Christmas DIY Gift Guide

So you want to DIY all of your own Christmas gifts, right? You DIY all year, but maybe you're lacking in the idea department? And you want to make stuff that you're loved ones will actually, well, love? Look no further. Here is your Holiday Guide to DIY. These suggestions would make great presents, OR, if the person you are gifting to is DIY oriented, why not put together a little project kit? I know I love being given project supplies!

Canvas Slip-ons (Target $16.99), Glitter (Hobby Lobby $2.99)

First up: some really rad glitter slip-ons, inspired by Anthropologie, without the Anthro price tag. Glitter is trending (as it should be) so why not use the holidays as an excuse to break out the glitter and bedazzle some shoes? Perfect gift for the fashion forward person in your life and inexpensive enough to make a pair for yourself too! If you need some guidance, check out this tutorial on A Beautiful Mess.

Fabric (Joann Fabric $7.99/yd), Emroidery Floss (Joann Fabric $.74)

Second: who doesn't want a handmade quilt in their life? A bold floral fabric makes this quilt pop, perfect for chasing away the winter blues. Use a bright thread or embroidery floss to stitch haphazard lines. Quilts can seem daunting, but by using one fabric for the front and one for the back, it minimizes the sewing involved and creates a rustic, charming quilt.

Mug (Crate&Barrel $7.95), Nail Polish (Essie $8.50)

Third: how about a gift for the coffee, tea, and hot cococa drinkers in your life? These simple watercolor mugs can be made with dollar store mugs and whatever nail polish you have lying around. The artistic splash of color is sure to please. How fun would it be to give sets in personalized colors? Checkout the tutorial on Poppytalk.

Marbled Clay Jewelry Dishes

 When I saw these clay ring dishes over at A Beautiful Mess, I knew they would make the perfect little Christmas gift for my aunts and cousins. Plus, any excuse to have craft time is A-OK with me! These little jewelry dishes are wildly simple and addicting to make. The size and shape are limited only by what oven-safe wares you have at your disposal.

To make these dishes I followed ABM's instructions, but instead of using a bowl I used tiny scalloped baking dishes to get ruffled edges. After I rolled out my clay, I pressed it into the molds and trimmed any excess. They baked for 15 minutes. After they cooled, I removed them from the molds. I'm happy to report, that even with the ridges, the clay dishes were fairly easy to remove. The next time I make these I think it might be cool to use cookie cutters to get some unusual shapes. This is such a simple DIY! Perfect gift for the holidays :)

Before & After// Lace Trim Sweater DIY

 The other day my friend Leanne was wearing a really cute crochet trimmed sweater from Urban Outfitters. I loved the look and figured I could make something similar. I used a sweater I had thrifted a while ago that I didn't mind updating. The sweater I used was already long enough to wear with leggings, but the lace adds a nice touch and brings the sweater to an overall more comfortable length. I thrifted a lace tablecloth a while back and still had some leftover so I used that for my trim.

I cut two identical rectangles from the lace, doubling over the fabric. So I ended up cutting two 24cm pieces in length and folding them in half to create two 12cm rectangles. The width will obviously vary based on the sweater that is used. I hemmed all of the raw edges to prevent fraying. Then, I turned my sweater inside out and sewed a lace panel to the front and back sides. Easy. This is a really simple and quick DIY and I like the versatility of the lace. This technique would look good on any sweater with a loose fitting hemline.

Fabric Medium & Acrylic Paint

 I've been looking into block printing a lot lately after being wildly inspired by Block Shop Textiles. Seriously, check them out. I started researching different printing techniques and materials and discovered a new product! Well, new to me anyway. Textile medium, how could I not know of your existence?! With fabric painting being one of my all time favorite things to do, textile medium is a total game changer. For those of you who were also in the dark on fabric medium, it allows you to turn regular acrylic paint into fabric paint. Which means pretty much limitless color options for way less money, kids. I'm all about it.

