. It took a few gos until I had the proper positions but in the end it worked out.

 

 

 

Here’s the back velco-side view just after I got all the panels up in the rain…

 

And here’s the front view. There’s a little bit of pulling where I had to merge two pieces to get the right width. The awning fabric isn’t very easy to handle in the machine so in the end I just decided to ignore it. I’ve planted three white hydrangeas in front and they're supposed to become taller than the banister when they’re mature so then those little mistakes won’t be visible any longer.

 

Mini enjoys her new view. And so do I.

Comments

[Catherine]

I just love how you can take something old and cruddy looking and make it look so pretty and clean and perfect.

[Tracy]

it's lovely :D U used a sewing machine for the velcro?

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

I did.

[Leena]

I enjoy the view too, it's lovely in all it's simplicity.Good idea to use velcro.

The before was seriously ghetto, I had forgotten that.

[Luna]

I didn't expect this at all! It looks good and suits your scheme.

[Jill]

Is anyone a fan of chain link fencing? In my opinion, the only place chain link fencing belongs is around a construction site. I can understand why it was the first thing you got rid of. Your house looks so beautiful! What a wonderful transformation.

[Yazmak İyidir]

Is there anything you can not do Benita?
Love Mini and her cool styles eheh :)

[kim]

It looks great! It must be so pleasing to get these little things ticked off your list!

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

It sure is!

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

There lots.
1) Cook. I can follow a recipe but I can't improvise in the kitchen.
2) Drive. Have a license but the thought of driving freaks me out.
3) Dive. The thought of putting my head in the water before my body.. Just can't. I'm great at diving down once in the water, have great lung capacity but I look like a little kid holding my nose when jumping in feet first.
See, lots!

[Amy]

It makes great difference after the transform! Clean and good!

[Zosia]

I love the look. I would never think of fabric for this type of solution. Will you remove the fabric for winter?

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

I think I will. Give it a clean and then roll it up for storage.

[jja]

It looks good! But would it stay clean for long, since near the ground and all the rain etc.?

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

So far so good and I will probably store it indoors during the winter months.

[Bex]

Love it...xxxx

[Irene]

Your talents are boundless.

[Shelly]

Using the awning fabric is a great idea! It looks amazing and I think your neighbors must love you! I wish you were my neighbor! The lady behind me prefers "ghetto chic". ;-)

[Lilla huset på prärien]

wow - så snyggt! fantastiskt vilken skillnad det blev. bra idé att byta till tyg också. super!

kram jenny

[Sara]

Dear Miracle Girl: Will there ever come a day when you don't completely amaze and inspire me? I hope not!

[Judy]

Your backdoor neighbors must be so glad you moved in.
I am really impressed by the job you did cleaning up that banister. That must have been a long and very tedious job.

[Lisa Flaherty]

Seriously, how adorable are you???? :)

[Lisa Flaherty]

Wow! When you had mentioned using awning fabric on the banister, I had no idea what you meant! This looks perfect!

[Hannah]

That looks so much better than before! I really like the transformation and it just goed to show that even the ugliest things can become beautiful again with a little hard work. Thanks for sharing and the inspiration!

Hannah from I am a lifestyle blog

[Hxx]

Brilliant solutions as always x

[James]

Hey Benita, may I make another suggestion to you? That is to make the back-side of awning fabric another color scheme that incorporates with the existing velcros so you could change to the reverse side if you want for a different look. Anyway, I like your new awning fabric banister. They look great.

[Michelle]

I would have never thought to put material up on there. Wow!

[Soulmaz]

Dear Benita,
It's been a while for when I check my google reader updates, I'm excited to see what you have blogged, but this one is a pure genius, I had to leave a note, well done.
It's a funny thing, this whole internet & blogging, I live in this corner of the world & get to know someone in the other corner, heck even my cousin doesn't know what my house looks like!! (we live in different continents)
Thanks for sharing

[Yazmak İyidir]

I know, right? :) She's such a sweetheart!

[Noga from Israel]

You are one and only. This is such an improvement! Hope you are well! Here it is such a heat, that I can't even think of doing anything....
Just hello from Israel,
Kisses,
Noga

[Out of Ours]

Your house looks amazing Benita! I bet you are putting all your neighbours to shame! Not only by giving your house a massive make-over but getting the jobs done so effectively too. Can you give us a little snippet of your house against your neighbours? Go on...

[Valerie]

I have been receiving your posts for awhile now, and I've got to say that I love every post! It is amazing what you have done at your house, from the lovely deck to the yard re-vamp, it looks so beautiful now! Thank you so much for sharing with us! You are incredible!

[Bernadette @ B3HD]

Gorgeous privacy option. Those hydrangeas will be beautiful.

Bernadette

[Magalie]

Looks fantastic!

[Sara]

I'm so impressed: what great vision you have!!

[Tina]

Det måste vara tufft att bo granne med dig... ;) ;)

[Jessica]

I am curious about storing your rakes, brooms, etc. outdoors where they get rained on regularly. It seems so convenient but how are they holding up in terms of discoloration, rot, etc? Thanks!

[Benita ~ Chez Larsson]

I store them outside during spring, summer and autumn but bring them inside over the winter months. I guess they do get a bit damaged from the elements but they're all hanging freely so when rained on they dry up fairly quickly when the sun comes out. It would be better to keep them inside or more sheltered of course but just not practical for every day access.