Dec 1, 2011 | DIY
Wow – a Links of the Week posted on Thursday! This week it’s super-late because I’ve been involved a bunch of projects that threatened to take over everything for awhile. There were the 3 Bear Costumes, 3 pairs of Bear Mittens, 3 Bow-Ties, 6 Lacy Aprons, and 6 Lacy Hair-Bows I made for Lil Tot’s class Winter Performance (tomorrow!). And the two HUGE projects I have due in my classes tomorrow: one a CD design prototype done in Photoshop and Illustrator, and one After Effects rough cut of a 1-minute composited project. Then I got an email on Monday that a company wanted me to come in for an interview (I had applied for an internship with them) – so I redid my entire portfolio. All at once everything was happening, and despite the DIY I did for my son’s costumes, I wasn’t able to do much for this blog for a couple days.
Anyway, the world has still turned and much DIY goodness came out of last week! Here are a couple things that caught my eye:
I’ve discovered another DIY blog – called I Have a Deer – and I loved this tutorial on how to make glittery epaulets from an old bra. Repurposing at its finest!
DIY your own velvet skirt (from a thrifted velvet dress) just in time for the hollidays! Chictopian Headbandit has the tutorial here.
Inspired by a pearl necklace seen in Vivi Magazine (I think I bookmarked the same necklace!), Sparks in Spring made this super-cute Peter Pan Collar Necklace. It’s so sweet – and surprisingly easy to do!
Though I don’t normally post non-wearable DIY’s, I couldn’t resist with this Glitter Flatware from Oh Happy Day. I mean, it’s so sparkly -how could one resist?!! Perfect for your next holiday fete.
For this time of year (at least in the Northern Hemisphere), staying toasty on chilly days is a must. This ingenious DIY from The Style Projects repurposes an old sweater for some new and fabulous legwarmers. Now I’m waiting for the next frigid day with bated breath!
Thinking along the same lines, Whitney at Freshly Given posted her sweater to Cowl tutorial. A great way to re-purpose old sweaters – and then cut the arms off for legwarmers!
The Free People blog has come up with a couple ideas to turn holiday ornaments into accessories. (I’m sure it helps if the ornaments you pick already resemble accessories, LOL!) But seriously, this time of year is great to find some things that normally might hang off a tree…and re-purpose them into things for necklaces, bracelets, headbands, and earrings.
FashionDIY101 is a new blog I’ve discovered, and I love her chic, simple DIY’s Check out her gold wire bracelet tutorial to get you started!
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! (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-
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Nov 22, 2011 | DIY
Can you believe Thanksgiving is only in a couple days?? I braved the market today to get everything I need for the holiday (I hope), but am having mini-panic attacks that I forgot something and will have to go back tomorrow – or worse – Thursday. Since I make dinner every year for my family, it’s always DIY!
Modern Rosies has a great tutorial for adding painted pop art to any canvas shoe. You could also use this technique for canvas totes or hats as well…I’m beginning to get excited just thinking of the possibilities!
LOVE this Burberry-Inspired Clutch by Inked and Sewn. Sooooo chic!
Monique (aka Chictopian PetiteAvenue) posted this great article about Quality vs. Quantity, regarding fast fashion, our need to accumulate and appear “on-trend,” and the hidden costs of purchasing vast quantities of cheap items. A very pertinent issue, especially with so much of manufacturing having moved offshore to cheap labor sources, and the current Occupy Wall Street manifesto.
If you have a lot of glitter from various craft projects lying around (guilty!), try repurposing it into your very own DIY Glitter Nail Polish! Youtuber QueenBeauty has the video.
Use vintage-style coins and make a unique DIY Coin Ring, with the help of Cheap Chic Obsession. Imagine stacked, with various finishes, patinas, and shapes of coins – wouldn’t that look fabulous??!
Whoa. DIY your own pair of sexy Sam Edelman Lorissa pumps by following Instructables user Imnopeas. Warning: requires an electric drill. But so utterly awesome!
