The Craft Room: Gumball Machine Style Candy Dish: Easter Candy Edition

Hello there darlings,

Well Friday is in full force and so is this Fine Arts Competition that I am judging at.  It's been quite a busy week, but just in time for Easter (for all you out there that love candy eggs and jelly beans and anything else sugary and pastel), here's a simple little craft some friends and I got together and worked on several weeks back.  I was quite thrilled with how mine turned out...and it really didn't take long to make at all.  So get ready to satisfy your sweet-tooth and make the cutest little candy dish ever :-)

 How I made it:

Steps 1:  

 - Remove all price tags from your flower pot, making sure the sticky residue is completely off, then paint the whole pot along with the saucer in the color(s) of your choice.  I used acrylic paint & a small paintbrush.  Allow the paint some time to dry.  

 - Paint your wooden knob (Remove the screw on it first).  Again, I used acrylic paint.  Now you are ready to assemble the pieces together.  

Steps 2:

- Turn the pot upside down and coat the top with DAP SuperStik all purpose glue.  Center your round vase right side up onto the pot.  (Make sure you don't go overboard with the glue as you don't want it oozing out of the sides.)  Allow some time to dry.

- Glue your painted wooden knob onto the top of your saucer.

  

Step 3:

Find some pretty ribbon and tie it around the flower pot, like above.  That's it!

Now fill the bowl with all your pretty easter candy and place that cute little lid on top.  

Easy peasy, right?  Now tell me what you would fill your candy bowl with?  

Catch up with you soon!  Don't forget to enter my $50 Shabby Apple Gift Card giveaway if you haven't done so already.

Love Bunches, 

The Craft Room /Valentine's Edition - A Hearted Shoe DIY

Well hello there darlings!

I'm back today with another super simple DIY just in time for Valentine's Day.  If you follow me on instagram, you may recall seeing a pair of oxfords that I glitterized a while back during a DIY night at my house with friends.  (Unsure of how to glitter up your shoes? - jump here for an easy tutorial).  

Well, I didn't want to stop there with those beauties.  My poor oxfords were old, bent, and quite water stained - so after prettying them up with lavender glitter, I thought, might as well put a heart on it too!  I have a ton of pretty vintage scrap material left over from dresses that I hem, so what better way to put it to use?!  (I was inspired by a pair of Irresistible Choice shoes that I have with flowers on the back of them.)

Enough chit-chat, let's cut to the chase.  

What you need is:

-A pair of shoes 

-Paper (for your heart template)

-Scissors

-Pretty scrap material

-A pin

-Mod Podge

-A craft brush or paint brush

Steps 1:

Create and cut out your heart template.  You'll want to decide how big you want the heart to be on your shoe first and measure to make sure it fits properly on the back.  

Pin the paper heart to your material and cut it out. (Pinning it to a corner makes it so much easier since you will not need to cut the full way around)

Step 2
Apply Mod Podge to the back of your material heart with your brush.



Steps 3

Stick the material heart onto the shoe.  If you are sticking it onto the back like I did, be sure that the point of the heart matches up with the back seam of the shoes. (As you can see, the top of my heart was a little off center since this shoe was very bent.)

Apply a coat of Mod Podge over the heart to seal it.

Let it dry.  If necessary, you can apply another coat.  (I only needed one coat)

 


You are finished!



Now your feet are as cute as can be :-)

Talk soon darlings.
Love bunches, 

The Craft Room: Heart Back Dress (No Sew)

Happy Thursday Darlings!

It's DIY time again...

So the thing is - I had this lovely little ivory and plum dress from Modcloth that returned to me pretty badly stained in the back after I lent it out.  (It's ok, stuff happens).  Anyhow, as I only got several wears out of the dress myself and the stains covered a pretty large area and were stubborn as a moose and just wouldn't budge after numerous washes, treatments, and natural stain removal methods, my only hopes of salvaging the dress were to make a cute little cutout where the stained area was (not so bad, eh?).  Better yet, there's no sewing involved - so it's a pretty easy feat for anyone to take on :)

This is what I used to do just that:

First steps:

1.  Determine how large you want your heart to be and cut the shape out of your card-stock (I used a thick page from an old magazine)

2.  a.  Measure across the back of the dress and mark the center, and place your cut out heart accordingly.

     b.  Trace around the heart with your fabric pencil.

     c.  Cut that baby out.  (It's easiest to cut up the center and then around each of the sides.)

