DIY Chindi Reindeer The moment I spotted these colorfully wrapped reindeer and moose at Anthropologie last December, I knew I had to DIY it for HonestlyWTF this holiday season. Created in the style of vibrant Chindi rugs from Jaipur, India, these wrapped reindeer are incredibly fun to make, are a clever way to repurpose old t-shirts, and make fabulous gifts! You’ll need:paper mache reindeer or any other animal1 yard total of various colors of cotton or wool jersey2 small brown pom pomshot glue gunlots of glue sticksscissorsjingle bells (optional)string (optional) Start by cutting the fabric, along the width, into 1″ strips. For a medium sized paper mache object, 26-30 strips should suffice. Pull at both ends of each strip of jersey. Beginning in the middle of the torso will serve as the guideline. Continue twisting, glueing, and wrapping. As the rope begins to runs out, tie a knot at the end. Keep wrapping and again, follow the contours of the reindeer. And your Chindi reindeer is finished!!
How to Make Your Own Clothes Learning how to make your own clothes is a pastime that will not only save you some money, it is skill that can evolve into a hobby that you love. With some practice, patience, and some sewing know-how, you’ll be on your way to making your own clothing before you know it. Here are some helpful tips to get you going. Getting Started If you have never attempted to make your own clothes before, or if you have little or no sewing skills, finding some good reference materials is a great place to start. Before you purchase any other materials besides a few reference books or patterns, you may want to start thinking about what kind of clothes you would like to make. Gather Notions, Materials, and Equipment Before you begin to learn how to sew, you’ll need to accumulate a few sewing necessities. Learn How to Sew If you already have some basic sewing skills or if you’re already a master seamstress, you can skip this part and move on. Choose a Project Use Recycled Fabrics Be Creative
Learn to Sew Class Description Increase your sewing savvy with fit and finishing techniques from Diana Rupp of Make Workshop. In Sewing Studio, she'll walk you through two classic patterns - an Envelope Pillow and Naughty Secretary Skirt - using methods you'll use again and again. Create them using patterns from her book Sew Everything Workshop (not included with this class), or substitute with patterns of your choice. Learn More about Sewing Studio Lesson Plan Lesson 1. The course begins with a brief introduction to the Sewing Studio and Diana Rupp, author of Sew Everything Workshop. Lesson 2. While working on your pillow, you will learn about fabric construction, different types of edges, cutting, hemming, seam allowances and how to construct the French seam. Lesson 3. In this session, you will assemble, sew, press and finish your pillow. Lesson 4. Lesson 5. Diana walks you through all the steps of laying out and pinning your toile or mockup for the Naughty Secretary Skirt. Lesson 6. Lesson 7. by Kat.
DIY Chainmail Necklace You’ll need: Start by separating the jump rings into two halves: 175 open and 175 closed. Thread three closed jump rings onto an open jump ring. Close the ring. Keeping the rings in place with your forefinger and thumb, take an open jump ring and hook it through the front side of the two rings. Add 2 closed rings to the open ring and close. Spread the two rings apart in the same way as the first set of rings. Add 2 closed rings and close. To add an optional fourth row, lay the necklace flat and hook an open ring through first and second closed rings on the right side. I stopped at 4 rows but you can continue adding rows for a more bib-like necklace. Connect the two ends with a single jump ring or clasp. Fini! (top image from here, rest of images by HonestlyWTF)
Preservation Guide: How to Freeze Herbs Cut Off Long Stems The little stems between the leaves are fine to chop up. Chop With A Mezzaluna If you have one of these handy chopping devices, chopping fresh herbs is all that much easier, but a regular chopping knife will work just as well. Spoon Into An Ice Cube Tray Once everything is chopped up, spoon the herbs into an ice cube tray, making sure to distribute evenly. Pack them in pretty tightly. Top Off The Tray With Water Pour the water in slowly. Put The Cubes In A Freezer Bag After the cubes are frozen, pop them out of the tray and stash them in a freezer bag to keep them tasting their freshest. Corset Tutorial Fabulous Miniature Doll Artist Anna Hardman and graciously lets us publish her corset tutorial on our Blog. Thnx Anna!You can see more of her fabulous figures on her website AnnaHardmanDolls.comThe CorsetI have created a miniature hourglass corset to share with you today. It is for a curvy full figure. My dolls do not have Victorian thin waists. Their bodies are more anatomically correct, closer to modern day figure. I used light and glass method of transferring. Step 3.Run a tiny bead of glue on the seams, press with the iron. Step 4.Now add fine laces or trim of your choice to the top and bottom of your miniature corset. To create sophisticated lacing on the back you need to practice. Done! The pattern(click to see full size and print):
Top 11 DIY Fashion Blogs Update 7/23/12: Hey guys! I wrote this post in February of 2011 and since then I’ve discovered lots more awesome DIY blogs! Either there are tons of new ones popping up or I didn’t even know how much great stuff was out there. Keep sharing them in the comments, I love checking each one out! These are in no particular order. Honestly… WTF I Spy DIY P.S. Stripes And Sequins Studs and Pearls Lemmemakeit A Pair & A Spare Be Vain or DIY …love Maegan Phosphene Fashion Outsapop Trashion Do you love DIY, fashion and craft? Tagged as: a pair and a spare, bevainordiy, diy, honestlywtf, i spy diy, lemmemakeit, love maegan, outsapop, phosphene, ps i made this, stripes and sequins, studs and pearls
10 Easy Ways To Preserve Herbs Enjoying a big bounty of herbs from the garden this year? Fresh is best when it comes to cooking with them, but here are ten easy ways you can preserve them for year-round use (along with a nifty tip at the bottom of the page for crushing them fast). Air/Hang Dry Method: If you have the space and the time, you can tie small bunches together (about 4 or 5 cleaned stems) and hang them upside down in a dark, warm, well ventilated area. The drying time is about 2 to 4 weeks – you want the leaves to be crispy and easily crumble between your fingers before you pack them for storage. If space is tight, here’s a clever project you can make using old frames, fiberglass screens, chain and S hooks (for hanging in tiers): Hanging Frames Tutorial.Oven: Arrange cleaned stems in a single layer on a cookie sheet with temperature set at 180° F. Heat for about 4 hours, keeping the oven door open the entire time (to let moisture escape). *First published December 19, 2006 Thanks for sharing Josee!
