Feb 7, 2012 | DIY
So January ends with a whimper and now February hits, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner. Here in Portland we’re enjoying the characteristic couple weeks at this time of year when the Winter rain stops and we get warm[ish], sunshiny days. That’ll all be over pretty soon and we’ll have afternoons of hail coming in a month or so. Oh well. We can all warm our hearts with a little DIY in the meantime…
Taylor & Demolish did a DIY Rhinestone Collar Necklace. (Boy, it seems everyone’s got collars on the brain these days!!) LOVE it!
Speaking of rhinestone necklaces, you can also DIY your own version of a Dannijo rhinestone necklace using a vintage bracelet and some neon nailpolish with Going West. (I know we’ve all seen nailpolish-coated rhinestone necklaces before…but is Dannijo’s piece inspired by them or the other way around? Which came first: the original or the DIY? Hmmm…..)
Warmer temps are on their way! Make some sassy studded DIY shorts with Jen Ell’s Revenge. I’m feeling the spaced-apart grid pattern she used – a new take on this ubiquitous trend.
How pretty and easy is this Turn a Necklace Into a Headband DIY from …love, Maegan?? Just a couple stitches and a hair elastic and you have yourself a beautiful, one-of-a-kind hair adornment.
Okay – this Cinch Bag tutorial by Sweet Verbena is awesome!! So stylish and unique – and imagine changing the cinching ribbons so your bows are different-colored…or decorated…oooh!!
I received a reader question about creating stylish lingerie, and I didn’t get back to her immediately since there seems to be a dearth of good patterns for undergarments. BurdaStyle posted 9 patterns for the boudoir, which although they aren’t DIY per se, can definitely help get you started on creating your own underpinnings.
DIY EVENT ALERT! This Saturday (Feb 11) from 12 – 3 PM at your local Free People Boutique, customers will get to create a special DIY for their Valentines. Get more info and RSVP at their Facebook page here. (Find your local Free People store here)
Going on a tropical getaway anytime soon? Need a new cover-up for the beach or pool? How about a quick and easy clothing project that requires no sewing? This DIY Caftan video on Craftzine should satisfy all those yearnings and more!
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 2, 2012 | DIY
Finally! There’s been some great DIY projects floating around, and though I’ve been super-busy and unable to dive into any of them, I hope those who have a little more time on their hands will try some of these out.
Look What Melissa Made posted this cute-and-easy Chain Collar DIY Necklace. Love how it’s a removable Peter Pan Collar – but wait, it’s a necklace – but wait, it’s a collar! A great way to sweeten up any outfit.
Still got collars on the brain? Try one of the 4 DIY Collar ideas that Refinery29 shared, including adding tips to a collar studding a collar, making a necklace out of leather, and cutting a collar off a shirt and securing with a button.
If you’re in the mood for something fun, short, and poufy, try making a DIY Man Repeller Miu Miu Skirt, courtesy of Chictopian RunwayDIY. Pleating is super-easy to do, and once you try it, I assure you the finished product will be an exact dupe of the original!
Beyond the Open Spaces has a great new take on the ubiquitous DIY Tassel Necklace; she’s added rhinestone chain and a button to make the finished piece 70’s fabulous. Check out her tutorial for matching earrings as well!
The series on sewing basic hems on A Beautiful Mess is really helpful, and can help take your sewing skills to the next level! Also check out her series on basic stitches and basic seams, and sewing leather, knits, and stretch fabric, which totally clarifies the process.
Add a studded ribbon edging to details on your bag with The Inner Sole of Cutie Booties. This is a great way to add some interest and make something look a lot more expensive than it really is!!
Geneva from A Pair and a Spare shared her DIY Metal Neck Cuff how-to on the Harper’s Bazaar Australia website. It uses a piece of aluminum flashing from the hardware store and comes out looking runway-ready.
Since it’s still technically Winter in many areas, you can give life to an old sweater by giving it a Fair Isle-style makeover…with safety pins! Inspiration & Realisation has the tutorial for this Moschino-inspired beauty.
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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Jan 17, 2012 | DIY
3 weeks have passed since my last DIY Roundup…and there’s been some great projects in the meantime! I hope everyone’s enjoying a wonderful start to 2012, and if even if you aren’t…things can only get better, right?! So here’s to creativity, craftiness, and a ton of FABULOUS DIY for the coming year!