 While traditional block printing uses some kind of natural ink or dye and intricately carved wooden blocks, for the less experienced and budget minded folks (like me), the same effect can be achieved with simple homemade stamps and some fabric paint.

 Making The Stamp: I knew I wanted to do a simple triangle pattern. I used a thin sheet of craft foam and cut out 2 identical triangles. I taped the triangles together, just for some added thickness, and then taped the triangle to a wooden block for stability. Obviously, this technique can be adapted for any kind of shape your crafty heart desires.

 The Printing Process: I put a book in between the layers of my shirt to create a hard, smooth service and to prevent the paint from bleeding through to the other side. I decided to do a color gradient of yellow to green. In a cup, I combined 2 parts dark green acrylic paint to 1 part fabric medium and mixed with a paintbrush. I applied a thin, even coat of paint to my stamp and pushed down on both sides of the block to get an even color distribution. I reapplied a coat of paint prior to each stamping. As you can see from the above picture, it's not a perfect process, but I actually like how the stamps are slightly imperfect. It adds character.

 Because I was working on a color gradient, I was able to just continuously mix my color in the same cup by adding paint and fabric medium as I went.

 After the paint dries completely, it must be heat set. I layered a scrap piece of fabric over my design and used a dry iron (no steam!) to go over the painted area for 20 seconds. The textile medium I used suggests waiting to wash the painted material for 7 days after printing, but follow the directions of whatever you use.

 I love how this turned out! I started with something simple because I've never used textile medium before, but it's very easy to use. I have visions of hand printing a scarf or quilt next. Have you ever tried block printing? What materials did you use?

Before & After // London Fog Trench Coat

 A few weeks ago, I thrifted this perfect dove gray London Fog trench coat. I used to steal my parents trench coats when I was younger to play dress up. I liked to pretend that I was a detective, okay? Jeez. Now I have my own. I couldn't resist the color of this coat and, for $6, it was a bargain. This is a perfect DIY for Fall fashion.

 This was a very simple alteration. I wanted to shorten the jacket from full length to knee length because it complements my dresses better. I used a ruler and some chalk to draw a line straight across the outside of the jacket to make sure I made an even cut. I ended up only removing about 7 inches of fabric, deciding to make a wide double hemmed band across the bottom (which took the hem line up another 3 inches or so). I folded the cut edge twice and pinned it in place before using a simple straight stitch to create the new band at the bottom.

 I love altering thrifted pieces to better suit my style. It's fun to work from scratch sometimes, but these projects are rewarding because they tend to be pretty quick and simple.

Dying with Inkodye

 If you've been around the blog awhile, you've probably noticed some recurring themes in my DIYs. Namely, fabric paint, stencils, and dyes. Paint is my favorite medium with dye coming in a close second. This project uses a sun-activated ink, called Inkodye (check it out here), and a stencil. Shoutout to a Mr. Zachary Mink for supplying the dye! This was my first time using Inkodye and I did not have enough ink to do a practice run. I am pleased to report that the ink is easy to use. Even for newbies.

My best friend from high school has a birthday coming up and she is obsessed with Pocahontas so I decided to make a Pocahontas silhouette stencil. I found a picture I liked online, traced it onto a white piece of computer paper, cut it out, traced it onto a black piece of construction paper using a white crayon, and then cut it out again. Inkodye activates in sunlight, so I wanted to block out all of the ink from the sun except for the Pocahontas silhouette. I figured black paper would do the trick. I still had a few light leaks, but it worked pretty well.

The Inkodye comes in these little packets that you just bend in half to break open. I know the red dye is pictured, but I used blue for this project. I placed a piece of cardboard between the layers of my shirt to prevent the ink from bleeding through. After watching a video of the process on Lumi's website, I decided to squeeze the ink out of the packet into a disposable container and use a foam brush to apply the ink to my shirt. I felt like I had more control over the ink application this way. I was sure to apply the ink to my shirt in a dim corner in my room. Then I smoothed my stencil down over the inked area, making sure that the details of the silhouette would lie flat and stay in place.

