The Convertible “Infinity” Dress: How it almost defeated me, and what you need to make one I made this thing. It’s pretty cool. It’s a convertible dress that’s basically a circle and two straps, so it’s really easy, inexpensive, and crazy versatile. It’s been around forever and everyone seems to love it (in fact, part of the reason I’m posting this is to answer some questions for people I’ve run into), and I can hardly believe how close I came to not making it at all. I first found the instructions at a blog called rostitchery, and then I came across a second set at Cut Out + Keep. So I bought some material, spread it out in the living room, cut out my pieces, and… …stopped. I didn’t understand the next step. Turn the skirt inside out? And what’s this about making them overlap each other? There’s, like, a band of fabric involved? What? I figured I was just being thick. So I folded up my circle and my straps and I put it all back in the bag it came in. And I went upstairs to watch TV. I was wearing my new dress after about half an hour. Select a stretchy knit with spandex in it.
How to Turn a Scarf into a Vest in 2 Easy Steps... Fashion This genius idea {which I am in no way claiming to have originated but merely stumbled upon a youtube video of it a few months ago} is yet another way to make your scarves work for you. Light scarves, as we all know, are the perfect transitional accessory from Summer to Fall. They warm us up just enough while adding a little pop to our ensemble. This is a brilliant way to add a light layer on a chilly day without spending a dime or even pulling out a needle and thread. It’s genius I tell you… anyone can do it! Go try it now! Here’s What You’ll Need… Specifications: look for your longest scarves in your closet. Steps… * Fold your scarf or fabric in half lengthwise. * Now grab the top two corners of your folded scarf or fabric… * And tie them in a small knot with the least amount of fabric possible. * Open your folded scarf and you should see two arm holes… now go ahead and slip your arms right through those Voila! psst! Have Fun! Find all my DIYs here!
Jumper These are the pieces you are going to need. The measurements are half the garment, so make sure you get them right. First, measure from under your bust to your waist. Add a few inches for seam allowances and a hem. This is where my 10" came from. Next, measure around the largest part of your stomach. Then, decide where you want your button "strip" to go. The skirt and the straps are simple, go ahead and make them what you wish. Below are my measurements. DIY Barefoot Sandal + Shoe Enhancer Fashion A simple and fun way to add a little drama to your bare feet… however, I love the barefoot sandal even more when worn with a pair of classic pumps! Simply wrapped around my foot and ankle, I can wear any shoes {even ballet flats} and give them an entirely new look at relatively no cost. What You’ll Need… * Leather lace {I’m using a black suede leather lace} But a bright pink, purple, lime green or white would be fun too! Steps… * Cut two pieces of leather lacing depending on how high you want them to wrap on your leg. * With the center of the leather under your second toe, bring each side forward and cross over… bring them back and around your ankle {just under your ankle bone} and cross your lace in the back, bringing the sides back around to the front. * You can simply cross your lace over each other or create a little design like I did by looping the laces around each other, then back around my leg… * …and criss-crossing them in the back. Voila! Have Fun!
How To Style Maiden Braids Last month I did a makeover story with Kelsie and had many requests for a maiden braid tutorial. Yesterday she came in and we photographed these simple step by steps. Kelsie has extremely long and thick hair, but anyone with shoulder length or longer can do these braids (see my photo below for an example). Steps 1-2: Braid two strands on each side of a center part. Steps 3-5: Wrap braids around the crown of your head and pin in place with one pin each. Step 6: Arrange braids so that they cover the front of your head like a headband. Steps 7-8: Pull the rest of the hair into a ponytail and pin it into a cute messy bun. Step 9: Add final pins and spray.
DIYing with Delilah: Glitter Cap Toe Shoes {for kids or adults} Fashion Last year for Delilah’s birthday, I got these adorable pewter lace up oxford style shoes for her and unfortunately she wasn’t a fan and rarely chose to wear them. I didn’t take it personally though, she has a fondness for all things pink and purple at the moment and I know she’ll grow into her own style over time… oh and also, because she’s a toddler But since the adorable lace ups still fit, I thought maybe if we sparkled them up a bit together, she’d be more inclined to wear them before she outgrows them in a few months. The teeth marks I found on one of the toes led me to believe one of her 3 adorable, but feisty doggies may have thought they were a snack! I glittered up a pair of my own lace ups to join in the fun. Note: there will be far more photos than necessary in this DIY tutorial {which is very similar to these glitter sneakers} simply because of the cute factor going on here. What you’ll need… Steps… * Dip your shoe into the glitter… Voila! * Note the second coat technique above
Easy Origami Envelope | If you’d like to make these cute little “Flap Lock” Origami Envelopes–all you’ll need is a piece of square paper…any size. I used Christmas scrapbook paper. 1. Fold the paper in half to form a triangle. Make sure your edges are even. 2. 3. fold the right corner about 1/3 of the way to the left. 4. 5. 6. 6. 7. 8. 9. And there you have it! Now scurry off and make a million of these–or at least 24 if you’re using them for the Family Advent Countdown Calendar. Not in the mood to fold your own?
Easy T-Shirt DIY: Cut Out Back Fashion I love a great t-shirt DIY and this one is extremely simple! As shown above, you can wear it two different ways… the first is simply sliced {and reminds me of one of my favorite artists, Lucio Fontana} and the second style, by creating pseudo-bows out of each sliced section. You can choose to wear nothing underneath or wear an alternating colored t-shirt or tank top to show through. What You’ll Need… * A crew neck t-shirt. Steps… * Carefully cut out your “crew neck”. * Flip your shirt over and lay it flat. * You can measure it out, or if you have a steady hand, carefully cut 4 straight and parallel lines or slits down your back. NOTE: To get your cut edges to curl a little, use your hands to carefully stretch out your slits. Wear it like this… or create “bows” down the back… * Depending on the number of sections you have, cut 1-1/2″ sections of your lace or trim. And wear it like this… Have Fun!