 Next steps:

3.  On the back of the dress, around the heart, place your HeatNBond and iron on.

4.  Place your bias tape directly over your HeatnBond and iron on.

 *** If you wish to leave the cutout open on your dress, you can stop right here.  I happened to have the perfect vintage floral material that matched the dress to a tee, so I decided to use that to fill in my heart and not leave my back exposed.  I'm quite a bosomy gal anyways, so an opened back is really not an option for me.  

Final steps:

5.  Turn the dress inside out and repeat step 3 with the HeatNBond around the heart on the inside of the dress.

6.  Iron on your material (measure it first to make sure you have enough to cover the cutout), then cut the excess around the edge of the heart.  (If you are super brave you can cut the heart shape out of the material first and then iron on, however I don't always trust my cutting skills, so I opted to do it the first way).  

Ta-Da - you are finished!  It's a million times cuter on - so I shall have to do a proper post with it once the weather warms.  My sad little hanger and less than flattering indoor lighting is just not doing this beauty any justice.  

That's all for now darlings!  Hope your holiday season of decorating, baking, shopping, wrapping, and party going is simply as sweet as a sugar plum!  

Talk soon!

Love Bunches, 

The Craft Room: Ruby Red Slippers

Since it's Friday and very rainy out today, I wanted to kick off the weekend with a very simple DIY involving these old patent leather flats of mine that have been beaten and bruised and sadly neglected in the back of my closet for a very long time now.  I believe the last I ever wore these darlings was right here in 2009....back when I was pregnant.  They have since gotten creased and have gone missing a buckle.  Not so cute anymore, right?

Anyhow, I'm a firm believer in recycling old pieces like this and giving them a new life.  My inspiration was Dorothy and her ruby red slippers of course.  So let's begin...this one is easy my friends and doesn't take much crafting skill, if you ask me.  

What you need:

Old shoes - I used my Chinese Laundry patent ballet flats.

Scrap material - This apple print material that came from this dress was perfect!

A small craft brush (or a paint brush if you prefer)

Glitter - I used the Martha Stewart brand in Garnet

Mod Podge

A bowl

Scissors & a glue gun (for the bows)

Step 1: Mix your glitter & mod podge together.  Make sure you add enough glitter for plenty of sparkle.  Since Mod Podge is a little stinky, I like to work near an open window.  I also start by holding my shoes & painting them over the big bowl.  Glitter tends to get everywhere, so this keeps it more contained.

Step 2: Dab the paint on and brush it in long strokes in the same direction to make sure your coverage is nice and even.  Let this dry.  You can now go back and touch up any spots that need more glitter.

 Step 3: Make your bows.  If you're not familiar with how to make a small bow like this CLICK HERE for directions from one of my previous DIYs.

Step 4: Glue the bows on with a glue gun and you are finished!!!  

Now click your heels together three times and say, "There's no place like home".  Fitting because I'm leaving to go back to my hometown this weekend for a couple days :)

Have a gorgeous weekend darlings!  

Love Bunches,

The Craft Room: Super Simple Dress to Skirt Makeover

Happy Thursday darlings, 

I had a couple inquiries about the skirt from my Tuesday's post, and no, I did not make it myself.  It was actually an old dress I had from Urban Outfitters that I performed a very simple, cinchy makeover on.

Like many of you, I am a gal on a budget that thrifts most of my "new" clothes, shops the Modcloth and UO sales or Target on occasion, and just simply shops my closet...over and over again.  But here's the thing, I have the tendency to wear things to death.  Case and point: that Urban Outfitters bird print tank dress, circa 2009 - which I actually also wore in one of my first blog posts here and this Fossil tote (also 2009).  Both were a site for sore eyes with pilling, tears, stains, loose seams...the whole shebang.  Neither could confidently be worn in their current state.  Really, the before photos here don't do justice to how busted up looking they were.  Total bummer because I still love both of these pieces.  Cue the DIY.  To keep these pieces going for miles to come - I performed a very simple little makeover which required no sewing whatsoever.  

What you need:

A simple old full skirted tank dress like the one below (the kind with two separate materials for the top and bottom and an elasticated waist)

A dirty old tote bag or scrap material.

