Yes little goblins, I’ve been DIY’ing up a storm recently…and can’t wait to share the spooky and fun results! Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) for a week I’ll be sharing a brand-new DIY tutorial each day for 1 WEEK OF HALLOWEEN…to add a little Boo! to your beautiful holiday decorations (and maybe an accessory or two ;-).
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!*
*supposed to be an eerie cackle*
xo
Carly
I was so thrilled to be recently contacted by M&J Trimming to participate in their Third Annual M&J Trimming Blogger Challenge.
Alongside other powerhouse DIY bloggers (such as Kristin of Glitter ‘n’ Glue and Lia of Smart n Snazzy), I’m in amazing company!
M&J Trimming sent me a box full of amazing DIY supplies as you can see above…and I got super-busy creating!
Read the M&J Trimming Intro to All the Bloggers Here
…and tomorrow head over to the M&J Trimming Blog, where all my projects will be available!
xo
Carly
Leave Comment
Hello friends! July 4th is almost upon us, and I’ve put together a Pinterest board of ideas to make it a DIY celebration! Check it out for ideas and projects (also good for any other Summer soiree or red-white-and-blue-themed party)! If you’re not already, please follow me on Pinterest – I’d love to see you there!
xo
Carly
I am so excited to announce to you my newest sponsor for January: 80/20!
Cristina Rose makes the most beautiful, on-trend neckwear and armwear out of high-quality gemstones. She works out of her studio in Brooklyn, NY, sourcing all materials locally. And her price points are super-affordable! The line is also sold at Art on Dean, Built in Brooklyn, Gowanus Girls, Brooklyn Night Bazaar, Williamsburg Fashion Weekend plus The Love US / Manufacture NY Holiday Shop.
Here are some of my favorite pieces from her shop:
1. Peter Pan Collar Necklace in Black (also comes in white), $30 / 2. Spiked Rocker Necklace with Wood and Swarovski Crystal Beads (you can also choose a pink bead instead of purple), $38 / 3. Uncut Crystal Quartz Necklace, $40 / 4. Asymmetrical Amethyst Necklace with Hexagonal Bead and Copper, $37
Besides sponsoring Chic Steals for the month of January, she is also offering a discount code to all my wonderful readers:
Cristina Rose kindly sent me a necklace to style in an outfit…check back later this week to see one of her pretties in action!
And if any of you are interested in sponsoring Chic Steals, there are still sponsorships open for this month. If you are a seller of DIY supplies, crafty goods, sewing books, jewelry, clothing, beauty products, or home wares that are chic, affordable, and on-trend, then you would be a perfect fit for my readers! You can purchase an ad here on my site through Passionfruit’s integrated ad system, or email me if you’d like more information, including current stats. Thank you!
xo
Carly
Every year on New Year’s Eve I republish a list of all my DIY’s that I shared on this blog during the past year. This time around, I decided to do a Best Of list as well, to share some of my favorite content from this past year with you:
How Do You Maintain Your Life While Facing Stress? 5 Ways to Deal When It Seems You Just Can’t was a great post that offered tips for dealing with complete meltdowns and crazy stress (I’m sure we all experienced a little of that during the holiday season!)
DIY Watercolor Kitten Tee with DecoArt Ink Effects was a super-fun project with amazing, watercolor-style results. Speaking of cats, the DIY Cute Cat Beret project was a way to use a 99-cent Goodwill pirate’s hat (found just after Halloween) and make it into a darling little beret and jump on the cat-themed bandwagon.
DIY Holiday Chocolate Bark: 4 Recipes to Gift Last-Minute can be made any time of the year, thank goodness! That Tropical Coconut-Pineapple Macadamia Nut Bark was akin to ambrosia…and the Godiva-Inspired Caramel Cashew Bark is already a staple in my candy-making repertoire! Also for the holidays, I made some DIY Glittery Ornament Napkins and some DIY Easy Pinned Sequin Ornaments.
