Urban Renewal by Mari Santos We're usually kinda "meh" about most T-shirt surgeries because we're just can't get into the hack'em, slash'em sartorial school of thought. Toronto-based Mari Santos, on the other hand, is such a genius with a pair of scissors we want to hitchhike across the border, kidnap her, head back south, and then set her to work against her will on the oversize T-shirts we seem to get for free by the pound. Except that it would probably be illegal. Which is kind of a bummer. Her ethos: "Taking something old, frumpy and ill fitting and making it into something new." More pictures below the fold. [Via ::NotCot] Grocery tote bag made out of 40lb birdseed sack A. Fold down the edge of the bag (to the inside) so that the design on the bag is at the edge. Crease this fold. This particular bag has side creases folded in (like a paper grocery bag), so fold those in. Don't worry about the actual edge of the plastic yet, we'll tackle that later. B. and C. D. and E. F. G. and H. and I.
paper flowers | Talk Crafty To Me Why not brighten up your gloomy winter day, by making your own paper flowers. This super simple project takes only about 5 mins and is sure to brighten any room. Add them to twigs or branches for an instant bouquet or simply throw them in a bowl. Originally created by Martha Stewart, Wendy from DoziDesign has whipped up a quick tutorial. Pictures from Dozi & Jen Elisebeth. related posts
Whirl-it lampshade - free DIY tutorial We really needed a new lamp, and we´ve planned to make one for months. This week we finally got around to it. It takes a bit of different materials, but it´s really easy when you´ve started. We planned to make the lamp using the yarn Garnstudio Ice, but it ran out really quickly, and we had to improvise by using a thinner yarn to complete it. What we used One big, round balloon. How we did itGather all the materials.Put the yarn into the glue and mix properly. Fill the balloon to a desireable size. Hang it and start whirling. Whirl pretty tightly.
Steam Punk Chandelier From Old Bikes? Yes, Please Photos via Carolina Fontoura Alzaga Artists Carolina Fontoura Alzaga has a way with bike chains. She transforms old bike parts into some seriously cool one-of-a-kind chandeliers. They have a certain steam punk style that we love, while also upcycling up what might otherwise go to the landfill. Carolina states, "This body of work draws inspiration from Victorian chandeliers, DIY and bike culture, and the use of unartistic materials." At least, they might start out "unartistic" -- they certainly turn into something darkly beautiful after she's done with them. "This work addresses class codes, power dynamics, reclaimed agency, and ecological responsibility. Her beautiful pieces can be viewed on her website.
Felt Ogee Ornament Tutorial I woke up this morning with an image in my head of a felt snowflake. So I asked my kids to make a few traditional fold and cut paper snowflakes for me before they left for school. I wanted to use them as templates for my idea. Instead, my 10 yr old showed me a 3D paper snowflake they had made in his art class. I loved the beauty and simplicity of it, so I changed my course! After some quick google research, I’ve found that apparently this particular 3D Paper Snowflake is quite prevalent on the internet. …it worked! Step 1: Cut one 6″x 6″ square of felt. Step 2: Using a straight edge and an Xacto knife, cut along the first line from the corner to about 1/4″ from the diagonal line. Repeat until all cuts have been made, keeping the felt intact at each corner on the diagonal line. Step 3: Lift the corners of the center square and hand stitch the ends together with matching thread. Step 4: Turn the piece over and lift the corners of the second square.
Thick and warm crazy rug This is a super easy rug to make and it is a lot of fun! You will need about 5 yards of T-shirt material or something similar that coils up easily when stretched. You will also need a square (or any shape) of fabric for the base. The one I made is about 15" x 20" and it is super plush. Step 1: Base of rug Cut out a piece of fabric that measures 15" x 20" after you fold and hem in the sides. Step 2: Cut strips of fabric Next cut long strips one inch wide of the T-shirt fabric. Step 3: Sew rug Take the long pieces of material and stretch them out so that they coil, then cut them into about 4 inch lengths. Step 4: Great time saver! Here is a great time saver! Step 5: That's all there is to it Keep sewing until you fill the base.
Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur Here is another really yummy treat, Homemade Irish Cream Liqueur! I love it added to a cup of coffee! Irish Cream Liqueur from Bon Appetit 1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 1 cup Irish whiskey 1 tablespoon chocolate syrup 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon instant coffee crystals 1 cup whipping cream 1 tablespoon canned sweetened cream of coconut (such as Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut ) My can was solid at the top, so I placed about 2 inches of water in a skillet and heated until the cream of coconut was liquid) Combine first 5 ingredients in blender; blend until coffee crystals dissolve, about 1 minute. You can pour chilled mixture over ice cubes, pour over chocolate or coffee ice cream too. I used 8oz tall skinny bottles from Germany (sorry). You could dress the bottles up even more with a hand painted bottle stopper! Don’t forget to check out other handmade gift ideas. Enjoy!
t-shirt latch hook rug tutorial I really love flokati rugs. I have two that are safely tucked away in my parents basement awaiting our reunion. When I learned that I would be having a child and building a nursery for him, I wanted a flokati. A gray one. I’m going to show you how it’s done, but let me warn you- while this rug was super inexpensive to make with the resource of money- it was very costly in the resource of time. And now, this is how to make your very own latch hook rug. Supplies: Latch hook canvas latch hook tool old t-shirts scissors or rotary cutting tool/mat seam binding masking tape dye (optional) All of these things should be available at your local craft store, with the exception of the old t-shirts. On to the making! Once you’ve gathered all of your shirts, use a rotary cutting tool and mat (you can certainly use scissors but the results are less precise) to cut the shirts into 1 inch strips. Once you have all of the strips cut, it’s time to dye them if you’d like. Now you’re ready to hook! xo elle
Plastic bag Yarn - gooseflesh Since I posted my crochet Sea Creatures on Flickr in November, 2006, many people have asked me how I make the plastic bag yarn. So here is a How to lesson. There are many different techniques, but I found this one worked best for me. ** I have added an alternative technique tutorial at the end. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. This technique has been around for decades. Mmmmmm....... Method 2: