Sep 20, 2011 | DIY
Another week has gone by in a thrice. Between spending 3 hours a day in the car toting Lil Tot to and from school, I’m also trying to stick to my workout schedule. For almost a month now, it’s been 6 days a week of hard, grueling workouts. Focusing on getting healthy, I’ve been preparing a lot more meals at home, measuring everything, and trying to cut out the junk. There’s been a few visual improvements overall, and I’m feeling a lot better – but all this activity is making me exhausted, ready to hit the hay at 9 o’clock at night instead of staying up and browsing the Internet for more DIY. You guys have been so great in sending me links to your projects, I wouldn’t know what to do without you!
So here are a few things that caught my eye this week:
Crafting Your Own Fashion – a Frugal Fashionista’s Guide from Frugal Beautiful contains a number of must-try tutorials and ideas. It will definitely keep you busy for awhile!
And the hardware as adornment trend continues! Henry Happened‘s Instructable for a grosgrain ribbon bracelet from a hose clamp looks so chic I had to look twice at it to realize it came from Home Depot!
Make some easy fabric feathers with the help of Ez from Creature Comforts (as posted on 100 Layer Cake). Use to decorate headbands, brooches, jewelry – even as a cruelty-free option for weaving into your own hair!
From The Opposite of War comes this sweet fringed boho backback-style bag. It could also be done all in leather or vinyl if you don’t want to use fabric, and looks so chic!
Freshly Given has another fabulous white blouse to share…and this time it’s made from a skirt! Check out her Grandma’s Skirt to Blouse tutorial here.
New DIY blog discovery! RunwayDIY.com has sprung onto the scene with a number of fresh, cleanly-edited, easily-achieved DIY’s. Love the graphics and simplicity of it – and check out all her fabulous DIY’s like her Little Black Bow Belt.
A Matter of Style posted a great Bananas Bag DIY inspired by Prada. How fabulous are all those little bananas??
Love kitty-cats? Make some Charlotte Olympia-inspired Cat Flats with the help of Andrea from The Paper Sparrow, posting on The Teal Cat Project. Utterly adorable!
Thanks I Made It just started a DIY blog and posted a tutorial for this lovely Chain-Link Agate Necklace. It looks earthy, bohemian, and just perfect to go with all that Fall Fashion heading our way!
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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Sep 7, 2011 | DIY
Another week gone by! Whew. I’m making progress on my office re-organization and cleanup, but it’s still taking awhile. Lil Tot is finally back at school, so now I have a long chunk of the day uninterrupted where I can (hopefully) get some more things done. Ummm….personal website???!!! Yeah. That. And some DIY’s here and there if I can manage it. Here are a couple things I noticed around the blogosphere this week…
Essential reading for all of us who get easily buried under the to-do pile. (*ahem) Tips for finishing all our DIY projects from Simple Mom is a must-read!
For those of you who want more Anthropologie DIY’s, Made by Lex‘s Pratia Tanktop is for you! Just lovely.
And in the same flowery vein, Desde Tenerife Con Amor was inspired by the lovely flowered Gucci dresses from Spring 2011, and made this pretty flowered top. (Just run the page through Google Translate if you can’t read it.) Canvas and flowers are all you need!
Feeling crafty? Tip Junkie has a great roundup of 12 Necklaces, Accessories, and Tops Tutorials. Just some more to add to your must-do list.;-)
Make a fringed purse courtesy of Melissa Esplin and N.E.E.T. Magazine – pattern included! It’s super-cute and you can even make it mini-sized to use as an accessories holder/keychain to attach to your handbag like the author did here.
It seems like glittery shoes are the way to go this Fall. Honestly, WTF made a Miu Miu-inspired pair out of some Vans. Bling on, everyone! (And seriously, Google “DIY Miu Miu glitter” and you’ll come across a billion tutorials for this already. Promise this will be the last one I feature!;-)
Kojo Designs is doing a sew-along for a pretty Strapless Dress. Sew-alongs are soooo (sew?) fun! Jump in at the beginning here.
I love reading the BurdaStyle blog because I often come across a post about advanced construction techniques, and learn a whole lot in the process. Heard of a waist stay? No? Find out more in Invisible Secrets of a Couture Garment: The Waist Stay.
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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Aug 24, 2011 | DIY
It’s that time again!