 Now it's time for the sun to get to work! I brought my shirt outside and let it sit in direct sunlight for about 10 minutes. It's so cool to watch the ink activate! It works quickly and the longer it sits the darker it gets. Because of how quickly the ink activates, it's important to have the stencil in place before you bring it outside. I didn't fully cover the area that I inked so I have some random blue blobs, but I actually like how they look so I got lucky.

After I brought the shirt inside, I brought it down to the basement before removing the stencil to prevent further activation. Lumi recommends washing the shirt with their Inkowash, but I used a bit of regular laundry detergent, washed the shirt on cold, and dried it normally and it seems to have worked just fine. Washing and drying the shirt makes the ink permanent and safe to wash with other garments.

I love how this turned out! I like that I have more control over what areas get dyed with Inkodye vs. using a traditional dye. It allows for greater project possibilities! I would love to try using a photo negative for my next dying experience. What design would you dye?

Vintage Velvet Dress ReStyle

I thrifted this dress last week and knew that with some minor tweaks it would be a great addition to my Fall wardrobe. I liked the initial length of the dress, but I'm more comfortable styling shorter dresses for myself so I took about a foot of fabric off the bottom and created a new hem line. Nothing complicated here. I just folded the cut edge up about a 1/2 inch and used a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying.  You can see in the 'after' picture that I didn't do the best job at making the sides even so I need to go back and fix that. Besides the dress length, I removed every other gold button with a seam ripper. Fortunately for me, the buttons were purely decorative (no button holes) so it was an easy fix. There are loop holes in the back of the dress for cinching which create a nice option for adding a ribbon and giving the dress a more fitted look. This was an easy restyle and I'm excited to have a long sleeve dress to play with for Fall!

Make Your Own:: Recipe Box

I don't know about you, but food plays a huge roll in my family. Did you catch the pun there? ;) Any kind of celebration revolves around food. Birthdays, graduations, promotions, good grades, end of school, beginning of whatever, vacations....and honestly, just day-to-day we tend to be pretty food oriented. It helps that my momma is an absolute wizard in the kitchen. She's got the magic.

 For years, I've been meaning to start collecting recipes from her of my favorite foods so that when I am on my own I won't be completely destitute. I was wandering around Hobby Lobby last week and came across this recipe box and cards (50% off, by the way) and it gave me the push to finally get started!

It's been fun writing down my favorite recipes, a mix of my momma's and my own. It's a simple project that I know will grow for years to come. What are some of your favorite family recipes? :)

Men's Dress Shirt Refashion

 The other day I was fighting a strong urge to go thrifting. I really don't need anything and I know there are things in my closet that I don't wear as it is so adding to it isn't the most responsible thing in the world. So I did the next best thing. I took a piece of clothing I don't wear super frequently and gave it a little DIY love.

I'm that girl who likes to wear over sized menswear pieces. Tie a knot in the bottom, throw on some leggings and boots and I'm good to go. I thrifted this extra large men's dress shirt last year because I liked the colors, but I've only worn it a few times. That makes it the perfect candidate for a restyle project!

This is a simple refashion that has great results. From over sized dress shirt to a more fitted button-down tank, this shirt is now a wardrobe staple.
1. Start with a men's dress shirt.
2. Remove the sleeves and hem the armholes to prevent unraveling.
3. Try on the shirt to determine how much the sides need to be taken in. (I ended up having to take in the seam twice, a total of about 4 inches on each side, but this will differ depending on what shirt you choose and how it fits on you).
4. Sew a new seam on each side, following the shape of the original seam for best results. Trim the excess fabric and then the shirt is ready to wear!

Dress to Romper DIY

 I could not resist this dress at the thrift store. I knew that I'd never wear it as a dress and I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it, but I couldn't resist the print, the sleeves, or the pockets! Pockets, guys. I was sunk. My mother tried to talk me out of buying it, but I just had a feeling and I'm so glad I did because it is now a rather lovely little romper! I've never turned a skirt into shorts before so it was a bit of a sewing adventure, almost a disaster, with a triumphant finish. I'm a bit too impulsive when I sew, but I won this round!

