May 11, 2013 | DIY
Mother’s Day 2013 is almost upon us…how are you doing for finding that perfect thing for that special woman in your life? Flowers, chocolate, a handmade card expressing love, even a thoughtful gesture can go a long way in showing her how much she’s appreciated! If you’re looking for something to give, here at the very, very last minute, are some Mother’s Day Gift ideas to DIY for that lovely lady:
DIY Vintage Photo Throw Pillow with Freezer Paper
Try using a treasured photo of Mom’s, family photos, or a snap of you + Mom together, for an extra-special way to preserve memories.
DIY Paper Gardenia Bouquet
Real flowers wilt and die…a bouquet of these will last forever! Love the Scrabble tiles anchoring the bouquet, adding a personalized touch.
DIY Geometric Paperweights
These are super-chic and can totally be customized for Mom with a coat or two of paint, glitter, or tape.
DIY Geometric Triangle Art
Or how about this pretty piece of Washi Tape Triangle Art for Mom? The end result is amazing and all you need is a little tape.
Pleated Tote Tutorial
This tote could be made in Mom’s favorite fabric (or even in fabric printed with family photos – see #1). Of course there are a ton of DIY Bag and Tote tutorials out there on the internet if you’re looking for a different style…this site offers a great roundup.
DIY Perfume Locket
Making perfume is surprisingly easy…and a solid perfume locket allows the wearer to carry it around all day, refreshing as needed. You can get all your supplies at your local natural foods store, and fill a locket…or a necklace vial…or a ring…or a compact case…the possibilities go on and on!
DIY Chevron Patterned Party Tray
Find a pretty fabric – and glue it to a tray for a whole new look. (You could even decoupage it with Mod Podge instead of using an acrylic sheet to make it permanent!)
(Hint: If you’re looking for a low- or no-cost alternative gift, Moms also really appreciate a meal made for the family by their partner, kids taken care of and put to bed, and a long, uninterrupted bubble bath all their own…without any little floaty toys or random kidparts and splashes in it. Just sayin.’ 😉
Do you have any favorite Mother’s Day projects to share? Add them in the comments section!
Hope you and all the mothers in your life enjoy a wonderful and relaxing Mother’s Day!
xo
Carly
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Dec 31, 2012 | DIY
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
Watercolor Kitten T-Shirt
Lace Maxi-Skirt from a Curtain
Floral Applique Cardigan
Upcycled Colorblock Chiffon Top
Accessories
40’s Style Cute Kitty Beret
Preppy Initial Back-to-School Keychain Bag Charm
Tattoo Tights
Dolce & Gabbana Flowered Sunglasses
Jil Sander Gathered Removable Peplum
Skull-Printed Scarf
Jewelry
Mixed Media Bib Necklace
Rhinestone-Wrapped Neon Tasselled Earrings
Jumble Chain Choker Necklace with {styled} by Tori Spelling
Metal Collar Necklace
Bolo-Tie Style Necklace
Handbags
Stenciled Convertible Tote/Backpack
Flowered Clutch Snackcessory
Shell Jewelry Case Clutch
Shoes
Lace-Covered Boots
Luxury Jones Belt-Wrapped Cowboy Boots
Beauty
Neon Sign Manicure
Acrylic Nails Sculpture
Half-Moon Manicure
Nails Inc. London Magnetic Manicure
Home Decor
Pinned Sequin Ball Ornaments
Glittery Christmas Ornament Napkins
Milk Carton Bird Feeder
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
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Aug 29, 2012 | DIY
Alright, so it’s been 3 weeks again, but my relaxing Summer has gotten oh-so-busy what with my mother visiting me, a trip to Arizona, and school and work taking up much of my time. How about you guys? Are you all gearing up for the coming Fall season and…gasp!…the various Fashion Weeks around the world? Can it be that time again? Before we head off to our various virtual fashionable destinations, let’s gear up with a little creativity along the way…
Love this easy DIY Macrame Tank by the girls of LipglossandBlack on Chictopia. Perfect festival…or late-Summer…or Labor Day party wear!
BLDG 25 [the official blog of Free People] posted this Yoga Mat Bag DIY for all the yogaphiles out there who haven’t yet found the perfect bag to tote around the only necessary piece of equipment for classes. Depending on the fabric you choose, the webbing for the handles, and the type of cord for the closure, you could make this totally boho or seriously luxe. I love that it’s all up to you!
Oh, sheesh, the Internet is being silly again. Lauren Conrad posted a DIY video on Youtube of her version of the ubiquitous “Bookshelf Box” (also available from many retailers in various forms for many, many years), which involved her buying new books, ripping out their pages, and gluing their spines to a box to create a concealed box that looks like a set of old tomes – and teh Interwebs rose up as one and denounced her. (See full discussion and original DIY video on The Look on Today.) Cool to destroy books in the name of DIY – or pure sacrilege? An example of the uber-wealthy but brainless elite doing wasteful things – or an idea to re-use what a changing society no longer wants? (Perhaps she should have just bought the book spines for her project from OriginalBooks.net and saved herself all this hullaballoo?)
Create your own DIY Blinged-Out La Sardinia Camera with Refinery29…which is basically another version of a Japanese-style deko-den (or “decorated cell phone,” though in this case it’s a decorated camera). If you’re looking for Deko-Den design inspiration (that can really be applied to any hard-sided accessory you have utilizing the correct glue for your parts), 2 of my favorites are KiraKira Shouten, and the design collection on Matome Naver. When it comes to stuffing as much junk onto your camera (or phone), it’s all about balance and quality!;-)
Because I’m Addicted posted these awesome DIY Leopard-Print Shorts‘ a little while back, but I think these are still totally on-trend and do-able for anything you got. All you need is a sharpie, your stencil, and a little bit (or a lot) of patience..but it will pay off in the end. Me-OW!