So in the past couple weeks, here’s what’s been on my radar…
A Matter of Style DIY’d those famous glitter Miu Miu booties – curved heel and all! Just mind-blowingly awesome! See how she did it here.
Smart n Snazzy got her weave on and used pretty sparkly ribbon to create a DIY Bottega Veneta Woven Clutch. I literally can’t tell the difference between her DIY and something from a store – and it’s a great way to cover up an old clutch that’s dirty or ripped. Bravo!
Got an old sweater? Upcycle it into a DIY pretty pair of mittens and a cloche hat, with some contrasting buttons and applique flower. One Pearl Button has the how-to.
I love this little DIY Faux Fur Vest from The Style Projects. With only 2 sewn seams, it’s a quick’n’easy project that will have you out the door – bundled up in stylish, fuzzy warmth- in no time!
In the same gotta-wear-something-to-cover-up-when-it’s-cold vein, Chictopians Lipglossandblack posted a DIY for a blanket-style poncho. This is pretty much the same as P.S. I Made This’s DIY Plaid Cape, except it doesn’t have the collar lapels. Either way you do it, it’s still one stylish cover-up.
Swellmayde‘s Neon Envelope Clutch/iPad Case provides that perfect pop of color for those dreary Winter months. LOVE that she used vinyl and not real snakeskin…all the better for a more affordable (and humane) project!
Naughty Secretary Club embraced the kitschiness that embodies the IFC series Portlandia and created a Put a Bird on It Brooch. As a fellow Portlander, all I can say is…awesome! (And that the dream of the 90’s is obviously still alive.;-)
Outsapop posted a couple videos of people making their own DIY Alexander McQueen armadillo heels. Insane. Utterly insane. But if you ever wanted to make these for yourself, that’s’s how!
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/2012/01/diylotwfeaturedbutton.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-
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Dec 13, 2011 | DIY
Christmas is now only about a week-and-a-half away!! Can you guys believe it?? I’m swamped with classes ending, final projects and final exams, new pieces I’m trying to update my Etsy with, and a brand-new venture I’m trying to make live before the holidays end. Not to mention holiday packages, baking, and cards – and they all have to be done by Friday!! I feel mild panic setting in…
But a great thing about the holidays is that there is so much craftiness afoot. Check out what I’ve noticed lately…
Make it a fun and festive holiday with Make and Be Merry DIY Projects Roundup (3 pages of them!) from ReadyMade Magazine.
DIY Louis Vuitton Girly Girl Button Down shirt is pastel-sweet, with a lace collar to match. Check out Runway DIY for all the details!
This DIY has me totally LOL’ing…especially since I’m such a shoe-a-holic myself! Chictopians LipglossandBlack have posted their DIY Shoeaholic Christmas Stocking how-to…and who’s dying to make over their old stockings into something this fashionable??
Burdastyle is doing a daily giveaway this December – and I am remiss in not telling you guys about it! Check out their blog to enter every day, for great prizes including a brand-new Brother serger, thread collections, kits, and books that will make DIY’ing your wearables a breeze.
I just found a new DIY Youtube channel! Natalie’s Creations on YouTube will give you lots of projects to tackle, including that infamous Prada dress from a bunch of t-shirts and a manicure inspired by robins’ eggs. Check it out!
DIY Holiday Accessories – namely, headbands – are a must to make for your New Year’s Party. And you know they’re cool since they’re coming from former Threadbanger Meg (posted on Craftzine).
The In(ner) Sole of Cutie Boots and her latest DIY: a leather strap panja, inspired by a piece from Romwe.com. Chic and affordable, and a little bit edgy!
I’m itching to try this project: DIY Neon Jimmy Choos…with just a little bit of spraypaint, courtesy of Cheap Chic Obsession. I have been coveting a bright yellow pair of pumps forever…and just can’t find any pretty ones in my pricerange! Spraypaint to the rescue once again!
AND, if you’re still needing to get your craft on…I’ve also started a collection of Holiday projects in my Pinterest, where I’ve collected lots of ideas for alternative trees, ornaments, sweets, and wreaths – so please check them out and follow my boards on Pinterest if you’d like to see more!
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/2011/12/diylotwfeaturedbutton.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-
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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!
<a href=”https://chiccreativelife.com/category/links-of-the-week”><img src=”https://www.chiccreativelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/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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