Welcome back to our continuing DIY adventure, where we transform simple materials into luxurious home accents! After sharing our first exciting faux sheepskin project this morning, we’re thrilled to dive into Part Two of our budget-friendly crafting journey. This time, we’re focusing on creating incredibly soft and versatile faux sheepskin throws that will add a touch of cozy elegance to any space. Get ready to discover how an unforgettable trip to a fabric wonderland led us to craft these surprisingly realistic and affordable pieces for our home.
Our quest for the perfect faux sheepskin material recently took us on an incredible detour to Charlotte, North Carolina. While visiting some wonderful friends, we stumbled upon what can only be described as a textile enthusiast’s dream come true: Mary Jo’s Cloth Store. Located conveniently just off I-85 at exit 21, this place isn’t just a fabric store; it’s a colossal 32,000-square-foot warehouse brimming with what felt like a million bolts of fabric. Imagine a football stadium-sized haven for every type of textile imaginable – that’s Mary Jo’s!
Discovering Mary Jo’s Cloth Store: A Fabric Paradise
If you’re searching for a specific fabric, pattern, or texture, chances are Mary Jo’s Cloth Store has it. Their sheer volume and variety are unparalleled, making it a true holy grail for crafters, designers, and DIY enthusiasts alike. Beyond the impressive selection, their pricing is absolutely fantastic. We spotted designer prints marked down to an incredible $10 a yard, which would easily fetch $19 a yard at fabric stores back in Richmond. The savings alone make the trip worthwhile! Browsing the endless rows of stacked fabric bolts was an experience in itself. Here I am, utterly enchanted by the vastness, alongside my dear friend Kristin, who expertly guided us through Charlotte (you might remember we had the pleasure of touring her beautiful bungalow for you a while back).
And of course, no trip is complete without John’s unique brand of humor. He has a knack for finding the most unusual items and posing for ironic photos. This time, his prize was a dental-themed fabric, adorned with teeth, floss, toothbrushes, and playful sayings like “Smile!” It perfectly illustrates my point: if you’re looking for something specific, no matter how niche, Mary Jo’s Cloth Store delivers. Their inventory truly caters to every conceivable project and preference.
Selecting the Perfect Faux Fur for Your DIY Sheepskin Throws
Amidst the quirky patterns—cats with yarn, dogs in baskets, you name it—we maintained our focus. While we did pick up a yard and a half of lovely nursery fabric for a modified crib skirt (details on that project coming soon!), our primary mission was finding the ideal material for our faux sheepskin throws. We meticulously sifted through dozens of faux fur options, searching for a fabric that was not only incredibly dense but also possessed the most creamy, natural ivory color. Our goal was to find a faux fur that looked and felt remarkably similar to genuine sheepskin, offering that luxurious softness without the premium price tag. After careful consideration, we found a winner! The cost for a full yard of this gorgeous, fluffy ivory faux fur? A mere $14.99 – an absolute steal for the quality.
The best part about our selected fabric was its dimensions. It came on one of those super long bolts, meaning that even though the fabric was only three feet wide, our big rectangle of fluffy goodness measured nearly six feet in length. This generous size was a game-changer, as it meant we could get three distinct faux sheepskin throws out of just one yard of fabric. Doing the math, each throw cost us an astonishing $5! This is an incredible deal, especially when you consider that even IKEA’s budget-friendly real sheepskin rugs typically retail for around $25 each. We were absolutely thrilled with the potential for such high-end style at such a low cost. To transform our fabric, we simply retrieved our trusty homemade paper sheepskin template. If you missed how we created this essential tool, you can find all the details in this morning’s post. With our template in hand, we used a thin sharpie to carefully trace the pattern onto the back of our faux fur fabric three times, preparing for the cutting stage.
The Cutting and De-Floofing Process: Simple Steps for Perfect Faux Sheepskin
Before committing to the full cuts, I performed a small test snip on the edge of the fabric. This crucial step allowed me to assess how much fluff would be released and, more importantly, to ensure that the faux fur wouldn’t unravel or lose its integrity once trimmed. To my delight, only a few stray fluffs were freed with each snip, much like giving a shaggy dog a haircut – minimal mess, maximum impact. Even when I tugged gently on the fur around the edge of my test cut, it held steady without any signs of unraveling. What a relief! This confirmed that I could proceed confidently, cutting along my three sharpie outlines. The entire process of creating three fast and easy faux sheepskin throws took a matter of minutes, without any need to bind the edges. The fabric’s inherent stability meant no extra stitching or finishing was required, making this an incredibly straightforward DIY project.
