Kitchen Main Wall

For Christmas, my boyfriend bought me this pretty mosaic wall hanging/ candle holder.  It inspired me to finally hang up all my pieces in one spot (the kitchen) instead of in random spots around my apartment.  

The "all things are possible" little canvas is from Michael's.  It cost me a whole penny!!!!

I found this owl at a thrift shop, it seems handmade.

It smells so lovely, its a rain-scented candle from Pier 1.

Super Easy Scarf Holder

I have been collecting quite a stash of scarves, and previously I had them just in a rubbermaid container in my closet.  I usually grabbed the ones on top, and the bottom scarves were being neglected.

I took some costume jewelry, and hung it on my wall, between 2 thumbtacks.  I then looped part of each scarf over the necklace.  Another way to do it could be to hang hemp string or light rope, and maybe even use clothes pins to hang them up.

My scarves now like a colorful wall hanging!

Scarves left to right: Spencers, Honey, Van Horn, Laura Geraldi, Old Navy, Liz Claiborne, N/A, Shopko

I love how colorful they all are!

My winter scarves don't look as pretty, they are so bulky!

 I crocheted three of the scarves, and they are hanging behind my bedroom door.

Ornaments

I bought some more ornaments at Micheal's.  They were on clearance, which is weird because Christmas is still 10 days away!

I followed this tutorial to make the marbleized ornaments.  They were a little difficult, the nail polish kept chunking up too fast, or it was goopy on the ornament.  I didn't use name brand nail polish like the tutorial tough, I used Wet & Wild.

I then filled the ornaments with fake snow.

The ornament below was really simple to make.  (It's actually still not dry in the picture.)  I took the top off of the ornament, and poured glitter and water-downed modge podge inside it.  I shook it until it was completely covered.

Making Jewelry

College just got out for winter break, and now I finally have time to finish some of my projects.  I have had little tins sitting in a draw with charms and beads just waiting to be made into something.

Yesterday, I had a little fun while having a Pretty Little Liars marathon.

I found these charms in a clearance bin at Michael's.  I just kept them simple.

When I was younger, I had a necklace with Barbie shoes and charms on it.  It broke, but I still kept it in my stash.  I finally made some earrings, and added the others to a charm bracelet.

I found the peacock charms at Michael's.  I like how elegant they look with jewels and pearls.

Here is my charm bracelet I've had since junior high.  I don't wear it anymore, but I love looking at each charm and remembering where it was from. Some charms are from broken jewelry, buttons, or were gifts from old friends. 

Charm is from Michael's.

This is a wrap bracelet.  The beads are all on embroidery floss since it is thick and pretty strong.  The heart beads are from a bracelet that I wore when I was elementary school.

This one is my favorite.  It originally was meant to be a long necklace, but I made it hit on the neckline instead.  It's just so elegant with the white beads and gold charms.

Facebook Page

I've had an internship with a handmade jewelry company since May, and I've been watching how she runs her own business.  It is:  Button Me Up

I've been making flyers, advertisements, and even her homepage for her website.  Because of all the work I've been doing for her company, I've decided it's about time I start my own site.

I'm already on Etsy, but I thought a Facebook fan page would be nice as well.  That way fans would know when new designs have been added, or if I'm doing any specials.

It is: Here.  Check it out!

I also uploaded all the pictures of previous zipper flowers I've made.  I didn't even realize how many I had made until I did this!  I've made over 50!

Here is the Profile Picture I made for my fan page. 

Productive Day = Zipper Flowers

I have been so busy with finals, and I finally have had time to make some more zipper hair pieces.  I just added them to my etsy shop. Here are a few of them.

Zipper Flower Hair Piece- Coral Dream

(What's not to love about coral? :)  )

Zipper Flower Hair Piece- New Year's

(This one is SO big, I love it! It's the first one I've made than has more organic swirls for the petals.)

Zipper Hair Piece- Holly

(I never know what to make with green zippers, since green flowers would be odd. So I figured out how to make a Christmas holly plant.  I love the three vintage buttons for the berries.)

PS.  I also found a 5 foot long white zipper at a thrift shop.  Let's see what I can make with it.  I'm thinking a really EPIC white flower.  Maybe a wedding hair piece, with a pin-up veil attached to it?) 

Puppy Pin Cushion

I usually end up going to Victoria's Secret during their semi-annual sale, and one time they were giving away these stuffed puppies.  These puppies are not squishy, they are very firm. 