Have an old coat? Check out this great list of 14 Easy Ways to Refashion a Winter Coat from Tatertots and Jello. Just in time to breathe some more life into that ol’ closet!
Add a little bit of sparkle into your life with this tutorial for a Glitter Striped Tee from Growing Home. A great update on the classic Breton shirt for the holidays!
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! (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-
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Nov 15, 2011 | DIY
So I was editing that nail video…and realized I first have to put up a DIY Links of the Week post before I throw that up!! (That didn’t sound right, somehow…:-/)
So how about some weekly links of DIY goodness first?!
Add a DIY cap toe to a plain pair of booties with Because I’m Addicted. Minimalist chic at its best!
Are you a UK/Eire resident above the age of 18…and feeling crafty? Create a Dress made out of paper to be featured on Vogue.com and sold at retailer Matches. Submit a photo of your creation by Dec 1 to British Vogue’s Facebook page and garner as many votes from your adoring public as possible. The 10 most-voted-for (Dec 1-9 voting period) get posted onto Vogue.com; and the winner (as chosen by a panel of industry insiders) gets their dress made and sold at Matches. So it’s a popularity contest rather than a design contest…who cares? It’s Vogue.com, dah-ling!!
Say YES! to Hoboken proffers up the sock bun as a way of beefing up wimpy hair buns…and a great substitute for the Odango Cushion I have used for my own buns that many of you asked me about (but was only available in Japan). A DIY accomplished in mere seconds!
Have you checked out Craftgawker yet? It’s such a great place for DIY inspiration – and you can submit your own projects as well!
The talented Alicia from Dismount Creative whipped up some gorgeous sparkly DIY Druzy Jewelry (made of glitter and findings, no less!). Could it be the perfect DIY holiday gift for that special person in your life?
It may be November, but I’m working on a DIY swimsuit for a possible Hawaii trip coming up this Spring. Get a jump on warm weather with 10 Free DIY Swimsuit Patterns, compiled by Craft Foxes.
I’ve been seeing this blog mentioned all over the place lately, and I feel so remiss that I haven’t found it sooner. Ralph Pink quit his job last year to become one of the UK’s leading couture designers, and set up a blog to documenthis journey. He also, incidentally, offers free patterns and downloads, as well as tutorials. Definitely check him out!
Runway DIY just launched her own DIY kits. Available are various styles of earrings, bracelets, and accessories. Super-cute!
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! (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-
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Nov 8, 2011 | DIY
So Fall is now finally waning towards colder days, and the first week of November has come and gone. Here’s hoping everyone had a great Halloween! [if you celebrate it, that is;-)]
How Does She?’s DIY flowers from rick-rack and burlap are super-sute, and super-fast! Did I mention that the little rick-rack flowers are supposed to take only 15 minutes to make?! She’s linked up a ton of flower-making tutorials in the post – so check it out and be prepared to find a bounty of floral inspiration and must-do project!
The Winners of the Today DIY Style Week from MSNBC were announced, and as Outi from Outsapop so astutely pointed out, the winners are all accessory-making projects rather than clothing projects. Clothing is definitely a lot more difficult to DIY, since there’s such a range of sizing which often can’t be distilled to a “one-size-fits-all” set of how-to instructions. (Maybe also a reason the Today Show didn’t bother with featuring any clothing projects, since specific instructions would most likely not be applicable to a mass audience.) But that doesn’t mean that we definitely shouldn’t try!!
DIY Pearly Sunglasses by the In (ner) Sole o Cutie Boots let you channel your inner Lolita. Try using other items besides pearls, like buttons, beads, gold leaf, or even spikes for a Gaga-esque makeover as well!
Angela Osborn‘s Guide to Dressmaking – 8 Helpful Hints is exactly what it says it is: encouraging taking one’s time, following patterns step-by-step, and making a muslin/toile to deal with any fit issues before cutting into the good fabric. (Among other useful tips!) She also offers up an eponymous line of digital patterns available for download, where you can put those great dressmaking hints to work for you right away!
