Arm party

There has been so much chitter chatter on pinterest lately about the stacking bracelet trend (or as some people call it - "an arm party") and I think I am jumping on the bandwagon. The bigger, bolder, chunkier, gold-er :: the better. And, in effort to be financial friendly a lot of people have starting making their own to layer. I created a DIY board to house all of my funky finds in hopes it will inspire me to tackle one.


here is my favourite one

Rope & Hex Nut bracelet via truly smitten, or another take on this bracelet could be used with leather or suede (below).

DIY skirts and dresses

I saw this skirt online, found it so cool that I wanted to create one like that.

then saw this skirt, I could maybe sew it with the material as the skirt above you can se the tutorial here http://elleapparel.blogspot.com/2011/03/guilded-skirt.html

or maybe a dress like this

DIY chalkboard paint recipe!

Here’s what you will need:

Dry Non-Sanded Grout (purchased this huge tin at our local City Mill hardware store for $1.50…this will probably last me forever)

Acrylic craft paints – White, Black, and Bright Magenta (Apple Barrel line by Plaid, found at Wal-mart)

NOTE: Our craft stores here on the island are somewhat lacking, so I wasn’t able to find anything perfectly matching Honeysuckle. I will give you my "formula" with those combined colors.

Measuring spoons and cups

Mixing cup or bowl

Paint brush or stick to stir

 

Step 1) Measure 1 1/2 teaspoons of the non-sanded grout and put in your mixing cup (this is very dusty, so please do this in a well-ventilated area).

Step 2) Pour in 1/4 cup of the  Pepto Bismol Bright Magenta craft paint.

Step 3) Add 1 1/2 teaspoons of white acrylic craft paint.

At that point, I really liked the color, but I was going for perfection, and I had the Pantone website up and was trying my very best to match what I saw on the screen. I could tell I needed to mute it slightly with some black.

Step 4)  Add 1/8 teaspoon black acrylic craft paint.

Step 5) Stir for a couple minutes with a cheap paintbrush or stick.

 

(I’m not really left-handed, but I stink at taking pics with my left hand! ha)

 

This next pic is to show you that the consistency WILL BE SLIGHTLY LUMPY still. The grout is very fine, so when you brush it on, it spreads right out and isn’t noticeable at all.





Step 6) Apply it with a sponge brush.

 

(Hey, look! I took a pic with my left hand!)

 

You will need between 1 and 3 coats depending on your medium. For my wooden calendar, I used 3 coats on top of a piece of 1/8" MDF (I primed with Zinsser water-based primer).

 

As with any chalkboard paint, you will need to prep the surface once it is completely dry by rubbing a piece of chalk across the entire board (easiest if you turn the chalk on its side). Then erase completely, and it’s ready to go!

 

I also used it on some cardboard cereal boxes and made chalkboard Chinese take-out boxes. I’ve been planning to do this for my daughter to take to school as gifts and was excited to have some Honeysuckle to use! This time I only did one layer, and I did not prime it. I just cut the box and painted directly on the inside with the chalkboard paint. Then I used the Chinese take-out box pattern I designed (available as a free download on my blog) and cut it out.

So with that one bowl of Honeysuckle, I covered a 28"x18" board  with three coats, and a three 12"x15" cardboard boxes! Total cost for this chalkboard paint project is about $.35.  I can handle that.   I hope you had fun learning with me, and I’d love to see what kinds of things you chalk up in Honeysuckle (or any other color with this tutorial for that matter)!

T-shirt into a scarf/necklace (no sew)

I saw this and I wanted to make one myself, mine wasn't as pretty as this one so I just posted this one :)

I've seen these before and always thougt they were adorable. I did not know, however, how incredibly easy they are to make. The cotton-shirt scarf is what you'll find me working on this weekend (via FANTASTIC blog A Pretty Penny.) I love it because I'm kind of obsessed with scarves. I have at least 40 in my closet- probably because it's hard not to buy them at flea markets when they're only $2 a pop... but sometimes it's hard to find just the right color- so, this is an easy fix. A trip to a thrift store- a few cuts and knots here and there- and voila- a super chic new scarf for your ever expanding collection. Next thing you know- you'll have to get one of these organizers from Ikea like me!

Find a cotton shirt your ready to cut into many pieces.

Lay the shirt on a flat surface and smooth it out with your hands. 

Start by cutting off and discarding the hem.

Beginning at the bottom of the shirt and working your way up, cut 1-inch strips to make loops. Vary the width of your strips based on your desired necklace thickness. I wanted a lot of tubes, so I kept my strips small. You can also cut a variety of sizes for one necklace if you want a less-uniform texture.

Stretch out the loops you just made so the cotton curls in on itself and forms long tubes.
Double up each tube, matching up the seams at one end.

If you break a loop at the seam while you're stretching it out, just tie it back together with a simple knot and trim the excess. {This really is a fool-proof project}

Group all of your tubes by size, keeping the seams together at one end.

I used a women's tee, so the tapered fit resulted in a great variation of tube sizes. If you're using a men's tee, you can cut the tubes into various sizes and tie them back together as shown above.

Gather them all together, with the longest tubes on the bottom and the shortest on the top, but save one!

Cut the tube you saved in half to make it a long string. Tie the string in a knot near one end of the section of seams. Tightly wrap the string around all of the seams to cover them. Be careful not to get the tubes twisted or tangled as you're wrapping.

When everything is smooth and covered, tie off the other end of the string in a knot (using one of the necklace loops if you need to)

Mine looked like this -