In December I launched a bimonthly podcast about bringing creativity and craftiness to your daily life, called Creatively Chic. You can listen to both episodes that have launched here.
I also partnered with Echoed.com to create a Stories area on my site (now located in the upper left-hand corner) where anyone can upload their DIYs! Post your tutorial or your finished project to share with everyone – and create a link back to your site! Vote, share, and comment on those stories to get a ton of inspiration and meet some other DIY’ers in the community!
Some of my favorite books (and accompanying reviews) from this year: Steal Like an Artist, DIY Couture, New Dress a Day, and Mod Podge Rocks!
I got an iPhone for my birthday and joined Instagram! Slowly becoming an addiction. I also was featured as the first DIY Fashionista on Cut Out + Keep’s new series! What an honor.
I designed some repeating Universe Prints on Spoonflower.com and ordered fabric swatches to test the prints. I still have to sew them into something beautiful!
3 Reaons Why Your DIYs Are FAILS: The Spore Sweater Resurrected offers some tips for how to get past mistakes and failures when making your own things. Plus there I shared my resurrected Spore PomPon Sweater…a project 8 months in the fixing!!
I shared tons of DIY inspiration, including From the Archives, DIY Inspiration from Street Style Photos, DIY Ideas from New York Fashion Week S/S 2013, DIY Fashion Week Street Style, DIY Inspiration from J. Crew August 2012 Catalog, and DIY Ideas from Fashion Weeks Around the World for Autumn/Winter 2012, among many others.
DIY: Sequin Trompe L’Oeil Peter Pan Collar T-Shirt is a great way to jazz up a plain tee really quickly.
In 2012 we also traveled to Tucson, AZ, Timberline Lodge, OR, and Tokyo, Japan (part 1 of Japan photos here). I was also able to go to the Japan Hobby Show 2012 while I was in Japan too, which was so inspiring.
5 Easy DIY’s Even a Beginner Can Master can get you started in making your own things, with easy, fun projects that are simple to start, simple to collect the tools and materials, and a snap to finish.
My son Lil Tot had so much fun making the Kiddie Craft: DIY Milk Carton Bird Feeder from Parents Magazine. It’s a great little project to do with any little one in your life! (Or even for your own yard;-)
Now that Spring is on the way you may want to update your wardrobe with flowers, and this DIY Floral Applique Cardigan for Spring would be perfect.
If you have a spare curtain laying around (or find one at the thrift store), a DIY Lace Maxi-Skirt…Made From A Curtain! is a simple and quick project.
DIY Mixed Media Bib Necklace with Tulip Beads in a Bottle was another project I did playing around with a new material. Tulip Beads in a Bottle is so fun!
So here is a comprehensive list of all my tutorials from 2012 (29 in all):
Clothing
Sequin Trompe L’Oeil Peter Pan Collar T-Shirt
Lace Maxi-Skirt from a Curtain
Upcycled Colorblock Chiffon Top
Accessories
Preppy Initial Back-to-School Keychain Bag Charm
Dolce & Gabbana Flowered Sunglasses
Jil Sander Gathered Removable Peplum
Jewelry
Rhinestone-Wrapped Neon Tasselled Earrings
Jumble Chain Choker Necklace with {styled} by Tori Spelling
Handbags
Stenciled Convertible Tote/Backpack
Shoes
Luxury Jones Belt-Wrapped Cowboy Boots
Beauty
Nails Inc. London Magnetic Manicure
Home Decor
Glittery Christmas Ornament Napkins
Recipes
Holiday Chocolate Bark: 4 Recipes
My DIY’s from 2011 (46 Tutorials)
(some of them may be missing photos b/c of my move to WordPress awhile ago – if you see any posts missing photos, please let me know! {Leave a comment on the post} Thanks so much!)
2012 has been a great year for me…hope it has been just as wonderful for all of you!
So, as I raise my glass of sparkling grape juice, I wish all of you a very Happy New Year! May 2013 bring even more wonderful things for everyone~
xoxox
Carly
Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
