No-Sew T-Shirt Bow Sleeves

I'm very excited to share this t-shirt project with you guys today! I came up with the idea a whole month ago while I was still on the ship and I didn't have time to execute it until now.

Now is a funny time, however, because it's snowing like crazy here (in May!).

I started this project yesterday, and while I was working on it, I came up with a fun idea to take pictures of it outside in the sunshine.  I wanted to let the glue dry overnight before I took those pictures, though, and man was I surprised when I woke up to a winter (spring?) wonderland this morning!  I took some pictures outside anyway, just for fun.

All you need to make these bow sleeves are a t-shirt, a pair of scissors, some machine washable glue (I used E6000), measuring tape, and about 10 minutes of your time.

Here are the directions:

1.  Cut a 2.5 inch slit from the top of the shoulder down toward the armpit on both the front and the back of the sleeve, making sure that you are cutting on the outside of the seam.  (This means your total slit length will be 5 inches.)  Once you've done that, there's a possibility that the shoulder seam might hang outside the shirt, like it is in the picture.  To avoid this, I cut the unsightly seam off of the shirt in the area where it was visible.  If yours doesn't hang out, there's no need to cut it off.  Repeat this process on the other sleeve as well.

2.  Carefully cut off the very bottom of the shirt, below the seam stitching.  Save this strip of fabric for step 3.  You'll be using it to make the center of the bow.

3. The strip of fabric from step 2 will be folded in half.  Unfold it and cut out two 2.5 inch strips.

4.  Use your fingers to pinch the center of one of the sleeves.

5.  Wrap one of the strips from step 3 around the sleeve where you pinched it.  Put a dab of glue on the end of the strip, where the star is in the picture.

6.  Fold the other end of the strip over the glue so that the strip becomes a circular band around the sleeve.  Pinch it tightly between your fingers to make sure that the glue is secure.  Repeat steps 3 through 6 on the other sleeve.  Let the glue dry before trying on your new creation!

I love my new shirt and I hope you like yours as well.  I can't wait for the weather to warm up again so I can wear it without the vest...

Happy cutting!
xoxo
Laura

Easy Embroidery Tutorial

Back in November I wrote a blog post about about chain stitch embroidery.  Since then I've moved on to (what I consider to be) the simplest embroidery technique ever.  It looks like this:

I used this type of embroidery on my little pink notebook and on the card I made for my friend the other day as well.

To do it, start by poking a series of holes in the paper with an embroidery needle in the shape of whatever you want to embroider.  Then thread the needle and tie a little knot at the end of the thread.

Now it's time to begin embroidering...

Step 1: Bring the needle through the 2nd hole, coming from the bottom up.
Step 2: Plunge the needle down through the 1st hole.
Step 3:  Pull the needle back up through the 3rd hole.
Step 4:  Bring the needle back down through the 2nd hole.

Repeat the process of bringing the needle up through the next empty hole and bringing it back down through the hole before it.

Once you've embroidered through all of the holes, tie a knot on the underside of the work and cut off the excess thread.  This is what the bottom should look like:

The front side of the embroidery should now look like the very first picture in this post; a neat and tidy embroidered line.  Easy, right?

Now that I've covered the basic concept, the less easy and more fun part of this process is thinking up new designs to embroider.  I've already embroidered one more piece that I'm looking forward to sharing on Friday!

xoxo
Laura

How to Braid Your Hair

When I bother to put my hair up in something other than a 2-second ponytail, there are usually braids involved.  Sometimes there are multiple braids, or french braids, or a braided bun, but there are almost always braids.

The other day someone asked me how to do a basic braid, so I decided to do a basic hair braiding tutorial this week and a french braiding tutorial next time.  I hope you like them!

The main concept to braiding is that you have 3 separate sections of hair and you alternate moving the right section into the middle and then the left section into the middle over and over again until you have a braid.

Here's a step-by-step guide:

1.  Brush your hair and separate it into 3 equally-sized sections.

2.  Move over the section that you are holding in your right hand so that it is now in the middle. Switch it to your left hand, so you are now holding two sections of hair in your left hand and only one section in your right hand.  Notice that I'm holding one section with my thumb and the other section with my pointer finger so that I keep the two sections separate from each other even though they're in the same hand.

3.  Now use your left hand to move the section that is the farthest to the left into the middle, and switch it to your right hand.