Scissors

Fabric glue or glue gun

Safety pin.

These full skirted tank dresses are everywhere (especially in the summertime).  I have owned and gotten rid of many.  As cute as they are, the issue with them is that they are usually constructed with very thin, cheap material on the top that just doesn't hold up.  

Tote bags are also all around because they are just so darn cute and well, easy to tote hence their name...haha. They get dirty so easily though.  

How you create:

Step 1:  Cut the top off the dress about a half inch away from the seam.  Though the skirt part of my dress has a paperbag waistline to it - yours does not need to have this.  A simple elastic waist will do.

Step 2: Glue the excess material down with fabric glue.

Step 3: Make your bow: Cut a square  (mine was 5x5 in.) from off the tote.  Fold back a  quarter inch around all four sides and glue down with your fabric glue.  Cut another piece of material about 4 inches long x 0.5 inches wide, pinch the center of the bow and wrap this smaller piece around the center and glue in the back.

Step 4: With a safety pin, pin the bow on the skirt.  You can sew it on, but I liked the option of being able to move it from the side to the center.

Guess what?  You are finished!  How pain free was that? 

Now....

Have a loverly day Darlings!

Love Bunches, 

The Craft Room: Retooling a Collar off an Old Blouse

Hello Darlings, 

If you follow me on Instagram, then you may already have gotten a sneak peek at the simple little DIY I finished the other day.  Detachable collars - we all love them, right?  So awhile back, I found this totally 80s jacket/tunic/blouse thing and kind of fell in love with the collar despite the hideous almost waterproof cross between a choir robe and a slicker type of material.  While I will admit that I have indeed worn it before...see here, I really just wanted to save the collar and nothing else so cue up the DIY.  

This one is so easy my friends (trust me, I am far from a pro), and it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to pull it off, just a pair of scissors and perhaps some needle and thread and pretty ribbon.  

Materials Needed:

A thrifted blouse with a pretty collar - preferably sailor or Peter Pan style.

Scissors

A needle and thread

Ribbon

Hook-and-eye closure (optional)

1. Lay your blouse with the collar flat, then using the collar seam as your guide, cut about a centimeter  below the seam the whole way around the collar.

  

 If you want to skip the next step, you can also cut as close to the seam as you are able.  You will be left with an unfinished edge which won't be seen when worn, but because I was cutting through 4 layers of material on my blouse (yes 4! Two from the blouse itself and 2 from the collar.), I decided to be cautious and leave myself a little extra room to cut.  Either way, I would have had to do step 2 since the 4 layers of fabric would have been stiff enough to stand up leaving a bulky edge where the seam is.  

2.  With a needle and thread, sew the centimeter of extra fabric down to the collar.  This will help it lay more flat.  Iron if needed.

Because I'm a bit picky...ok, a straight up type A perfectionist at times, I opted to give my collar a faux bow in the front and a hidden hook-and-eye closure to keep it more secure when worn.  I have purchased a couple of lovely collars with the typical two ribbons in the front that you tie into a bow, however I have found that on me, the ribbon does not stayed tied or it becomes very cockeyed during the day.  So instead, I added a hidden hook-and-eye closure where the collar would close in the front and a bow on the front of the outside flap.  This stays in place for me sooooo much better but it does add one more step to the process.

3.  In the mirror, put the collar around your neck, overlapping the front ends (about 1/2 an inch in from the edge) and mark off where it will naturally close on both sides.  This is where your hook-and-eye closure will go.  Grab your needle and stitch on both parts of the hook-and-eye.  (The hook will go on the inner side of the outer flap of the collar.  The eye will go on the outer side of the flap which lays closest to your skin)  Make sense?  That's a mouth full!

4.  Take your ribbon and tie a bow, making sure it's the right size you want it to be for your collar.  With your needle and thread, sew the bow on to the part of the collar which overlaps the other - right on the front center - which is basically on the outer side of where your hook is sewn.

Hooray!  You are finished!  You now have quite the little show stopper of a collar on your hands.  Alright darlings, enough DIYing for the day, I'm off to bake some pumpkin carrot cake muffins.