Once all the cutting was done, things were, admittedly, a bit “floofy.” My black shirt bore the evidence, covered in a delightful layer of matted, sheepdog-like hair. But fret not! I had a secret weapon for tidying things up: the dryer. I tossed all three of our brand-new throws into the dryer on the “extra low heat” setting and let them tumble for a bit. This gentle cycle worked like a charm, effectively shaking out any and all remaining loose fuzz. When I pulled out our three surprisingly realistic-looking $5 faux sheepskins, they looked absolutely fantastic. They were definitely good enough to be draped around the base of our Christmas tree, tossed casually over chairs or the back of our couch, or artfully placed over an ottoman or two. This dryer de-floofing process proved remarkably effective, ensuring that I was no longer covered in white fur every time I brushed against them. A major win, as that would undoubtedly become quite annoying over time!
Versatile Styling: From Rugs to Throws
It’s important to distinguish between the two types of faux sheepskin projects we’ve tackled. As we mentioned, this morning’s DIY sheepskin tutorial yielded more structured, “rug-like” versions, ideal for floor placement or areas requiring more stability. This particular approach, however, creates much floppier and more flexible “throw-like” accents. These are absolutely perfect for tossing over various pieces of furniture to instantly inject a sense of lightness, softness, and inviting texture into a room. While they might not hold up on the floor as effectively as our rug counterparts from this morning’s project (and could even create “death-trap slipping scenarios”), their flexibility makes them incredibly versatile. Here’s one of our three new furry companions, living its best life on the storage bench in our dining area. Please pardon the slight bluish-white cast in the photo; it was due to the sky reflecting through the window. For a more accurate depiction of their true, creamy ivory color, refer to the image of them in the dryer above.
Take a closer look at the edges of this throw. You can see how wonderfully nice and fluffy they appear, just like the real deal. Honestly, we’re not sure if anyone would even be able to tell that we swapped out a genuine sheepskin for this faux alternative; they look remarkably similar. Achieving that eerily realistic appearance was precisely our goal, and we certainly scored big!
We draped the second throw casually over the back of a nearby living room chair. We absolutely adore the subtle yet rich layered, tone-on-tone texture it adds to the space, enhancing the chair’s comfort and visual appeal without overwhelming it.
Finally, the third throw found its perfect spot draped over the back of another slipper chair in our cozy den. Doesn’t it just look incredibly soft and inviting? It’s amazing to think that three simple $5 upgrades could add so much warmth, texture, and perceived luxury to three distinct seating areas in our home. These versatile pieces effortlessly elevate the comfort and aesthetic of any room.
Your Guide to Easy & Washable Faux Sheepskin Throws
And there you have it – our second faux sheepskin DIY tutorial, proving that creating stylish home accents doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. The process truly is as simple as tracking down some wonderfully wooly white fabric (or even repurposing a white furry blanket if you happen to spot one at retailers like TJ Maxx, Home Goods, or Target). Once you have your material, it’s a matter of whipping up a free homemade paper sheepskin template, tracing that template onto the back of your fabric (or blanket, if that’s the route you choose), and carefully cutting it out. And don’t forget that crucial final step: a quick, low-heat spin through the dryer will effectively de-lint and de-floof your new throws, leaving them perfectly soft and shed-free. Easy peasy indeed!
Or perhaps we should say, “easy fleecey?” Okay, that was a terrible pun, and I’m cringing as I type it. But seriously, we are just a little too excited about our collection of budget-friendly, $5 furry friends! I can’t wait to move them around our house, just like I used to do with our old IKEA versions, because they are so flexible and fun to style in different ways. What makes these DIY faux sheepskin throws even better? They are completely washable! Unlike our previous IKEA versions, which were dry-clean only, these fabric-based throws can be easily cleaned, making them incredibly practical for everyday use. That washability truly is the icing on the cake, adding a layer of convenience to their already fantastic appeal. Now, we’d love to hear from you, our wonderful readers! What exciting DIY projects have you been working on lately? Have you scored any amazing discount fabric and used it to recover a beloved chair or stitch up a quick decorative pillow? Or perhaps you’ve ventured into making your own faux-fur throws, pillows, or blankets? Do tell us all about your creative endeavors in the comments below!
Psst- Want to revisit our first DIY sheepskin tutorial from this morning, which focuses on creating more structured rug-like pieces? Here’s a direct shortcut to catch up!