You've now learned everything you need to know to braid your hair!  Steps 4 through 6 are really just repeats of steps 2 and 3 so that you can see how it looks as your braid progresses.

4.  Move the right section into the middle and switch it to your left hand.

5.  Move the left section into the middle and switch it to your right hand.

6.  Move the right section into the middle and switch it to your left hand.  Continue bringing the right and then the left sections into the middle until you've braided your hair all the way to the bottom.  Secure it with a hair tie.

Now you know how to braid your hair!  Practice it a few times and it will get easier and easier.  If you have long hair, you now have all the skills necessary to make crown braids as well.

Happy braiding!
xoxo
Laura

Crown Braids

I sometimes like to wear my hair in a crown of braids like I did in this post back in September.  I think it's a fun look, and I don't think I'm the only one.  I find some of my other favorite bloggers rocking similar hairdos from time to time, like Elsie at A Beautiful Mess.

I used to struggle with the mechanics of these braids.  I couldn't make my hair lie flat when I pulled the braids up and over my head, and I always ended up with awkward poofing around the base of the braids (and everywhere, really). I used to give up and start over and over and over again before I could get it looking right.  That is, until this week when I had a bobby pin epiphany that's the key to getting this hairdo perfect on the first try every time.

Here's the deal:

1. Brush and part your hair.

2. While holding your hair tight against the first side of your head, insert a bobby pin behind your earlobe to hold your hair in place.

3. Add another bobby pin so that your hair is secured with an X.  I've highlighted the X in white in the picture above so that you can see how it should look.

4. Make another bobby pin X on the second side of your head as well. 

5. Braid the first side of your hair, holding it straight out instead of down, and secure the end of the braid with a small clear elastic band.

6. Pull the braid up and over the top of your head so it looks like a headband and secure it to your head with a bobby pin.

7. Braid the second side of your hair in the same manner as the first.

8. Pull the second braid up and over your head also, making sure to cover up the elastic band and the bobby pin on the first braid.  Secure the second braid with a bobby pin (or three) as well.

9. That's it!  

I hope the bobby pin X works as well for you as it does for me.  Suddenly this hairstyle only takes me 5 minutes to do, and it used to take me 20.  It even looks nice from the back, see?

Happy braiding!

xoxo

Laura

Stitch Victionary: How to Bind Off

This week's Stitch Victionary is about how to bind off.
Here it is:

I hope you find it helpful!
xoxo
Laura

Hand Embroidered Thank You Cards with a Free Printable Stencil

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  There are so many things to be thankful for this time of year, so why not say it with a handmade card?  (I made these because I recently received some birthday presents, but don't forget about the Christmas presents and the plethora of holiday parties on the horizon.) 

To begin, I made a stencil that will fit on a 3.5" by 5" card.  

You can download it as a free printable right here.

Once you've downloaded and printed the stencil, place your card on top of a cork board, cut out the stencil, and tape it on top of the front of the card.  

Use a push pin to poke holes all along the letters on the stencil.  When you've finished that, remove the stencil and you'll be ready to begin the embroidery.

Thread a needle with embroidery thread and use a basic chain stitch to embroider the letters.  Here's how to do a chain stitch:

1. Bring the needle up through the first hole.
2. Bring the needle back down through the same hole, but don't pull it out all the way.
3. With the back of the needle still halfway through the first hole, bring the front of the needle part of the way up through the second hole.  Check the picture to make sure your needle looks like mine.
4. Loop the thread up and around the needle.
5. Now you can pull the needle through the two holes and you will have the first loop on your chain.
6. Repeat the process over and over again to make a chain.  Each time you finish a loop, that loop's second hole becomes the first hole for the next loop.  For example, when you've finished step 5 and you have your first loop, you've just done step 1 for the next loop, so you'll repeat your process by bring the needle back down the hole it just came out of, halfway up through the next one, wrap the thread around the front of the needle, then pull the needle out again and you'll have your second link in the chain stitch. Keep going until you reach the end of a line, then bring the needle out and around the last loop and back down through the last hole to secure the chain.  Once your thread is down under the card, you can move it to the hole where you want to start your next chain and begin again.  Keep going until you've embroidered the whole word.

I hope this tutorial makes sense, because once you get the hang of doing a chain stitch it's easy and makes a big impact.  If you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below.  