One day I was sewing, pulling pins out of my traditional tomato pin cushion, and my boyfriend walks over and starts pushing pins into the puppy's head.  Why didn't I think of that!?  It fits way more pins than my old one, and it gives this silly stuffed animal on my desk a purpose.

I also have some safety pins stuck into his head.  (I use them when I thread elastic through a casing)

Im betting this could be done with any really firm stuffed animal. The fabric on the puppy is pretty elastic.  When I pull a pin out, there isn't a very visible hole where the pin once was. I'm guessing its plain cotton, similar to quilting fabric.

DIY Ornaments

I was feeling in the Holiday spirit, so I made some ornaments for all the other sororities on my campus.  Other sororities go caroling during the holidays and give out handmade ornaments, so it seemed like a cute idea to do as well.

I just bought clear glass ornaments at Michael's (which are 40% off this week), fake "snow flurries," and some cute clearance bin ribbon.  

First, I filled the ornaments.  I just used my finger to push the fake snow inside.  It was a little messy, so I put a shallow box underneath as I stuffed.  I filled them about halfway with snow.  Luckily, I had blue paint sitting around, so painted the letters for the other chapters on each ornament.  I let the front sides dry, and then painted another coat of the paint.  On the backs I painted a heart and KKG.

These were so easy to make,  I want to make myself some with maybe beads inside.  It also could look neat if you put water-downed paint inside the ornament.  It could drip down the inside, or you could shake it up for a marbleized look.

Nightstand Makeover

I found this nightstand at a thrift store for less than $10.  I thought it was a steal since it was made with real wood and not particle-board.  It needed some work though.  It was scratched, nicked, and not so pretty in some areas.  

I sanded the nightstand, and filled the imperfections with wood putty. Next, I sanded it again, and rolled on two layers of primer.  I then painted the body grey, and the drawer a pretty periwinkle color.  After looking at it, I freehanded a design on the top with a scribe paintbrush.

The paint was leftover from a sculpture I made, and since the paint was outdoor latex-based paint, it hasn't chipped yet.  

The butterfly print is from my printmaking class, from another student when we had a print exchange.  

Recycled Desktop Organizer Tutorial

I had tins, pencil bags, and drawers with so many writing utensils in my apartment.  I went through them finally, and half of the pens were already dead!  Look how many I still have left!  With all of these, I wanted a better way to organize them, so I made my own desktop organizer.

1.  Gather your materials: used paperboard boxes (cereal, cracker boxes, ect.), Modge Podge or other water-based sealer, scissors, and paper or magazines to cover the the final structure.

2.  Cut the box apart into long rectangles.  (It helps if one of the sides still has a box flap on it.)

3.  Roll the cardboard pieces into cylinders.  If there is an original box flap still attached, it is easier to glue it together.  Glue the pieces together by overlapping.

4.  Trace the cylinders to get sturdy bases.

5.  Cut the base circles out, and glue them to their partner cylinders.  Glue the cylinders together, and then cut out magazine or paper pieces for covering.  To cover, first put Modge Podge on the cardboard, place the image on the glue (making sure to avoid bubbles), and then brush Modge Podge on top of the image to seal it.  Continue until entirely covered.

Here is the another organizer I made.  Now it's so much easier to find a pen.  :)

Vintage Dress Makeover

I bought this dress at Goowill for $2.99.  I liked the soft texture and the print.  I recently got a pinterest account, and found a cute tutorial by Sweet Verbena: link.  It seemed fast and simple, so I tried it out.  

Here is how my version turned out.  I made a dress version instead (mid thigh length) of a shirt, and cut a good foot or so off of the bow. (My fabric is stiffer than hers.)  I think I want to change the straps to a lighter color, like a light pink or a cream to make it seem more feminine.    

BTW: I promise the dress is even on the bottom hem, its just hanging funny.  lol

Zipper Flowers added to Etsy Shop

So I have neglected my Etsy shop for sometime.  Today I took pictures of my zipper flowers, and finally uploaded them to Etsy!  I have 12 pieces for sale, and more on the way! I also have them for sale at the Prichard Art Gallery.

Here a little peek at my shop: www.bold211.etsy.com

(This one won an award at the fair!)

Awards at the Fair

So I entered some of my zipper flowers in the fair this year, and I won some ribbons!  They were entered in two categories.  The first being Crafts - Inspired by Nature, which won Best in Class, Silver, and Blue Ribbons.  The second category was a recycled wearable art contest, and I got a Silver and Blue ribbon as well!  Yay!

