Apr 10, 2012 | DIY
Yup, these last two weeks have been crazy for me, which is why I’m again condensing my Links of the Week into one post. But there’s still DIY to be found!
Do a quick n easy DIY with Because I’m Addicted and her DIY Tuxedo Pants. Heat ‘n’ Bond, an iron, and a pretty ribbon are all that are required!
Dying to DIY that hair necklace you may have seen Kim Kardashian sporting recently? The Beauty Department has the how-to for the newest hair accessory on the block!
Four Flights of Fancy has shared some great DIYs on her blog: I especially love the DIY Acorn Pendant! (Couldn’t you just see something like this in Anthropologie??!)
There’s some great inspiration and ideas as well over on DIY Fashion Accessories. Check out her painted Chevron Flats!
Add some boho chic to your tech gear with Free People‘s tutorial for Wrapped Headphones. Dangling down from your ears they look almost like hair wraps…but aren’t. (Just in time for Coachella, too!)
My boring old Canon camera strap needs a cute makeover…and I’m loving the vintage-inspired DIY Camera Strap from Design Love Fest! Also: when you’re done using your camera, unhook the strap and wear as a long necklace with the swivel hooks at the back of your neck as the clasp. How cute would that be??
The addition of lace to a pair of old shoes makes them so sweet. A Lemon Squeezy Home has the tutorial (and btw, the lace is removable for when you get tired of it!!)
Make a pretty art deco watch with Kristina J. Love her choice of chain and charms!
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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Mar 28, 2012 | DIY
Two weeks have gone by since my last roundup…and in the meantime, Spring is finally here! It’s been weird weather all last week, alternating between snowing and then hot, balmy days, but now I think it’s officially Spring. The plum outside our house has bloomed, the person I hired to mow my lawn hacked my shrub into a tree-shape by removing the bottom 2/3 of the branches (maybe he thought it was actually a tree???), and I’m spending the week cooped up inside with a head cold that is steadily worsening. At least I’m getting back into the DIY!
So what has everyone else been up to?
Alicia from Dismont Creative made this perfect zippered pouch out of fabric she designed herself…no, not on Spoonflower [where I’ve had a blast designing custom fabrics before]…but with Sharpie Fabric Markers! The final product looks so amazing she could definitely sell them!
I’ve seen it done with markers before, but I think this is the first time I’ve seen it with paint: DIY Saddle Shoes, found on Rookie Mag. How darling are they…and think, you could even do them up in pastels for Spring!
Clones n Clowns did a fabulous reinvention of those Jeffrey Campbell studded Tick wedges everyone was DIY’ing last year…except hers are done with pretty spangled stars! I’m thinking perfect Fourth of July shoes maybe? Or something extra-chic for glamming up the everyday!
Speaking of the Fourth of July, maybe you’d like to make a DIY Free People American Flag Scarf, with Katarina of She Sells Seashells? She may be based in Germany, but her American flag is just a work of art! How about trying it yourself…or making a scarf of the flag of a country that is near and dear to you?
Going on a trip sometime soon? How about a beautifully chic DIY Passport Cover from A Cleaner Closet? You could use any scraps of leather or vinyl you have in your stash…or even raid the upholstery section of your local fabric store for some exotic faux alligator or faux ostrich!!
Maya from Soccer Mom Style built on my post on How to Paint Leather by mixing her acrylic paint with Textile Medium to prevent cracking on a belt that would normally be flexed frequently. Her DIY Pastel Mint Belt is just gorgeous – and a great solution to acrylic paint cracking with use!
This DIY Flowered Alexander McQueen Clutch from Make Me Sparkly is just perfect for Spring. (It may be from last year, but it totally looks 2012!!) Love all her work on it!
Chictopian Ellephoto posted a quick n easy tutorial for DIY Lace Pocket Shorts. Beautiful, pastel, and warm-weather-appropriate! Love it:-)
Thanks to everyone who sent me your great projects!
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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Mar 13, 2012 | DIY
Hi everyone! So another week has gone by, and I’ve been embroiled in a ton of work for school; this is my last week and Finals are upon me! I have two huge projects due this coming Monday…and only time will tell to see whether I’ll have to go light on posting on this blog this week to make it all happen. But…in other news, the blogosphere has been a-buzz with some great projects that I’m sure you’ll all want to try! Like…
Well, for one, March is NATIONAL CRAFT MONTH!! Celebrate by crafting up a storm with some of my favorite crafting sites, including Cut Out + Keep, One Pretty Thing, Tip Junkie, Instructables, Martha Stewart, and Dollar Store Crafts. And to start you off, why not try out this chic-looking DIY Paperclip Necklace featured on Dollar Store Crafts? It reminds me a bit of a Forever 21 paperclip necklace that I saw awhile ago…only better. Check it out!
Taylor & Demolish created yet another way to bling out your shirt collar…with some DIY Chained Collar Tips! Love that she converted earring posts to make it super-simple for anyone to do.
LOVE this. DIY some furry gorilla arms (don’t be scared! They’re actually really fashionable:-) on your old Winter coat. Which not only will be perfect for A/W 2012, but also right.right.NOW. (Especially since it just snowed today here in Portland!! Eek! Will Spring never come??) from Lipglossandblack on Chictopia.