Happy Friday!

xoxo

Laura

Interchangeable Embellished Collar

Lately I've been noticing girls wearing sweaters with Peter Pan Collars everywhere I turn. You can buy them on the internet here, here, here, and here, or you can make your own like I did! I don't love wearing polo shirts anymore, but I'm loving collared sweaters. With that in mind, I found an old polo shirt in my closet and I decided to cut off the collar and fix it up so that I could mix-and-match it with any of my sweaters.

I didn't buy anything for this project, I just used things I found around my house: an old polo shirt, a plastic necklace from my childhood, a pair of scissors, and a needle and thread.

Here's the scoop:

1.  Begin to cut off the neck of the shirt, being careful to leave one button and a couple of inches of fabric below the collar.

2.  Cut all the way around until the collar is detached from the shirt. Discard the rest of the shirt (or keep it for future DIY projects!).

3.  Fold over about 1/4 inch of fabric along the edge that you just cut and sew a hem. This will stop the fabric from fraying, so it's important not to skip this step. Feel free to do this with a sewing machine if you've got one handy, but you can totally sew it by hand like I did if you want to.

4.  Make a cut anywhere in the necklace so it becomes a long string of beads. Lay this string along the edge of the collar and begin to sew it down. To do the sewing, start by bringing the needle and thread up through the collar as close to the edge of the collar as possible.

5.  Pass the needle and thread over the string in between the first and second needs, then insert the needle down through the collar again on the other side of the beads. Repeat this sewing method, making one stitch between every single bead until you've covered the entire edge of the collar.

6.  Cut off the excess beads to finish the project.

Now you can put the collar on your neck, doing up the button to hold it in place, and then pull on your sweater over it, and no one will know that the collar isn't attached to either your shirt or your sweater! Because this collar is interchangeable, I'm excited to try out all the different sweaters (or dresses!) that I can wear it with. This outfit is only the beginning!

Happy sweater season!
xoxo
Laura

Mason Jar Jack-O'-Lanterns

Halloween is almost upon us again so it's time to start decorating.  This summer, I spray painted bottles to make vases, and this week I thought it might be fun to use a similar technique on mason jars to make Jack-O'-Lanterns.  I'm so glad I gave it a try because they turned out to be something I can't wait to put out on the front porch!

Here's what you'll need to make these:

1.  Mason jars that have at least one smooth side for the Jack-O'-Lantern faces to go on.
2.  Masking tape
3.  Scissors
4.  "Frosted Glass" spray paint

Here's how you do it:

1.  Cut shapes out of masking tape and arrange them on the mason jars to make cute/scary/funny faces on the jars.

2.  Spray paint the jars (outside in the fresh air, and on top of something disposable like the paper bag I used). It's best to do several thin coats so that the paint doesn't form drips on the jar. If drips do form, however, don't sweat it.  I accidentally had some drips on my scary-faced jar and I ended up loving them because they made the face look even scarier.

3.  Let the paint dry.

4.  Peel off the tape faces and drop tea light candles inside the jars.  I used large jars, so 3 tea lights fit into each of my jars.  You're going to need a fire starter or a very long match to light the candles inside the jars.

5.  If you have the kind of jars that have lids with removable centers, remove that center and screw the lid back on the jar after you light the candles.  If you have solid lids, you'll need to poke holes in them so the candles have an oxygen source once they're lit and the lid is on. The hole-poking method will also provide a little more fire safety, so I recommend it even though it's a little more work.

Let me know if you try this out, I'd love to see a picture!
xoxo
Laura

Beaded Wrap Bracelets

Hello!
Have you been seeing these beaded wrap bracelets all over the place like I have?



You can get everything from the $200 Chan Luu version to the ones that are on sale right now at Urban Outfitters.  Or, if you're like me, you can take a close look at one of them, experience all of your childhood beading skills come flooding back to you, and make them yourself.  Why buy it when you can make it and have it look exactly the way you want it to for a fraction of the price?

To make these bracelets you will need:

• Clear, stretchy jewelry cord, 0.5 mm diameter
• Black cotton or leather jewelry cord, 1 mm diameter
• Beads in 2 different colors with large enough holes to fit the clear jewelry cord through it twice (I used 6/0 Czech glass e-beads from Joann's.)
• Silver magnetic clasps
• Scissors
• Tape

The basic idea is that there are 2 parallel black cords with a bead in between them.  You will use a stretchy clear string to make a figure 8 around those 2 cords, passing through the bead in the middle twice along the way.  (Picture #11 is a good illustration of how the figure 8 should look.)  Just make your figure 8s over and over, adding more and more beads as you go and you'll have a wrap bracelet.

