Posts Tagged ";diy"

Tutorial – Sequins and Nuts Necklace

Sep
09th
2011

I’m nuts. You’re nuts. Let’s wear some nuts.

I think we’ve all seen some of the crazy/awesome hardware jewelry floating around Pinterest and such. This is actually pretty genius because I think we all have extra hardware accumulating in a junk drawer somewhere. Why not make something unique? WHY NOT, I SAY!?

Sorry.

Supplies:

  • Chain swiped from an old broken necklace
  • 2 packages of sequins from the craft store (.79 whole cents each)
  • Hex nuts, found in your local hardware store or junk drawer (I used 22)

Before I go any further, I feel I must point out one creepy detail…

Devilish smirking Baileys cup will haunt your dreams for all time. Onward!

Steps:

I disassembled the old necklace and cut it to the desired length.

In keeping with the whole hardware theme I have going on, I used a washer as part of the clasp. I don’t know why, I just felt like it.

Now I know this was naughty, but I used several strands of black thread and a needle to string my nuts and sequins. I basically tied knots to the ends of each hanging chain, which is just dumb, but I didn’t have jewelry wire. Use that instead, mmk? I’m going to replace it the first chance I get. Or, you know, when it breaks.

As far as the beading pattern, I just did what felt well with my soul. I imagine if you used another color of sequins or silver nuts you can have a completely different look. I’m probably going to make a bracelet next.

As always, my favorite thing about this is that it was cheap. I love cheap crafts. This whole thing costed me about two bucks. Not bad!

I just said the word ‘nuts’ more times than any human being should in one blog post. Or in her lifetime.

Currently crafting…

Aug
26th
2011

This is my first attempt at making crepe paper flowers and I have to say, they’re quite fun! I’m making them to go on a wedding cake, of all the scary, intimidating things. Cripes, just a little bit of pressure. They’re something new, but I figured I’ve made a thousand fabric flowers… paper can’t be that much different, right?

I’ll post some photos of the After, with all the flowers on the cake, à la Martha Stewart Weddings:

Hoo lawdy, I need more practice. Wish me luck.

Tutorial: Felt Pinwheels

May
03rd
2011

Last year I threw a carnival themed baby shower for a dear friend. I remembered making paper pinwheels when I was younger and thought a bunch of them in a mason jar would be the perfect centerpiece! I decided to use felt since I just have so much of it on hand and they turned out SO cute. I’m finally getting around to sharing the how-to… enjoy!

Supplies:

  • Two colors of felt
  • Beads, buttons, other misc. findings to use for the center
  • A small round object to use as a template for a circle (I grabbed a pinch bowl from my kitchen)
  • Pen
  • Scissors
  • Needle & thread

Use your pen and bowl (or whatever) to trace two circles on the felt, one of each color.

Cut out the circles.

This step is optional, but it makes the finished pinwheel look nice and crisp: Glue the two pieces of felt together, using just a small amount and preferably near the edge of the circles. This will keep the felt from lifting and pulling apart. Don’t put the glue right in the center or it’ll cause you problems later when sewing the center.

Cut notches in the two circles to make an “X”. They should measure about a third of the circle’s diameter.

Using the two photos above as a guide, fold the corners with the pink dots to the center.

Use a needle and thread to stitch the corners down (or use glue… I’m sure that would work just fine) and sew a cute little bead to the center. That’s it!

I glued them to wooden dowels when I was making the centerpieces, but you could also make a cardigan pin, a hair clip or headband, or string them up as a garland. HOW FLIPPING CUTE WOULD THAT BE? OMG.

Sometimes I’m actually productive and do things other than whine.

Apr
14th
2011

Sooo, I’ve been a bum and haven’t even done anything remotely crafty for the past few months. Maybe it has something to do with using most of my free time taking care of my two children practicing dance moves on YouTube that are clearly not meant for white girls to be attempting, I don’t know. It’s called having your priorities in check. And don’t even pretend like you’ve never watched a dance video online and busted a move in your living room, ESPECIALLY if you’re a white girl. Let’s be real here… most of us white girls can’t dance. But we do try to our little off-beat-heart’s content and for that we get an A for effort. And Awkwardness.

Where was I? Before I had Jack though, I was on a little crafting spree so I thought I’d share a few of the simple little projects I did actually complete before I lost myself in all those booty pops.

I wanted something to fill the space on the little blank wall in our bedroom, so when I spotted these cardboard butterfly sticker things at Michael’s for like $3, I figured I could make them work somehow. They’re slightly raised and more thick than a normal sticker so the effect isn’t as juvenile as you’d expect. Or maybe it is, whateva. I like em.

Next we have a moss covered letter. The “W” stands for my maiden name, being that I was going to make something else with it and give it to my mom like 2 years ago and never got around to it. Daughter fail. Anyway, I basically just hot glued clumps of moss to a wooden letter.

Me caveman. Me do simple projects.

Tutorial: Felt Pom Pom Flower Thingamabobs

Feb
03rd
2011

I’ve been asked to give some instructions on how to make the felt pom-pom type flower thingamabobs I used on the yarn wrapped wreath a few weeks ago.

Note: They’re a lot easier to make than they seem.

Note: I need to just toss out that gross old glue gun already. You might gag when you see the photo below.

Note: It happens to be 1:00 in the morning and I’m in a zombie-like state, so pardon the mumbo jumbo ramblings. I was laying in bed and was all, “NEED TO DO POM-POM THINGAMABOB TUTORIAL OR WILL NEVER FALL ASLEEP”, so here I am.

Supplies:

  • Felt
  • Scissors
  • Glue

Step 1:

Cut a strip of felt about 2 inches wide. The longer your strip is in length, the larger your flower will be.

Step 2:

Fold your strip in half and glue the edges together. Make sure ONLY to put your glue right at the edges, not in the center of your fold.

Step 3:

Cut little notches along the length of the felt, only going about halfway through to the other end. You’ll be cutting on the fold… WHERE YOU DIDN’T PUT ANY GLUE! Right? You listened to me before, right?

Step 4:

Start at one end of the strip and start rolling it up, like you would if you were rolling a sleeping bag. Dab a few dots of glue along the way to hold things in place.

This is the back of your flower. It doesn’t look perfect or pretty, but no one’s going to see it. Make sure you secure the outside edge with a generous amount of glue so it doesn’t unroll on you.

All done!

That’s it!

To make the larger white flower, I just made 2 strips of felt and went through the cutting and gluing steps. When I finished rolling the first strip, I glued on the 2nd strip and continued to roll it up. Does that make any sense? I hope so!

Use these little babies as gift toppers, brooches, shoe clips, hair clips, on wreaths, string them up as a garland… whatever you do, it’s going to be adorable. I love making these and you will too!

And now I sleep.

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