52 Free Dress Patterns Posted on | November 7, 2013 | 19 Comments I’m a firm believer that sewers can never have too many free patterns. With that in mind, here are 52 Free Dress Patterns, divided by style. Keep in mind the categories are not set in stone. Notes about the patterns are listed for some of the dresses. Patterns from existing dresses require laying out an item of clothing onto fabric, marking it, and cutting out. No pattern needed usually means that the dress is made from a recycled shirt. Drafting instructions means that you will have to make your own pattern, but the designer included all the information needed. Free Dress Patterns - Casual Dresses Free Dress Patterns – Office Dresses Free Dress Patterns - Dress-Up Dresses Read More : Sewing or Home Comments
obsessions Beauty Bites post + photography + graphic design by Norah Curlee Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but let’s face it, in the mornings we’d rather spend what little time we have getting the perfect lash curl or tousled wave. Tip: After mixing all your ingredients, spread on a baking sheet in an even layer before popping into an oven for maximum golden crunch! The main attraction of this breakfast bowl is the super grain: quinoa. We’d love you to test out this recipe to see if you love it as much as we do! It’s time to break out the cups, glasses, and tumblers because today we are juicing! This delicious four-some make a super tasty juice combo. BEETS: Beets are one the richest dietary sources of antioxidants which do wonders for skin and hair. BLOOD ORANGES: Definitely the prettiest citrus of them all! POMEGRANATE: Another major source of antioxidants! KALE: This is a super-food that has definitely been on everyone’s radar. What are your favorite juice cocktails? 1. 2. 3.
Top 10 Essential DIY Skills That Aren't as Hard as You Think I think it depends on your definition of "maintenance." I wouldn't hesitate to change my own oil or something like that but I wouldn't dream of replacing a radiator myself. That isn't my idea of "maintenance." Sorry you are afraid of doing that stuff, but even a complete engine rebuild is easy to do, and no you don't need "special tools" unless you call things beyond a hammer and screwdriver "special" I can do a front end alignment on a car in my driveway with a tape measure and a couple of carpenters squares along with the wrenches most people would have. Also if you do buy the cheap but special tools you can replace your own tires and balance them better than the "laser computerized" balance machine at the tire place. In fact the only expensive special tools I need are a Crane and engine run stand. Danger? This is why I don't take my cars to the dealer for any routine maintenance. Aside from that, dealers are inconvenient. Those are also the reasons I have seen and more.
Free Dress Patterns Featuring a list of free dress sewing patterns and tutorials, all with photos and links. Much of my early sewing has been thrifty – most of my fabric comes from the remnant and clearance bin at my local fabric shop, and many of the patterns have been self drafted or free patterns from the internet. It’s a great way to start out when you are learning and don’t want to invest too much in something that might turn out not quite as you are hoping ! So here you go with a big listing of FREE DRESS PATTERNS. So Sew Easy: A Gazillion FREE Sewing Patterns Two become One Dress Need a comfy every day dress? Little Black party dress Party season is coming! Wrap dress The latest free sewing pattern from So Sew Easy is this cute wrap dress pattern. Easy Summer Dress Easy summer dress pattern using a knit fabric and with different strap options. Authored by: Deby at So Sew Easy Get more free patterns Be the first to hear about my new patterns No spam promise. Share this with your friends:
7 Steps for a Home-Made Lip Balm … Finding a good lip balm is something that I personally struggle with. If you’re prone to dry lips you might be able to relate; a lot of the products on the market purport to be nourishing, but in reality they feel good for about five minutes before evaporating and leaving you with skin that’s even more parched than before. If you do battle to find a good lip maintenance salve, you might be keen to try concocting your own. To get you on the right track, I’ve put together this list of 7 steps for a home-made lip balm. Table of contents: 1 Beeswax Try to get hold of the best quality beeswax you can find. 2 Oil The beeswax will give the lip balm a thick, authentic texture, and will also help to soften skin and seal in moisture. 3 Heat Place your oil and wax concoction in the microwave and heat until the mixture is thoroughly melted. 4 Cool Once the beeswax and the oil have combined and melted completely, take the container out of the microwave and allow the product to cool for a few minutes.
Tissue Paper & Paper Flowers Tutorial I debated sharing this tutorial for a couple-o-reasons. Reason 1. It's a craft that has been around since before I was born and reason 2... it's a craft that has been around since before I was born. I feel like I might be a 100 years old at this point. Since it's new to me I figure it's got to be new to someone else too so I am doing it anyway! Supplies you'll need to make tissue paper flowers:Tissue paper (seeing as how this IS a tissue paper flower tutorial it would stand to reason that some form of tissue paper will be required)16 HUGS (just checking to see if you are actually reading this)Pipe cleaners or floral wireScissors Extras (for pizzaz): glimmer mist, brads, 2 inch Styrofoam balls, ribbon, more hugs (still checking), a flower girl (seriously), and lastly... As I stated last week, I purchased a Martha Stewart tissue paper flowers kit a few months ago on clearance at Malwart. Let's get started!! ...or... Once you have the entire thing folded up, you will want to fold it in half.