I started by cutting about 6 inches off the bottom of the dress. Using an existing pair of shorts as a guide, I cut a small triangle out of the center bottom hem to create the leg shape of the shorts. From videos I watched and the tutorials I read I could have just sewn the front and back sides of the triangle together on each side to create shorts, but I knew the leg opening would be uncomfortably tight. So I cut two identical rectangles out of the excess fabric I cut off the bottom of the dress and sewed them, front to back on each side of the triangle and then joined the edges of the two rectangles to create the crotch line of the shorts. This may not make a whole lot of sense until you try to do it, but I promise it's a fairly simple process.

To avoid having to hem anything (hemming is the worst!) and to add a bit of extra length to the romper, I cut two 4inch denim strips out of an old pair of jeans. I folded and pinned the denim around the cuff of each leg opening and stitched the denim in place.

I debated removing the sleeves, but I like the versatility of being able to wear them down or rolled up. This mildly hideous dress is now a cute romper that I can wear buttoned up or layered over a shirt. Success!

Bleach Painting

 I might have an addiction to painting clothing. Maybe. But I'm okay with it. Bleach painting is a really simple process. This is hardly a tutorial, but more of an idea for you to try. You only truly need 3 items: a darker piece of plain clothing, bleach, and a synthetic paintbrush (so the bleach won't eat away the hair of the brush). When I picked a design, I decided using a stencil would be the easiest way to make a crisp design. I made a stencil using this process. If you want to freehand your design, try drawing it out in chalk on your material first for a guideline. I think unicorns are pretty rad. Mostly because of Agnes from Despicable Me. I mean, come onnnn. Too much cute. But you can do anything from quotes, song lyrics, tribal prints, animal silhouettes etc. The sky's the limit! Go wild.

I suggest painting in a well-ventilated area because you're using bleach. If you have sensitive skin wear gloves and if you tend to be messy, don't wear any clothing that you would mind getting bleach on. I poured a small amount of bleach right into the cap of my bleach bottle and centered my stencil. Then I just filled in my design with bleach. I reloaded my brush every inch or two until the design was fully saturated. The color will start to change almost immediately so you'll see if any areas need more bleach. When you're done, bring your fabric outside. The sun will speed up the activation process. Let the bleach dry completely, rinse to get rid of any excess bleach, then wash normally.

A Year In Review: DIY

These are some of my best DIY projects I shared this year! I realized that clothing DIYs tend to be my favorite...particularly when paint is involved. You can see instructions scrolling through here!

Reusable Stencil Painted Tank DIY

 Paint projects are my absolute favorite. I don't know why particularly. Just something about paint makes me glad to be alive! And adding paint to something I can wear takes the cake. I made some simple reusable stencils to add images to a couple of inexpensive blank tank tops from Forever 21.

Start out by sketching a design on a piece of scrap paper. I actually used Google Images and traced them right off my computer screen. To create a sturdier, reusable stencil, I then traced my design onto a plastic report cover. Initially I planned to use a basic transparency, but it turns out a box of transparencies is ridiculously expensive. So use the plastic report covers. I bought a package of 6 for $3 at Office Max. Since the covers are double sided, that's the equivalent of having 12 transparencies to play with. After I transferred the image I wanted, I used an exacto knife to cut out the design. Now it's time to paint! Make sure to put a piece of cardboard in between the shirt layers to prevent bleeding. I used spray paint, but obviously fabric paint would work too. To have more control over the paint application, I sprayed a small amount of paint at a time into a disposable plastic container and applied it to the cut out areas within my stencil using an old sponge. Easy peasy. Let it dry completely, then wash normally. This is a really fun process with so many possibilities. I'll definitely be making more! If you decide to make one share your pics :)