Here are the much more in-depth instructions:



*These instructions are for making a 13 inch bracelet for a 6 inch wrist.  That way the bracelet can wrap around the wrist twice with 1 extra inch of wiggle room.  If your wrist is larger than 6 inches, simply double your wrist size and add one more inch to find out how long you want your bracelet to be.*

1. Cut off 34 inches of black cord and fold it in half so it will be 17 inches long.  Then cut a 51 inch piece of stretchy clear string.  (The clear string should be 3 times as long as the doubled-up black cord.)


2. Thread one side of the metal clasp onto the black cord so it sits in the fold you made earlier. Then tie the clear string onto the clasp as well.


3. Wrap all three strings around your finger and tie them in a knot.  The knot should sit directly below the clasp.  Cut off the tail of the clear string.  Now you're ready to start beading.


4. Tape the clasp-end of the bracelet onto a table.  Add one bead to the clear string and position it so it is sitting between the two black cords.


5. Wrap the clear string around the left-hand black cord (going over the black cord first then under it second), then thread the clear string back through the same bead.


6. Pull the string so the loop you just made tightens up and the bead sits right underneath the clasp and the knot.  Now wrap the clear string around the right-hand black cord (going over first then under second).


7. Add another bead to the clear cord.


8. Wrap the clear string around the left-hand black cord the same way you did it before (in step 5), and thread it back through the second bead.


9. Pull the clear string so the loops tighten up and the second bead sits right next to the first one.  Continue making figure 8s with the clear string around the right-hand black cord, though a new bead, around the left-hand black cord, through the same bead again, and then pulling the clear string so everything's nice and tight.


10. After you've added 8 beads using the figure 8 method, make the 9th bead an alternate color.


11. Continue making figure 8s and adding new beads (with every 9th bead being the alternate color) until the bracelet is almost 13 inches long.


12. Loop the clear string around the right hand black cord and tie it in a knot.


13. Slip the 2nd half of the metal clasp onto the right-hand black cord and the clear string.


14. Loop all the strings around your finger to tie a knot.


15. Pull the knot tight, keeping the metal clasp at the top of the knot.


16. Cut off the excess strings and you're finished!  Your bracelet should look like this now:

I made mine in shades of pink just because it's my favorite color.  If you want to make your bracelets look more like a fall accessory, try making them in deep purples or rich browns.  Look how fun mine look hanging all together on my jewelry tree:



Happy beading!
xoxo
Laura

A Washi Tape Birthday Card

Hi Guys!

I was in Target the other day and low and behold, it's already time to buy school supplies. Isn't it still July?  Anyway, as I was walking by, I realized that they were selling 4-packs of Target brand washi tape for $4 and I couldn't resist it.  I decided to use it to make my grandmother this birthday card:

The Supplies I used are:

1. Blank notecard
2. Construction paper
3. Washi tape
4. Embroidery floss
5. Push pin
6. Scissors
7. Tape
8. Glue
9. Black sharpie
10. Toothpicks

Here's how to make the flags:

1. Cut out one little flag shape from white construction paper.


2. Use the first flag as a stencil to draw 5 more flags that match the first one and cut them out.


3. Cover each little flag with washi tape by placing the flag on the sticky side of the tape and cutting around it.


4. Use a push pin to make 2 little holes in the top corners of a flag.


5. Thread embroidery floss through the little holes.


6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with all the other flags so they are all strung together on a line.


7. Tape the ends of the embroidery floss to the back and inside of the card.


8. Place a loop of tape on the back of each flag to stick it down on the card.

Once you've made the flags, it's time for all the finishing touches:

1.  Stick a long strip of washi tape onto the white construction paper and write the card's message on it.  (I had my awesome big sister do this part for me because her handwriting is significantly better than mine.)  If you have stamp letters, I think it would also look really great to stamp your message instead of writing it.

2.  Cut out the message in the shape of a long flag.

3.  Glue the long flag message(s) to the upper right hand side of the card.

4.  Cut off the pointy ends of 2 toothpicks, then glue them together on the edge of the card so they look like a flag pole.

5.  Cover the whole back of the card with washi tape so that you cover up the place where you taped the end of the embroidery floss to the back of the card.

6.  Also cover the upper inside part of the card for the same reason that you covered the back.

Now you should have a fun, handmade card to write in and mail!
Happy taping!
xoxo
Laura