Refinery29 shared this great video: How To Make your own DIY Rodarte Star Hair Clips, which is just an awesome idea. How about using buttons, different-shaped studs, or vintage broken-down bits of jewelry instead? Instant perfect hair accessory!
How about something bright and fun and part of Spring’s neon trend? Hello Brit‘s Duct Tape Feather Earrings are super-simple and won’t break the bank!
Hey! Look What I Made crafted a pretty, sparkly top inspired by a sweater from Pixie Market. Simple and chic! (and check out the rest of her blog, her writing is uber-funny. I warned ya!;-)
The Embellished created a beautiful sequined clutch from a spangled Ebay bolero. Sequin fabric is indeed hard to come by, so working with something that already exists is a great way to get some good materials! How amazing is the finished product that she made??
From ¿Qué puedo hacer con esto?, a Spanish-language DIY blog, I found this fun tutorial for adding a faux tartan-pattern to a sweater. Just a little simple stitching with some yarn and you have a whole different look to your sweater! (Reminds me a bit of my Woven Ribbon Sweater DIY that I did last year.)
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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Mar 6, 2012 | DIY
Woohoo!
March is here! Portland is beginning to pull itself out of a long, dreary Winter (hellllloooooo daily hailstorms!) and things are happening over here in this corner of the world! I’m feeling more like myself than in ages – and have even gotten back to more frequent DIY’ing! So let’s all shrug off those cobwebs of Winter, throw our shoulders back, and head straight-on into Spring and all the beauty and promise that it brings. And what better way to celebrate the changing seasons than a little DIY??;-) 
For the bold DIY’er: how about a DIY Spring Wedding…DRESS, that is, made out of t-shirts? How fabulous is this??? From CRAFT Magazine’s blog.
Smashion’s blog came up with a cute DIY leather tassel necklace, inspired by a piece from Jewelmint. It’s a great way to use up some old leather scraps! (And believe me, I have a ton of those leftover from various projects throughout the years.;-)
Stripes and Sequins made these beautiful Springy polka-dotted DIY Loeffler Randall-Inspired Shoes! Different treatments on your shoe’s platforms are so in right now…and you could do pretty polka dots, stripes, flowers…anything that strikes your fancy.
This sweet Boho Maxi Dress from Sweet Verbena is super-easy, bright, and fun! Looks like I now have my go-to Summer lounging dress!
Use quilling to create rolled floral paper beads – and glue onto a cuff! This Modern Bouquet Cuff Bracelet from Michael’s will look great using a slightly thicker cuff – and some floral scrapbooking paper.
Create a sparkly, sweet DIY Glitter Peter Pan Collar with Made by Geneviève. Just a little bit of Mod Podge and you can attach practically anything to anything! Think how pretty that will look with a little LBD or lightweight Spring sweater. And if you’re needing a pattern for that collar, you can pick up a copy of my DIY Pattern: The Peter Pan Removable Collar from my Etsy store!
How about this GORGEOUS DIY gold-leafed tote – a handbag makeover inspired by MIMCO by Beyond the Open Spaces? It looks so expensive and luxurious now, you’d have a hard time convincing anybody that you didn’t pay a bundle for it!
Soccer Mom Style shared her tutorial for some Neon Detail Painted Wooden Bangles, and I’m dying to makeover my old bangles too! Neon is so perfect for Spring/Summer 2012!!
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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Feb 21, 2012 | DIY
Hope everyone’s been having a great February so far! Already 3/4 over and Spring is hopefully on its heels soon. I’m feeling renewed by a changing in the seasons, and am recently inspired to get my craft on again after combing through the recaps of the NYFW shows. So what has the Internet been up to in these past couple weeks…?
LookUnderHere created a great tutorial on Youtube for transforming any skirt into something lovely, gathered, and asymmetrical.
How about a lovely Painted Leather Geometric Necklace from Oh the Lovely Things? I had to look twice to figure out how it was constructed and what it was made of; the metallic leather shapes are amazing.
If you’re looking to add a pop of color into your life (that’s totally revertable if/when you tire of it, Make It and Fake It has the solution with her DIY Reversible Neon Heels. (Also check out her archive for a number of other great and fashionable DIY projects!!)
DIY Heart Print Tights from The Pineneedle Collective need not just be for Valentine’s Day! Amazingly, acrylic paint will work fairly well on sheer hose. Who knew??
A Beautiful Mess made some fabulous DIY Suspenders for a guy…but you could easily make them girly with the usage of different printed elastics!
Chictopians Lipglossandblack posted their DIY Fishtail-Hem Skirt, which is so on-trend and perfect for those in-between days when it’s neither warm nor cold. Show off some leg and still look demure!
How cute is this Pompon-Edged Scarf from The Purl Bee?? Done up in pretty fabrics, with bright (or pastel) pompon trim, this is such a unique take on the neck-scarf that everyone, from celebs to teens, is sporting lately.
Though I usually don’t post crafts done by Martha Stewart (since craft tutorials from there are re-posted and shared all over the place), I couldn’t help myself with this chunky Dyed Wooden Beads Necklace. I love how you can vary the colors to make this couture-like look all your own!
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-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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