I love this incredible (and easy!) tutorial for Easy 3 Steps to a 3 Way Shirt from Cut Out + Keep user Emilyyy! Totally doable for even the most sewing-phobic.
DIY Cone Stud Spike Bracelet is a simple accessory that packs a bit of a punky punch. Check out Thanks, I Made It for the how-to!
Jazz up an old cardigan with some handmade flowers for an Anthropologie-inspired piece. Tea Rose Home used some fabric yo-yos, felt, and lace to make her gorgeous creation – how beautiful is that?
Studs and Pearls used Clorox bleach and paints to create an on-trend DIY Galaxy Turban Headband. Out-of-this-world chic at its best!
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! (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-
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Oct 27, 2011 | DIY
Another week – and that much closer to Halloween!! How many of you have figured out your costumes for this year yet? (I’m still undecided…but there’s still 4 days left, right?!) I’m swamped with projects for school and getting all the Halloween decor and activities done before the big day…so I may just go as myself! But I’m sure you guys are formulating some great ideas…
Meanwhile, the blogosphere has been a-buzz with Halloween costume ideas, contests, and a sudden spotlight shone on some DIY bloggers as of late…
MSNBC Today covered DIY Fashion in their article “Make It, Don’t Buy It,” citing a few DIY blogs you may know…like Honestly, WTF and P.S. I Made This. The consensus from the comments? This is old news! Seems most people are already quite aware of DIY as a crafty way to save money – which is no big surprise there.;-) Also check out their slideshow of a new project submitted by DIY bloggers daily this week.
Squiggles & Scribbles posted a FABULOUS DIY for that YSL Arty Oval Ring – using a pebble, nail polish, duct tape, and a glue gun. It looks so much like the real thing – and I can’t wait to hear how it holds up with wear. Major props!!
Chictopia is having an I DIE FOR DIY Halloween Costume contest with a $300 grand prize, judged by some guest judges you may already know…like Geneva of a pair & a spare, Jenni from I Spy DIY, and Syl and Sam from lipgloss and black. Upload a photo of your DIY costume creation, pair it with a creative write-up, encourage your friends to vote, and see if you win. Contest runs until November 4th.
Need some false eyelashes for your Halloween costume but don’t want to shell out the big bucks? Check out Chezlin‘s tutorial – where she uses the bristles from a makeup brush and some eyelash glue to make her own fabulous DIY version.
Behind the Seams shared a tutorial for creating a colorful faux fur clutch, inspired by Phillip Lim and Prada. Word of warning though: the blogger in this case got lucky with the color! Both RIT and iDye are formulated to work on natural fabrics – i.e., not synthetic faux fur, and color adhesion to synthetics is incomplete or not true-to-color. (I’ve had difficulties with RIT dye in the past not adhering to higher-end acrylic faux fur, especially kinds that have coated strands.) Acrylic fibers can only be dyed effectively using Disperse Dyes (for lighter colors – here’s an EHow on it), and Basic Dyes, like Aljo (for darker colors – these are possibly carcinogenic and very toxic dyes; and very difficult to get ahold of non-commercially). Everything else is non-permanent, so experiment at your own risk! (It’s still a pretty result nonetheless.)
How about some DIY studded Versace-inspired jeans? A Matter of Style made her own – and they look so chic. Love the architectural designs down the leg – tres Versace.
Inspiration & Realisation put together a tutorial for this sweet little DIY fishtail sweater, as inspired by Phillip Lim. What a chic makeover to the basic wardrobe staple!
If you crochet, here is the most awesome crochet pattern EVAH: a Crochet Skull Necklace from Shara Lambeth Designs. Now I’m dying to pick up a crochet hook and get crackin’! Found via Transient Expression.
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/2011/10/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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