I just love the ingenuity of 2nd Funniest Thing‘s DIY Starfish Bracelet – using Fimo and a little bit of sculpting ability. (With screwdrivers;-) How amazing is her final creation?! I’m just dying to try this out!
This Paint-Splattered Umbrella is just awesome. So easy – but such a chic result – from Design for Mankind. Who’s heading off in search of a translucent umbrella now in order to try this makeover??
Check out this Halter Top from a Shirt tutorial over at Wobisobi – it’s so goshdarn cute! With just a little snippery – and some great choices for trims – you have yourself a perfect top for that late Summer barbecue or beach venture.
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
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If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Original tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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Aug 8, 2012 | DIY
Wow, it’s already August? Well, Summer’s flying by, my workplace’s renovation is starting to wrap up and I can breathe little easier, as well as get back to making things more often. Let’s see what the internet has also been up to recently:
MSNBC’s The Look wrote a piece about women DIY’ing different-colored soles onto their shoes, mainly as an intro to the companies RossoSolini (that sells stick-on colored soles), and Save Your Sole (that sells paint specially formulated for the soles of your shoes). Though painting the soles of a pair of heels red to create faux Louboutins is old, old news (and I’m not even sure “news” is the best category for this info), RossoSolini and Save Your Sole are some good resources that can help give your heels a make-over. (Or -under, as may be the case…?)
Whip up a quick Convertible Dress courtesy of Burdastyle user red-lia. The pattern is so easy, and it’s an update on the ubiquitous DVF-style wrap dress. The perfect go-to Summer piece!
Even though Made by Lex is no longer being actively updated, there are some great tutorials in the Archives section. Check out, for instance, her Women’s Romper Refashion tutorial…to make a cute little leopard romper out of an old baggy dress. (Kind of like my tutorial for making a romper out of a man’s button-down shirt!)
Love Inspiration & Realisation‘s DIY version of a Rebecca Minkoff Stitched Sweater! Look at all the work she put into it…and even more amazing, the brand caught wind of it too! See how they responded here.
This is insane! DIY your own Festival-ready Customized Rucksack with Kate’s Closet on ASOS. It’s totally over-the-top with everything thrown on there like that, but the great thing is, you can take any idea out of there and remix them into your own perfect bag. DIY is all about customizing it to suit your own tastes!
A Beautiful Mess posted a beautiful Hand-Stamped Pony-Print Dress. I just love ponies, and the stark but playful print really livens up a plain white dress. Giddyup!
ExtraPetite‘s makeover of a thrifted too-large blouse makes a perfect DIY Polka Dot Bow Blouse. Plus it contains some useful sewing tips for fitting when doing your thrift store recons!
Learn how to create easy Dip-Dye Accessories from Youtube user AndreasChoice. Another nail polish makeover to be sure, but a new take on the technique that will give you that pretty faded ombre look to anything metal. Perfect accessories for those hot Summer days!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://www.chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” /></a>
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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Jul 25, 2012 | DIY
Can you believe the month of July is almost over?? This Summer is just barrelling along! While we’re undergoing a renovation at work (7-day workweek, anyone?;-) the rest of the blogosphere has been busy whipping up some fabulous projects. Here are a few:
I love things that are visual and even though everyone’s gravitating to Pinterest these days, sometimes collaging is just as fun. Check out these DIY Polyvore Sets (remember Polyvore?) for some make-it-yourself inspo!
Did you know? Cat Morley, from the amazing Cut Out + Keep tutorial site, is now Crafter to the Stars! She sewed up a sequined cat-shaped fascinator for Audrey Kitching. See the full tutorial here.
Check out a new DIY blog I discovered; Greenie Dresses for Less! Lots of easy and cute DIY tutorials, like her Lace Edged Socks that add a bit of sweetness and whimsey to an otherwise standard pair of footwear.
I do love a man’s shirt makeover! Try this DIY Men’s Shirt into a Cut-Out Dress upcycle from Chictopians Lipglossandblack, and get through the rest of Summer with a bit of buttoned-down style.
Need something easy and breezy for those super-hot days? How about a DIY Maxi, from 10 Summer Perfect DIY Maxi Dresses, by All Women Stalk. Love that geometric piece!
Short of Something posted a great tutorial for a pair of DIY Shorts with a sweet polka-dot pattern. Fabric paint, a skewer, a ruler, and a little bit of patience is all you need for this makeover!
It’s about time someone DIY’d those vaguely Stylestalker-esque Grommet Leggings! Trash to Couture‘s version is spot-on and uber-sexy. Her handiwork is just amazing!
And, for all those low-backed tops and dresses that are probably already in heavy rotation in your Summer wardrobe…try this DIY 5 Minute Low-Back Bra tutorial from Tights and Tea. No need to buy a different or convertible bra!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://www.chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/diylotwfeaturedbutton-1.png” />
If you have a DIY how-to or tutorial that you’d like to see featured on Chic Steals, please email me at carlyjcais at chic-steals dot com – and I’ll try to squeeze it in to one of my Links of the Week posts! (Tutorials/how-to’s with steps and photos included please! So everyone can share in the DIY goodness:-)
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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