Uni-ball Jetstream Ballpoint Pen - 0.7 mm - Rubber Body Series - Metallic Orange Body I wanted a smooth-writing pen that writes with a very fine line. Not knowing what to choose, I bought a Pilot Hi-Tech-C 0.25mm, a Pentel Slicci 0.25mm, a Uniball Signo 0.28mm, and the Uniball Jetstream 0.38mm, all with black ink. The Jetstream was really an afterthought - I expected the gel pens to be superior to a lowly ballpoint. And how fine could a 0.38mm ball write, anyway? To test the pens, I wrote several pages with each one on two kinds of paper. The Signo, the Hi-Tech-C, and the Slicci were very smooth but offered resistance, like moving a canoe paddle through water. As far as comfort goes, the Signo and Jetstream were easily the best and the Slicci was the worst. Skipping was really not a problem with any of the pens, although the Hi-Tech-C and Jetstream did skip just a tiny bit once in a great while, with the Hi-Tech-C worse than the Jetstream. The Jetstream ink, being a ballpoint, dries much faster than the gel pens, pretty much instantly. Hope that helps.
Pretty Scalloped Lace Socks DIY Fashion While I was on Pinterest one night last week, I found these adorable lace socklets and thought, obviously, I can totally make those! And so can you! I’m not sure if you remember, but last year I found these amazing lace peds/socks/foot covers by a company called Kushyfoot with padding under the ball of the foot to make wearing heels more comfortable. They absolutely work, by the way, as well as add a little extra padding to a shoe or boot that’s a bit too big. What you’ll need… * Kushyfoot covers in nude and/or Kushyfoot covers in black or white lace {or anything similar – also called foot liners and also a toeless version if you want to preserve your peeps}* Lace fabric or trim {trim will stand up, fabric will lay flat}* Matching thread and needle* Scissors* Pins * NOTE: these will look adorable with flats as well, I just don’t have any to demonstrate with. Steps… Voila! * Try on your lace socklets and with the pretty scalloped edge up, CAREFULLY pin your lace to the elastic area.
Fun Summer Hair in Minutes. Happy Friday ladies! I just love this time of year- summer is just around the corner! Naturally, as weather changes so does my hairstyle. However, I am feeling like I need something new. My usual summer top knot, braids, or loose pony tail is just getting a bit…well, boring. So, this week while I was in the shower (the place where I have most of my revelations) I came up with a fast and easy hair style that can be dressed up for a weekend date-night or dressed down for a day at the beach. I also chose to wear a vintage inspired blue shirt with red tiny polk-a-dots that I thought would look great with this hair style. Let me know what you think about this hair creation! Did you catch that? So how about a short little video tutorial on how to achieve this look. Go here to watch it. Tips that make this hair style even better? -Day old hair is best (not washed) - Add more bobby pins at the end to make sure it is secure -Hairspray helps it stay in place or visit me at www.trulymodlydeeply.com xo
THE MODERN BRIDE photo: angela+ithyle/thebeautydepartment.com post designed by kristin ess I’ve been getting tons of emails about hair for the do-it-yourself bride. We’ll start off with this super simple chignon and work toward more intricate looks down the line. If you have curly or wavy hair, start by straightening your hair. Often, there is a rehearsal dinner the night before a wedding. TOOLS: 2 clear elastics, 5-10 large bobby pins, tail comb or teasing comb, firm holding hairspray and a hand mirror. TIP: I always advise looking in a second mirror between each step to check your balance. I made this particular photo tutorial printable with instructions next to the photos so it can be by your side on your wedding day. xxkristin Tags: beauty, bridal, bride, chignon, classic, clean, easy, folded, hair, hair do, hair styles, how to, kristin ess, lauren conrad, low bun, modern, quick, simple, the beauty department, thebeautydepartment.com, tutorial, wedding Related posts:
Anthro-Inspired Mirror You all know we love a good Anthropologie knockoff around here – so a couple of days ago when I was browsing online I came across this mirror. Oh I definitely need that. Hold the presses – did that say $498??? Huh. We can do better than that. :) So after scouring the thrift shops, cutting myself on mirror glass, and overcoming an unreasonable fear of Mod Podge, here is my version! (Bear with me here – taking a picture of a mirror is a bit tricky. Ready for the tutorial? You’ll need: A MirrorEasy Off Oven CleanerFabric (enough to cover the frame and the back of the mirror)Mod PodgeA Staple Gun or other framing tool I went searching for a method to removing silvering and came across a great tutorial at Mitzi’s Collectibles. I started with a frame that I found at the thrift store. Obviously not clean. We actually had to ask on this one – because it just said 1951. $19.51 seemed way to high – and it was. Start by taking your mirror out of the frame. Lay your mirror down on a protected surface.
Photo 46- 8 Gorgeous, New Summer 'Do How-Tos Strapless Apparently there aren't a lot of styles that don't work with this type of dress — as long as they aren't too over-the-top and don't interfere with the simple neckline of the dress — but Cole loves the look of classic, undulating waves. "A strapless dress showcases beautiful, sexy shoulders and the collarbone; waxy waves cascading over the shoulders are the ultimate accessory," he says. Just as you can't really go wrong with a hairstyle for a strapless dress, there aren't many accessories you can't wear, either. "Strapless dresses are suggestive without being trashy," says Rose. "Let your accessories do the same: Keep the neck and clavicle bare, with minimal jewelry. Rebecca Taylor Lil Bit Leather Strapless Dress, $495, available at Rebecca Taylor. Photo: Jim Smeal/BEImages