crafts Archives - Chic Creative Life

Last-Minute DIY Valentine’s Day Gift Ideas

Feb 12, 2015 | DIY

The big V-day happens to be Saturday this year, and it’s now a countdown to what to get, what to make, how to profess your undying love to the one true person in your life. Here are a couple ideas from my archives if you need something to make last-minute:

DIY Ombre Typography Pillows

DIY His and Hers Leather-Bound Book Necklace/Keychain

DIY French Macaron Stack Card Holder Memo Stand

DIY Patterned Silver Leaf Photo Frame

DIY Faux Geode Quartz Paperweight

DIY Healthy Natural Coconut Oil Stick Deodorant

And, from a previous year: 15 DIY Valentine’s Day Gifts for Everyone.

And, if you’d prefer not to give a THING but instead perform an action and make it a memorable experience instead: Romantic Ideas You Can Do At Home for Valentine’s Day Infographic

And, for those wanting to celebrate their singledom, here are a couple great ideas for you too!

7 Single Gals Valentine Day Ideas

Carly

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DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Macaron Coin Purse

Mar 14, 2014 | DIY

While I was in Tokyo last year, I picked up another felt macaron coin purse kit. (I think I’m a little addicted!)

I made a cute little half-and-half cookie macaron coin purse the year before, and within 6 hours of hanging it from my handbag, I promptly lost it somewhere on the streets of Tokyo. I did look for it, but never found it. (T _ T)

So the next time I went I intended to buy another kit and re-make the purse…except I couldn’t find the same kit again. So I bought a chocolate chip cookie version. Here are photos of the process of making these cute little purses. You need yellow and brown felt, a thread and needle, a 5cm-long zipper, 2 pieces of stiff cardboard (like cut from a milk carton), some fiberfill stuffing, scissors, a pencil, brown eyeshadow, and a small ball chain to make these.) Hope you like it! Have fun making your own version 🙂

Happy DIY’ing!

xo
Carly

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DIY Deko Sweets: Clay French Macarons with Cream Filling

Feb 2, 2014 | DIY

Who isn’t obsessed with French macarons lately? They seem to be everywhere: flooding Pinterest, on inspiration boards, in recipe guides, and all over Instagram. Though I love love love the real ones as an occasional indulgence, sometimes I want to have some around as sweet little objets d’art, and as the basis for another fun craft for Valentine’s Day I have coming up. They could also be used in jewelry and accessory projects too! (More on that later.) In the first of my series on Japanese-inspired Deko Sweets, here is how to make your very own (extremely realistic!) pastel-colored French macaron out of clay:

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Review: Maruti Beads Straight from India, Gorgeous, Handmade Beads for the Jewelry-Lover in Your Life

Oct 4, 2013 | Fashion

First of all: What are Maruti Beads? you may ask.Answer: They are amazingly-detailed, handmade beads in the rich tradition of Indian beadmaking. The clay beads are often adorned with metallic paillettes, braided wire, and tiny rings to bring a textured, glamorous finish to each bead. And each is made by hand!

A little more info about these three types of beads, straight from the MarutiBeads.com website:

Kashmiri beads are made from a mix of marble powder and manufactured resin (polymer clay) while the resin used in Lac beads is from a natural source.Also known as “Bollywood” beads, Kashmiri beads are hand decorated and use a variety of materials for embellishment such as mirror chips, seed beads, silver plating and rhinestones.

Maruti Beads artistically blends the beauty of Kashmiri beads with silver plated side caps to culminate in a one of a kind creation exclusive to Maruti International.

Lac beads are made from a mixture of Lac and marble powder, ornamented with silver plating, seed beads and rhinestones: detailed with metal elements, mirror chips and various embellishments…In short, Lac beads are highly valued individual works of art…Lac is a substance secreted by a tiny insect called Kerria lacca. The Lac insect is so small that a magnifying glass is needed to see it. This little bug dwells in the twigs of host trees and lives off the sap from which they secrete the hard Lac resin. When first harvested Lac resin is brittle and tough however, through a process of slow heating the resin softens into a workable material.

Lac beads to the back, Kashmiri beads to the right, and Maruti beads to the left.

To be honest, I had never heard of Maruti beads before (nor Kashmiri, nor Lac beads), not until a rep from Maruti Beads International contacted me to see if I wanted to review their beads.

They sent me a multi-pack that included Maruti, Lac, and Kashmiri beads to review.

As you can see, each bead is beautifully unique. The attention to detail is just marvelous – and the rhinestones are top quality that really sparkle. Due to their ornate nature, the beads are a bit heavy but each exquisite one stands out. Thrown together into a piece of jewelry they may compete with one another – so probably the best use of them is to carefully choose where to place each one in designs for maximum impact.

I made this pretty beaded bracelet in a flash, using imitation leather cording and a fish-hook closure. The beads would also be perfect as a single focal of a bracelet in an arm party stack (or many bracelets!!), or linked up together Shamballah-style. (You can also see Shamballah bracelets designed with Maruti beads here, and regular bracelets using Maruti beads here.) They can also be linked together into necklaces, or used in drop-style earrings. I love how each tiny bead tells a little story – and in some (not all) the hole is large enough to accommodate Pandora or Dione bead systems.

MarutiBeads.com also sells beautiful copper, glass, and gemstone beads, besides finished jewelry, on their website.

For any bead-lover or jewelry enthusiast I’d definitely recommend trying out these beads in your designs – and with the holiday season coming up they may make a wonderful present for the proverbial woman who has everything.

Wholesale Beads at MarutiBeads.com

Which is your favorite style of bead? (I just love that big black barrel one in the center of my bracelet!!) Or what would you make with these? Let me know in the comments section!

xo
Carly

FTC Disclosure: I was sent a Bead Mix Pack from Maruti Beads containing Lac, Kashmiri, and Maruti Beads for review purposes (ARV=$60). I have not been compensated for this post. The opinions above are my own. My full Disclosure Policy is here.

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DIY Breaking Bad Stick Puppets for the Finale Episode: Who’s Your Favorite Character?

Sep 28, 2013 | Fashion

So the finale episode of AMC’s hit show Breaking Bad is airing this Sunday – how excited is everyone for it??! I confess I only got into watching the show this last Spring, and although I did binge-watch it on Netflix in marathons, at times I had to take a long breather from watching because I was finding it too much. It psychologically insinuated itself into my life, where the storylines would stay with me, the characters’ motives and acting still thrilled upon reflection, and the visuals would flash before my eyes at random moments. (Okay, a little not good for daily life.)

But of course I was dying to find out what happened next! So after taking a 3-month hiatus from the show, I finally dived back in – just in time too, so I can celebrate the final episode this Sunday with an intimate gathering.

And I couldn’t resist getting crazy and crafty and whipping up some Breaking Bad-themed stick puppets – totally silly, I know – but they work great as decorations for the food table, or for everyone to grab their favorite character from the show while watching. (I admit I only thought of this yesterday at 11:30 AM, and figured “somebody must have already made some Breaking Bad puppets,” but Googled it and found nothing.) So even though it’s at the eleventh hour, here are the patterns and instructions for some of the main characters from the groundbreaking TV series: (more…)