DIY Braided Bead Bracelet It’s been awhile since our last bracelet DIY. I don’t know about you, but our wrists have been begging for another colorful addition for months now. So after playing with some materials that were already on hand, we’ve created a tutorial for a braided bead bracelet, which is a not so distant cousin of the hex nut and wrap bracelet. Because honestly, you can never have too many . . . You’ll need: Cut the waxed linen cord into a 26″ and 19″ piece. Tie a knot about half an inch down from the loops. Start braiding the strands. Push the bead against the base of the braid, and cross the left strand over the middle. Keep a finger at the base of the braid, holding the beads in their place and keeping the braid tight. Finish the bracelet with another inch of braided cord, measuring it against the wrist. Thread on a two hole button – two strands through one hole and one strand through another. Trim the end. Your bracelet is finished! (all images by HonestlyWTF)
Floral Print Jeans DIY image above via flickr Floral printed jeans and pants are everywhere right now. I think J Brand has my favorite pair to date but if you’re on a tight budget or haven’t found the perfect print, why not DIY your own? What You’ll Need * White jeans {mine are Levi’s Made & Crafted}* Fabric Markers. * Questions about laundering? Steps * Begin at the ankle of your jeans, and if you’re shaky, the back of the ankle. * I used a lace pattern because I liked the rough, textured look it created, and found one flower design in particular to repeat over the entire leg for continuity. * Holding the lace taught, carefully {or not so carefully} mark right through the lace onto your jeans. * It should look like this… your flowers do not have to be perfect. * Repeat the flower pattern to cover the front and back of your jeans. * You can also free-hand, if you’d prefer. * Add some dimension with various shades of blue. Voila! * find the mounted gun wall vase here Have Fun!
DIY Crystal Pendant Necklace There’s nothing quite as marvelous and essential as costume jewelry – especially when it borders on ‘over the top’ with exorbitant amounts of sparkle and shine. As I always like to say: more is more is more. So how can one possibly turn down the opportunity to customize their very own show-stopping, Verdura-inspired crystal pendant necklace!? You’ll need:22″ – 28″ of thick gold chain (also available here)assorted sew on rhinestones in settings (also available here and here)1 rhinestone or crystal brooch (with backs clipped off)stiff felt sheet2 jump ringsE6000pliersscissorshole punch or rotary punchwooden spoon & toothpickwire clippers (optional)tweezer (optional) Start by squeezing a dollop of glue onto a wooden spoon. Glue the larger rhinestones onto the felt, working from the center out. Continue adding smaller crystals and rhinestones to the pattern. Once the shape is complete, add the brooch or button to the center with more glue. Allow to dry for a couple of hours. Bling bling!
Make Your Own Moisturizing Body ButterOne Good Thing by Jillee We are experiencing one of the mildest winters I think we’ve ever had since I moved to Utah from California almost 18 years ago! So WHY, I ask you, am I experiencing the WORST dry skin I’ve ever had in my life this winter?? Answer me that riddler! While you ponder that oddity of Mother Nature…let me share with you something I made to help combat the problem! I admit, I have never used Body Butter before. So in light of my seriously itchy, dry skin this winter I decided I must give this stuff a try! The recipe I used comes from Susan Powers website Rawmazing.com. 1 cup shea butter 1/2 cup coconut oil 1/2 cup almond oil (you can substitute olive oil, jojoba oil, any organic, liquid oil that is healthy.) 1. 2. I added probably 20 to 25 drops of Lavender oil, but when it was finished it was still hard to even smell. 3. I put mine on the back porch to cool. ……then whip until a butter-like consistency is achieved. 4. So for the last two days I have been using this stuff every chance I get!
DIY Elbow Patch While perusing Pinterest one evening, I came across an intriguing tutorial on the wonderful art of needle felting. I had to learn more – especially after realizing it entailed repeatedly stabbing a needle up and down into a piece of fabric or sweater. A satisfying stress reliever that results in something wearable? Sign me up. And now that I can officially call myself a needle felting maven (and nerd), trust me when I say that you’re going to have a blast with this technique. You’ll need: With the sweater on, place a piece of tape about half an inch below the elbow. Align and center the bottom of the cookie cutter along the top of the tape. Fill the cutter, spreading out the wool fibers evenly. At the base of all felting needles are tiny, sharp burrs, which grab and interlock the wool fibers. Continue stabbing away until the surface is flat and even. Remove the cutter and use the tip of the needle to reign in any stray fibers, if necessary. Carefully peel the sweater away from the foam.
The world's best sewing tutorials in no particular order. Alina's Adventures sew everything A P indicates a printable tutorial or pdf pattern. PET CARECatnip fish toy (Martha Stewart)Clothespin apron (Pick Up Some Creativity)Cool and cozy pet bed (Sew4Home)Country gent dog coat with pattern (Craftzine)Collapsible travel dish (Craft Stylish)Color spectrum pet bed (Design Sponge)Custom-fit doggy coat (Pretty Little Things)Dog leash (The Purl Bee)Embellished doggy sweater (Miss Lovie)Fabric dog coat pattern (Cut Out & Keep) PFabric pet bed (Inspiration & Realization)Fabric pup tent (CasaSugar)Family connection writing center (Craftzine)Fleece dog bed (Dog Under My Bed)Pet pouches (The B Line)Sweater dog toys (Craft Stylish)Squeaky doggie bone (Laura Griffin)Water resistant doggy coats (Martha Stewart) FOR THINGS WITH TWO WHEELSBicycle bucket (Noodlehead)Bicycle frame lunch bag (Evil Mad Scientist)Bike seat cover (thimble)Good old bike seat cover (Pickles) Key wristlet (Chickpea Sewing Studio) Tweet This! Comments Julie said... Kristin said... Mrs.
how to add elbow patches to a sweater! Elbow patches are one of my favorite trends this season! Last month, I shared how to hand print hearts on your jeans and we recieved many requests for a patch tutorial! I asked Amanda to show you how she would do it in this next feature.... Supplies needed: cardigan, fabric (this is a great way to use scraps!) 1. 3. 6. Thanks so much, Amanda! Happy Monday, everyone.... xo. 5 Natural Ways to Remove Blackheads You know how, if your pants fall down just a little tiny bit when you’re leaning over and a millimeter of your crack shows? A MILLIMETER? Everyone can see that. Everyone sees it. Even the men in the space station. Blackheads are not like that. Still, they’re annoying. Let’s make that happen. Blackheads are just pimples that don’t have skin over them. All you have to do is clean out your pores, and the blackheads are gone. If you’re prone to blackheads, I have some good and bad news for you. The good news is, people with oily skin and large pores don’t wrinkle as quickly (because our skin is VERY good at replenishing the oils). 1. There are so many things you can use to exfoliate and remove blackheads with. Right now. My favorite is: Especially for oily skin and getting rid of blackheads. You could also use: Baking soda and water, lemon juice and sugar, or salt and sour cream. How you do it: Simply combine your “scrubby” ingredient with your liquid/wet ingredient until you have a thin paste.