I have been making more zipper flowers, and will list them on etsy once I get some awesome pictures of them.

Contact Paper Tree

So the wall in my bedroom was really boring.  I'm not allowed to paint my room because of the lease at my apartment, so I used contact paper.  I cut out the trunk first and worked my way out.  Every branch and leaf is a separate piece of contact paper.

The packaging says you can remove it and replace it over and over again, but when I would adjust my branches, they wouldn't stick as well the second time around.

I want to add some more patterns and colors to it.  Maybe even decorate it for holidays and seasons?  Like ornaments or snow flakes for winter, or birds and flowers for spring.

Window Makeover

So I went and picked up this awesome window-shaped mirror at a thrift shop for $6.  It was originally painted forest green and it had a hefty amount of chipped off paint.  I decided I wanted to give it a little makeover.  I tried to remove the mirror, but when I was sliding it out, it cracked right in my hand.

I had to make something with the empty frame, and  I bought a few cans of neon pink spray paint at Michael's.  (I have been printing 40% off coupons from this Link, for months now.) I was lazy and didn't paint the frame white first, so it took many layers of paint to cover that icky forest green base.

After it was neon pink, I took a scribe paintbrush (long and skinny bristles) and hand painted abstract swirls over the entire frame.  I also painted all the visible sides of the frame with the swirls.

I wish my camera could pick up just how bright it is, it glows when the sunlight hits it!

Now I just need to figure out what to put behind it.  A poster, collage, another mirror?

90's Tshirt Reconstruction Tutorial

So,  I have had this 90's itty-bitty top since high school, when I stole it out of my mom's old clothes.  I always wanted to make it into the top of a dress.  So I finally took an old grey tshirt, and come scrap blue jersey material and made a dress with it all!  I also found a bright red zipper in my stash, and used it in the back for a little pizzazz.

Here are the steps:

1.  Gather your materials.  You will need t shirts, jersey, scissors, a zipper, and a handy dandy sewing machine.

2.  So my grey t shirt had a pocket on it, so I removed it with a seam ripper.  Then cut the neckline and sleeves off of your t shirt.

3.  Next take the large body section of your t shirt and fold it in half.  Cut through both sides of fabric, creating a trapezoid shape.  Make sure the wider end is the original hem of the t shirt, so you don't have to rehem it later. 

4.  Cut one of the large body pieces in half, leaving you with two back pieces, and one front piece. Cut out a strip of fabric (mine is blue) for the waist that is about 2-3 inches tall, and as wide as the front part.  (I trimmed 2-3 inches off the top of the front piece, so when the blue is sewn to it, it will be the same length as the back pieces.) Next cut out two long pieces the same height as your front blue piece.  Make sure these strips are long enough to wrap around your body and tie into a nice bow in the back.

5.  Use a zig zag stitch with jersey material to let it stretch afterwards.  Now sew the front blue strip to the top of your front grey piece.  

6. Now we are going to make a sandwich.  Take your entire front piece ( blue and grey sewn together), right side up and put it as the bread. Make the filling with one end of a strip, and the other piece of bread is one of your back grey pieces right side down.   Pin and repeat with the other side. (Make sure the angled outside edges (of the grey) are lined up, so when it lays flat it is symmetrical and lines up correctly.)

7.  Sew the two sides together, so you have one nice big piece, with the blue tie ends free. I didn't hem my waist ties because jersey is awesome and doesn't fray.

8.  Now pin and sew the top part of your dress onto the body.  After that sew the entire back seam together if it is stretchy enough, or install a zipper into the top part.  I used a zipper because the 90's top had no stretch to it.

Feather hair piece

So, here is another feather hair piece I made, and the video to go along with it by Threadbanger!

Enjoy!  I used a french barrette for mine.

Another sweater reconstruction

So, I took another old sweater and cut it apart.  I wish I had a picture of it before, but I forgot to take a picture of it.  I'm going to make another one of these dresses.

I cut up the sleeves of the sweater and made it into a braided strap.  The neckline is slightly sweetheart.

Then I added some chains to the braid.

I'm making a mess

So I found this old case at a consignment shop, and I'm giving it a makeover.  I'm guessing it used to hold cassette tapes.  It opens on both sides.  I'm turning it into a paint box.

I'm going to collage and paint the inside.

Look at my mess! =)