Pillow Mattress Tutorial Several friends have sent me some amazing project ideas - they're all in a file and at some point I'll get to them (I swear!). Two days ago, however, my friend Tatiana posted this on my Facebook wall: She found it on pinterest and thought I would like it. Welllll....she was right. If you'd like to pay $145 for it, you can get it here. First, I went to IKEA - here's my entire haul...one twin size duvet cover and five pillows. The duvet cover was $9.99 and the pillows were $0.99 each (yes, you read that correctly). Step 1: Measure. Here's how I measured: Yep..." Step 2: Cut the duvet cover to the desired width. I ended up cutting the duvet cover exactly in half. Step 3: Cut the top half of the duvet cover lengthwise so that the bottom edge sticks out a few inches further - like so: The longer edge will fold under to make a pocket (so that you can't see the pillows when they're in the cover). Step 4: Hem all raw edges. This was the longest step and it probably took 15 minutes. Step 5: Step 6: Step 7:
the Circle Skirt I used to think that a gathered skirt was the easiest skirt to sew. But I may have changed my tune. A circle skirt is possibly even easier!….especially if you leave the elastic exposed. If you’ve ever made a poodle skirt before, it’s the same concept. Once you’ve created your pattern, you can whip up 4 skirts in an hour! Okay, let’s get started. What you need (for a little girl’s skirt): * about 1 yard of fabric* appx 3/4 yard of 2-inch wide elastic FABRICS to use:* Rayon* Polyester Charmuese* Simple Cotton* Thin Corduroy* Lightweight WoolMany fabrics will work for this project. ELASTIC:Wide elastic from fabric stores typically comes 2 inches or 3 inches wide; white or black in color. If you’d like to add a colorful twist to your skirt, check out our easy Tutorial for Dyeing Elastic HERE. Measure around your waist. PATTERN:This requires a bit of geometry but don’t worry, we’ll break it down for you. You need to figure out the radius so you can easily draw a circle. draw another 1/4 circle:
XL Mens Tee Sewn Into Dolman. Directions + Video Supplies: XL mens tee DIY intructions: Cut neckline scoop neckline, cut arms (as shown). Don't cut the shoulder seam, you will need the long width for the dolman shape. Gather the bottom hemline in a few inches to be snug on your waist (this is what changes the shape of the shirt). Crazy Little Projects This sling tote bag was fun to make because I was making it for a gift and it isn’t really my own style, so it was something different than what I normally sew. And the person I made it for loved it which is always great. It’s a sling tote bag: I didn’t have a pattern, just pictures of similar bags and I figured I could pull it off, but I was a little nervous. It worked out great though and was really pretty easy. Here’s What You Need: 1 yard main fabric 1 yard accent/inner fabric 1/4 yard lining (optional) Here’s How to Make It: Start out by laying out your fabric and cutting basically a half circle with these dimensions: 23″ across the top, 14.5″ from the top to the bottom of the circle. Now, to make the pleats in the bag you will start at the center of the bag and make one pleat that is about 2 inches. Then, working out from there do two more pleats on each side each about another 2 inches apart or so. Here’s what it should look like from the bottom: Then sew around the top opening.
25 Handmade Gifts Under $5 If your gift list is long and your budget is small here are some great Handmade Gifts that you can make. Keep in mind that handmade items are not just beautiful but special… I love to give them and I love to receive them. Jersey Knit Bracelet Lovely! This would make a perfect gift for any of your girlfriends. You can choose the colors and recycle t-shirts that you have around the house. Cheap and cute! tutorial Paper Clip Earrings Tutorial This is a brilliant idea… and the possibilities are endless. Love it! Printed Candles Who doesn’t love a candle? Think about how many different stamps you could use to customize this project. tutorial Hot Chocolate Art! What a great gift for neighbors and teachers… I am personally a hot chocolate lover so this would make a great gift for me tutorial Tile Coaster You can buy these plain tiles at Home Depot for under a dollar. I’ve seen them with family pictures also… Way cute! tutorial Bow Belt I was amazed how easy this tutorial was. So Pretty! tutorial Paper Plate Clock Cheap?
How to Make a Simple Bow These little bows are so simple and fun-- I make them all the time. They are so versatile-- you can wear them as shoe clips, hair clips, broaches, whatever you want! I've also attached them to headbands. (Photo from last year when I was obsessively watching Mad Men and attempting the bee hive hairdo. Looks a bit like Marge Simpson if you ask me. ;) ) How to Make Simple Bows: Step 1: First you need to cut a rectangle of fabric with a little sliver of fabric to set off to the side. Step 2: Next you need to fold the fabric onto itself, lengthwise. Step 3: Now fold the fabric in the other way to to middle. Step 4: Stitch those bad boys together. Step 5: With a curling iron, straightener, or iron, press the sides of the little sliver of fabric together. Step 6: All done!