DIY Pom Pom Beanie Brrrrrr, it’s chilly outside. It’s time to sort through your collection of winter hats, ear muffs, and knit headbands for some necessary protection for that noggin! But before you toss out your favorite slouchy beanie from seasons past, why not revamp it by stitching on a large, furry* pom pom? * I appreciate the very valid concern about animal cruelty and I hope we all share the same compassion for animals. I would never knowingly point readers to fur that was produced under the conditions mentioned by a couple of commenters. You’ll need:a beaniea faux fur or handmade yarn pom pomembroidery threadembroidery needlescissors Thread the needle with about 25 inches of embroidery thread. Find the center of the pom pom and pierce the needle through it. Pull the needle back through the top of the beanie and thread the needle through the pom pom in the same spot. Push the needle back through the beanie. Tie a double or triple knot to secure the thread. And voila! (all images by HonestlyWTF)
Decorate Yourself - Fabric Cuffs Part of the fun of fabric shopping is wandering through the "notions" section. That's the section with buttons, thread, zippers, and trims...it's the accessory section for fabric. The notions section is about as dangerous for me to walk through as a shoe or jewelry section in a department store. I have this thing for accessories. So, why not combine the two? Shabby rustic... Bright... Classic... Gold buttons... Or maybe silver?... A girl has to have some options after all. For this one, I used black trim, two types of white trim, a button, and about an inch and a half of elastic cording. I cut 8 inches of all the trims and sewed them all together down the middle. Next, I folded down the ends and sewed them. To make the loop, I crossed the ends of the elastic over each other and sewed it down on one end. I'm not sure if you can see, but I sewed at a couple spots to make sure it was nice and snug. There now, that wasn't bad was it? Then I pulled back the other way and sewed it down again.
DIY Woven Chain Collar Necklace Earlier this month Lauren and I escaped city life with our dear friend Grace, of Stripes & Sequins, for a weekend chock-full of sun and DIY. With an abundant supply of rhinestone and brass curb chain, we decided to try weaving the components together to make our own collar necklaces. It was fun to see how wonderfully different the pieces turned out - each so fabulous in their own unique way! Honestly, isn’t that the best part about DIYing with friends? You’ll need: Start by laying two pieces of curb chain side by side. Thread the floss under the first link on the left side and through the top of the 2nd link on the right side. Continue this weaving pattern. Tie a knot at the end. Using a different color flow, weave the floss around the first few links – again leaving about a foot of extra slack. Continue weaving and tie a knot at the end. Tie a knot onto the chain. Keep the necklace curved while attaching the rhinestone chain. Your necklace is now adjustable and finished!!
Homemade Herbal Gifts for Mom | Frugal Granola Post by Contributing Writer, Stacy Mother’s day is the perfect time of year for making (and giving) homemade herbal gifts. Today I’d like to share two simple recipes that are sure to pamper the mother in your life. Coconut Oil Hand Cream (Inspired by the Coconut Oil Hand Cream recipe in How to Make Your Own Organic Cosmetics by Gill Farrer-Halls) Great for extra dry skin. Supplies needed: 5 Tablespoons Coconut Oil 1 1/2 tablespoon almond oil 15 drops lemon essential oil 15 drops lavender essential oil 1 – 2 tablespoons grated beeswax (less for softer cream, more for firmer cream) Method: Fill the bottom of a double boiler with water and bring to the boil. Pour into container and allow to cool completely before closing. Makes approximately 3 1/2 ounces. Notes: I have successfully made this recipe without a double boiler and just used a heavy saucepan. When grating beeswax, be sure to use a grater you no longer need for cheese! Easy Lavender Soap Balls (adapted from Herbal Treasures by Phyllis V.
DIY Embellished Friendship Bracelets The weather is warming up and my wrists are feeling rather lonely and bare after hiding under long sleeves all season long. But after digging up last year’s DIY friendship bracelets, I realized they desperately needed sparkly and shiny upgrades. Today we’re showing you three easy ways to embellish your friendship bracelets, making them all grown up . . . To add rhinestones, you’ll need:a chevron friendship bracelet (tutorial found here)5-6” crystal rhinestone chain (last used here)1 yard of embroidery flossan embroidery needlea pair of scissors Thread the needle with embroidery floss and tie the end into a double knot. Stitch the floss between the first two rhinestone links, pushing needle out the middle of the bracelet. Continue stitching between the rhinestone links. Your friendship bracelet is sparkling and finished! To add studs, you’ll need:a chevron friendship bracelet (tutorial found here)5 3/8” brass cone studs (last used here)a pair of small, sharp scissorsa screwdriver