page corner bookmarks This project comes to you at the request of Twitterer @GCcapitalM. I used to believe that a person could never have too many books, or too many bookmarks. Then I moved into an apartment slightly larger than some people’s closets (and much smaller than many people’s garages) and all these beliefs got turned on their naïeve little heads. But what a person can always look for more of is really cool unique bookmarks. Page corner bookmarks are cute, practical and deeply under-represented in the world.* They’re easy to make, easy to customize, and will set you apart from all those same-same flat rectangular bookmarks. If you like this tutorial, here are a couple others that might be up your alley. If you’re loving the toothy monster vibe, check out these simple monster heating bags, filled with rice or wheat and entirely microwavable, to keep toes or fingers or tummies warm during the chilly winter months. What you’ll need: Putting it all together: 1) Follow steps 2 and 3 from above.
Hanging Chains Headband DIY While browsing Topshop last week, I came across this fun hanging chains headband and thought with Coachella right around the corner, an easy DIY for something similar would be fun. I used an old plastic zig zag stretchy comb headband I’ve had for years because it was the most logical choice to hang chains from but you can use an elastic band in a similar way. The chains disappear a little in my blonde hair but they would stand out really pretty agains brunette locks {it would also look great on a shorter cut as well}. If you’re super crafty, add a feather or bead/charm to the bottom of a few chains. What You’ll Need… * Circular headband* Chains: fine, thick, gold, silver, rose gold… use a variety of colors and sizes or all the same… choose chains that are lighter in weight.* Jump rings {for small chains only}* Beading pliers Steps… * Prepare your chains. * Using the extra loose chain links or jump rings for small chains, attach one chain to each section of your plastic headband. And…Voila!
The Pinterest Challenge Fall 2011: Toilet Paper or Art? | Compartment Life I am almost bouncing out of my seat not only to show you my pinterest recreation but to see everyone else’s projects as well. Not quite clued in yet? Well then let me give you a brief history lesson. Pinterest is a website that allows you to create hundreds of inspiration boards, you can “pin” any picture on the web that you like, and about 3 months ago Sherry from Younghouselove along with some other great bloggers came up with a challenge (read about Sherry’s bff’s that participated in the challenge as well, Katie’s project, Ana’s project, and Erin’s project). The pinterest challenge as it’s formally known, and our great community of design bloggers come together to pick a project or a picture seen on pinterest and actually try to recreate the project (hopefully with some of our own personal flair). This go-round I chose these as my inspiration photos: and this one: If you can’t tell these are toilet paper rolls that someone has cut up and glued together. What do you think?
DIY Fishtail Hat Band We were instantly inspired by this gorgeous rainbow fishtail braid in Free People‘s September catalog and decided to recreate it, adding our own little twist: making the braid into a wearable hat accessory. Who said braids were limited to summer and hair? Cut about 40 strands of yarn about 3 feet long, knot at one end leaving a several inches of slack, and divide into two sections. Pull 4 strands of yard from the outside of the left section and add it to the right side. Transform your hat with your new fishtail braid by securing it with a piece of yarn, safety pin or elastic band! (all images by Honestly…WTF)
Re-purposing: Tshirts into 5-strand-braided-headbands I was walking through Target a few weeks ago and noticed this little knit fabric headband that was not just braided together…….but woven. I decided they were charging way too much for something that could be made with t-shirt scraps. And that means free. So there you have it. (Or you may need one for working out. I kinda love it on my little girl . She always has little hair fly-aways that get into her face…….and this helps with that problem. It even works great with her hair down…..and keeps that hair tucked behind her ears. And yep, good for me too. Thanks little t-shirt scraps. Want to make your own? First, find some old t-shirts. Then, cut your fabric into long strips. Next, stack your 5 strips on top of each other and sew together at one end. Now, pull on each strip of fabric so that they kind of curl on the edges. Now, to create this 5 strand braid……..you’ll kind of be braiding on the left side and then braiding on the right. But let me explain a little better. And that’s it.
DIY Turban We’ve recently received several requests for a turban DIY and so, your wish is our command . . . Before you start, tie your hair in a bun or ponytail. Fold a large square scarf in half into a triangle. Lay the scarf on your head with the center point of the triangle facing forward and the sides hanging down each of your shoulders. Once you’ve twisted the ends twice into a knot, bring both sides together to the back of your head and tie it tight. Voila, you’ve just made a turban! (top image from here, rest of images by Honestly…WTF) DIY Fabric Floorcloth Mr. Roar and I are heading to Club Med in Florida today. (You can follow our trip there on Twitter or Facebook.) Today while I'm gone we have an AWESOME guest post. Jess and Monica from East Coast Creative offered to post here for the day. I recently fell in love with their blog. Hey there! I'm super excited to share this project with you because it opens up a whole world of possibilities for us DIYers who would rather make something custom than buy it at the store. Step 1: Gather your materials. Fabric: the amount depends on the size of your mat. Rubber Mat Runner: I've seen similar floor mats made with vinyl flooring remnants, but I wanted something sturdy with traction and this fit the bill! Spray Adhesive Water-based Polyurethane Scissors Duct Tape Step 2: Using your scissors, cut your rubber mat to size. I wanted an octagonal shape for my kitchen so I measured the angles and then cut accordingly. 3. 4. Don't mind me...just loving on my fabric while smoothing out the wrinkles. 5. 6. 1. 2.
DIY Turband DIY Gretchen Jones Necklace A couple of months ago, while visiting New York, we met the lovely Gretchen Jones and were fortunate enough to spend an entire day crafting in her über charming Brooklyn apartment. Not only is she […] DIY Woven Chain Bracelet Chain link bracelets, with colorful threads woven through them, have been popping up here and there.
Neon Geo Bobby Pins I basically live in all black, but since neon is so huge this season I wanted to work it into my wardrobe somehow. A little pop of neon in my hair seemed perfect. First off, we need our beads. I have a tutorial already made for these geo beads which can be found here, but for this round, I basically followed Dismount Creative's tut. The clay was hard as hell to condition, so I used a spoon to help me lol. Now to the actual bobby pins. Put a dollop of glue on your bobby pin and then place your bead on top. Perfect for pulling my bangs back. Thanks for reading!
Headband Refashion Our headband had a flower that was starting to look a little tired and worn so we made it new again! This braided ribbon could embellish many things— a hair clip would be cute too! These headbands would make great handmade gifts for little girls to make each other! Woven Ribbon Headband Gather a headband and about 4 1/2 yards of ribbon. You can use any with — I chose 1/4 inch. Begin by finding the middle of the ribbon. Now bring the bottom ribbon up and make a loop and send it through the beginning loop that you just made by crossing the ribbon. Pull the right side snug. Now repeat for the other side, picking up the right side, making a loop and sending it up through the loop just made on the other side. Pull the left side snug. Pull right side snug. Continue braiding until you have a piece long enough to cover the headband. Bring the other side over and then trim. Hot glue ribbon to headband. Finished!
Sophisticated Salt Dough | make it give it I can totally remember being a kid and making salt dough ornaments at Christmas time. Snowmen, hearts, stars all painted and glittered, albeit a bit lumpy, hanging heavy on the tree. Fun. Thirty plus years later, they're still fun to make and can have a more sophisticated look. and these from Marley and Lockyer (actually of white clay) I love how elegant these ornaments look especially knowing that they come together with the most humble of ingredients: salt, flour and water. Here's what you'll need: 1 cup flour1/2 cup table salt1/2 cup warm water I put the dough hook onto my kitchen aid, put in all the ingredients and let it go for about 8 minutes. I'm doing my tree in silver and cream this year and I love the script stamp M&L used. I rolled out, stamped and cut the dough directly onto my silpat because I didn't want to move them once they were ready to go into the oven. I used a straw to make the holes but a bamboo skewer would work just as well.
DIY Hand Stitching, part 1 One of my favorite crafts is hand stitching-- it's fun, addictive, expressive and relaxing :) Over the next few weeks, I'm going to share easy ways to make your own patterns for hand stitching along with some tips and ideas :) These are some samples of my past projects-- I like to draw patterns freehand and use my handwriting. However, sometimes I adapt clipart type images to make a more complicated pattern, like the sewing machine or I just stitch the outline of an image I love, like the Goonies "Hey You Guys" silhouette :) I use a Back Stitch for all my hand stitching because it's very versatile and I like the look but you can use any combination of stitches for your projects... there's lots of fun ones! Today, we're going to start with handwriting & transferring your pattern :) You will Need: - Card-stock or Thick Paper (I cut a piece of 6x8" card-stock & folded it in half to create a greeting card) - Needle & Scissors - Embroidery Thread - Scrap Paper & Pen - Thumbtack or Piercing Tool