Finely Ground: One-A-Day Challenge: Spring Cleaning How are you doing on your spring cleaning? I've been knocking things off my to-do list, and it's such a handy one that I thought I'd share it. Just check off one item every day, and in three weeks you'll have thoroughly spring-cleaned your entire house--easy-peasy and I've included cheapskate tips where applicable! I recommend doing them in order; I've organized it as a top-to-bottom list so you won't end up dusting off your ceiling fan right after you vacuum. . .No, I haven't done that, why do you ask? Spring Cleaning Challenge Dust light fixtures and ceiling fans--microfiber dampened with vinegar is good. Tell me, is there anything I missed?
Altering Jeans: Shorter (with Identical Hem) Can anyone on this planet find the perfect pair of jeans? There are so many things to look for in a perfect pair of jeans. First, there’s the waist. And then the fit in the legs. And then the fabric stretch. And ah man, now you have to choose from boot cut, skinny jeans, trouser cut, straight leg, blah, blah, blah. I’m tall. I usually have to lengthen our pants. But then my brother came over one day…….and showed me some pants he found. Okay, so I stewed and stewed over how to shorten them…….trying to figure out how to make them look like the original hem. So I looked online. Check out those newly shortened jeans: You can’t even tell that they have been shortened. And I think it’s my hemmed jeans that make my brother look smokin’…….totally not him. (And yeah, he’s single. Thanks Greg. I was at a loss as to how I was going to shorten your crazy long jeans. And it looks like we need to hem your daughter’s pants too. Anyone else need to hem some pants? Ready to hem some jeans? Let’s get started.
** Wedding DIY Project ** Neat and Pretty Corsages I told you that I was getting all crafty in the name of producing pretty DIY projects for the blog didn’t I? Well here is some more for you to feast your eyes on and I am really really in love with this project. I keep saying it, but although I was quite good at textiles at school, I was not at all arty so crafting doesn’t necessarily come naturally to me – but I do love it. So please know that most of the DIY projects that I post here really are straightforward to do, if they weren’t it is highly unlikely I would be able to complete the test run necessary to post a how-to! And today’s in particular is simple but very very effective – a beautiful corsage. So, for this tutorial you will need: 36 cm section of grosgrain ribbon (has a ribbed effect) 3cm by 3cm piece of cotton fabric (I chose purple to go with the ribbon colour)Matching threadsPlastic buttons with shank A small piece of feltScissors and needle Sew the cut ends together with a seam 2cm from the edge, to form a loop. Style Steal
How To Make An Easy Dress (For Cheap!) Two facts about me: I'm cheap. I love dresses. I wear dresses probably 6 days out of the week. It's not that I one day just decided to wear dresses to feel cute and girly. Back in November when I really started Talk2thetrees I kinda just wore pajama pants and sweat pants. Dresses are so comfortable, I can sit around the house and feel comfortable and cute. The only problem.. they are expensive! Here is a tutorial on a High Waisted Dress: For under 6 bucks! First you will need a ribbed tank top. I got mine from Walmart for 2.50 You could also use a t-shirt 3 yards of matching fabric. Clearance section is my favorite. Cut the tank top almost in half. (I cut mine a little too short.. oops!) For the bottom part of your dress take the fabric and wrap it around your waist about 1 and a half times, and cut in a straight line. I never measure, I never use patterns... Next you fold your fabric in half. You have kind of a big blocky rectangle skirt. (You are sewing the raw edges, not the bubble hem)
Eco-Friendly Blossoms By Michelle Brand Look closely! Yes way! Michelle Brand, an eco-designer from Manchester in the UK, repurposes the bottoms of discarded plastic soda bottles to create these breathtakingly beautiful decorative light fixtures, lamp shades, curtains, room dividers, and more. Ingenious and quite stunning, don’t you agree? From plastic bottle to blossoms, garlands and fairy lights, it’s up-cycling at its best! From the pics, it looks like she uses a clothing tag attacher gun for connecting the pieces– much easier than punching individual holes and threading the bottoms with fishing line!! { image credits }
Bow Belt We're always looking for fun ways to add embellishments and touches of color to our outfits especially in the winter when we tend to get bored with everything and anything. With bows being fiercely back in style, what better way than with a bright bow belt! You can pick any color for this but we'd recommend something solid and cotton. You'll need a simple snap as well to hand stitch on. The measurements for the three pieces you'll need to make are in the directions below. Measure your waist (over a thin shirt) and add 2 inches to that length. Making the belt: Fold in half the long way and sew along the long side. Fold over one open end and hand stitch one side of the snap into the inside. Flip right side out now. Once it's right side out, measure it around your waist. Now sew the second snap on through both pieces. Making the bow: For the bow cut a piece of fabric 6'' x 10''. Turn it inside out and move the seam to the middle. Sew the ends together as shown. Straighten and fluff your bow!
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!
{ sneak peek } coral + aqua passport invites « i just LOVE the way these passport invitations turned out! the beachy colors are just perfect for a simple chic destination wedding on grand cayman island. more to come including the aqua blue envelopes with natural custom wrap labels! Like this: Like Loading... Permalink