Peace, love, and pumpkin lattes, 

Love Bunches, 

The Craft Room: Giving Old Shoulder Pads a New Life

Hello and Happy Friday Darlings, 

Perhaps you remember this post I did a few weeks back when I wore this comfy little floral dress at Skull Creek.  Well, prior to wearing the dress (which has since been sold and shipped off to a new home), I removed the bulky, rockin to the 80s looking shoulder pads because really, who wants to look like a linebacker?  Anyhow, as the floral print on them was way too lovely to just throw out, I decided to give them a new life and create some "pocket art" for my vintage Calvin Klein jeans shorts that I recently scored for a couple dollars at my local thrift.

What You'll Need:

An old pair of jeans shorts 

bleach

old shoulder pads (preferably with a cute print on them)

scissors, a fabric marker, pins, a needle and thread

Step 1:

Ok, if it were a perfect world, I would not have accidentally deleted my before picture of the shorts along with a host of my other photos of this project, but bear with me as I will explain each step the best that I can.  I am the queen of bone-headed technology related moves like that...hehe.  

Start by bleaching the color out of the jean shorts.  I used 10 parts hot water to 1 part bleach and let the shorts marinate in my mixture for about an hour and a half.  After they had reached the color I desired - which was white with a little blue still running through them - I rinsed them in cold water then threw them in the washing machine (alone), with detergent and washed and dried them as I normally would.

Step 2:

Cut around the edge of your shoulder pad.  Remove the foamy middle and you should be left with an egg shaped piece of fabric.  

Step 3:
Place the fabric face down on where you want it to be on the pocket.  With your fabric marker, trace around the edge of that.  I left about a centimeter or two of extra space so I could fold it under to avoid having the rough edge of my fabric appear once it was sewn on.  Pin the fabric to where it will on the pocket and begin stitching around the edge, removing the pins as you go along.  Of course, if you are a pro - you can skip the pins, but I found this made my job a whole lot easier.  Voila!  You are finished and have totally cute-i-fied you denim shorts.

And did I mention, I made a hair bow from the left over material and bottom of the jean shorts which I cut off to make a better length for me.  

There you have it my dears.  Pretty easy peasy lemon squeezy.  I shall do a post styling up my new shorts very soon.  Today I will be back in Philly to catch a baseball game my hubs and a good friend.  How about your weekend?  I shall see you very soon :)

Love Bunches,

The Craft Room: Tie Up Slouchy Tube Top DIY

Happy evening to you darlings!

Since the weather has been all warm and sunshiny, the DIY itch has been upon me.  Not so very long ago, I picked up this skirt at Goodwill for $1.00.  Though it was flimsy, cut kind of crooked, and poorly made, I snagged it anyways because I kind of just loved the boho inspired print.  Anyhow, I thought it might make a perfect tube top since it was smocked around the waist area - so that is exactly what it became.

What you'll need:

1 midi or maxi length skirt with a smocked waist (or elasticated)

Scissors

A needle and thread

1.  With the skirt on and pulled up to your underarms - where you will be wearing it as a top - measure how long you want it to be (this should be slightly below your natural waistline).  Mark this on the back of the skirt. 

2.  With the skirt on the floor make sure the sides are laying back to back (like you hang a pair of pants on a hanger).  At the back of the skirt (which with be the back of your top) measure about an inch down from your mark and cut a slightly curved diagonal line down to the bottom (if you want your front ties to be thinner, cut further in).  

3.  Unfold and you should now have something that resembles a hi-lo skirt.  Lay the skirt so the longer part is facing up.  Cut a straight line right up the middle to at least the length of the back.   (In my case, there was a seam already up the middle, so it made this very easy - if not, you will want to measure where the exact middle is).  

4.  Try it on now and see if you want to make any revisions (ie. cutting the ties higher, thinner, etc).  

Make necessary revisions as needed.  For me, I decided to cut up the middle just a bit higher than the length of the back to make my ties a little longer in the front and I cut into the skirt a little deeper so that my ties were thinner.

5.  Iron the skirt and hem up the rough edges all around.

Whoohoo - you are finished!

I was pretty much so pleased with my result here.  I think next time, I would cut my ties a even thinner but nonetheless,  I look forward to wearing this little piece all summer long on those 90 degree days.  

A proper outfit post with it is soon to follow:)

The weekend is just about upon us.

See you very soon!

Love Bunches,