I’ve been preoccupied with family visiting and my mother’s birthday, and so am still a couple days behind my blog “editorial schedule” LOL. (I can’t believe I’m at the point where I even have one??!!) I can’t wait to finish cleaning out my office and get back to the DIY! So here’s what’s been going around the Internet this week…
Create your own Burberry-style Emu Coat at ILoveToCreate! No, not made of emus…or emu-patterned…or looking like emus…well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. Is this extreme crafting in the making?? 
Michael’s Medieval Cuff Project has shades of Dannijo written all over it…and all you need is some general-purpose craft glue for this fabulous metal and chain mishmash!
A Pair and a Spare had the amazing opportunity to collaborate with J. Brand, and created some Jason Wu-inspired lace jeans. Super-easy and chic!
Angela Osborn posted an incredibly inspiring Guide to DIY. Essential advice for any beginner looking to start any DIY’ing of accessories or wearables!
I’m inspired by these Prada-inspired flip-flops from the amazing Bye Bye Soccer Mom, who layered a couple pairs of Old Navy flip-flops for the same effect. So creative! (And you couple also potentially try craft store thick foam for contrasting layers in-between.)
Have you seen …love, Maegan‘s DIY Leather Cut-Out Statement Necklace? So easy to make, and yet so glam. If you have any leather scrap lying around, this is the perfect use for it!
NEW DIY BlOG DISCOVERY! SwellMayde, who’s done a number of on-trend projects and collaborated with Foam Magazine, came up with this Ethnic Blanket Vest earlier this year…which would be perfect now that Fall’s just around the corner. Check out all her other fabulous projects too!
Proof that simply subtracting about 1.5″ from either side of the Center Front of a button-up blouse will produce an attractively-draped V-neck. Patternmaking 101? Naw -it’s a new blouse makeover tutorial from Freshly Given! Amazing results, and just from a little nip/tuck.
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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Aug 17, 2011 | DIY
Welcome to another DIY Links of the Week! I’ve decided to condense 2 weeks into one again – mostly from lack of time and being away part of last weekend camping. There’s been a lot out there on the Internet, and all of you have been so kind in sending me links to your tutorials in the meantime. Let’s hit it!
Wanting to add to your “arm party” of bracelets this Summer? Follow Maryjanes and Galoshes‘ braided leather bracelet tutorial and quickly make some pretty suede braided bracelets. Love!
Channel your inner Cher and make a boho-style tassel leather fringe necklace with black & white & loved all over. And extra points for creativity – she made it with an embroidery hoop as the base!! How’s that for innovative?
Have any old pants with an elastic waistband lying around? Make them into a cute sheath dress with elastic straps, courtesy of Comely Vesture. Can you even tell the dress was once a pair of pants?? And definitely check out all her other amazing refashions and tutorials on the blog!
It seems that everyone wants to hack the sleeves off their shirts now that it is Summer. Case in point: A Cleaner Closet shares her makeover of a silk blouse into a bias-edged shell. I love the schoolgirl-vibe to this refashion!
Sometimes tech needs a feminine upgrade. I’d love to makeover my boring old laptop case into a ruffled laptop case with the help of Less Cake More Frosting, shared on Tatertots and Jello. Plus, you could do this with any old bag!
Finally, you can DIY furniture, electronic equipment, and lasercut jewelry without owning the tools thanks to Ponoko’s innovative making system. Now if only a garment manufacturer could somehow implement a similar model for clothing!
Just lovely! Make a DIY Bow Pillow with E Tells Tales. The perfect use for leftover jersey from your stash!
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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Aug 3, 2011 | DIY
Another week, another round up of craftiness. Thanks so much for sending me all your wonderful projects!
Dye your hair into beautiful pastels on the cheap with the help of washable Crayola markers. Pull Teeth has the video tutorial.
Make a large Girly tote bag inspired by Vanessa Bruno and LL Bean on Made by Genevieve. It looks so perfectly done and rivals those you could buy in a store! (And check out all her other DIY tutorials on her site too – they’re fab!)
Desde Tenefire Con Amor made an awesome DIY Prada Banana skirt just using fabric paint on white cotton. The great thing about those Prada bananas is that they have this hand-painted quality, so the more sketchy-looking, the more authentic!
Add some DIY to your office space with the help of Design*Sponge. I love all the great patterns from fabrics and paper that can be incorporated into your office area – how fun!
Erin Siegel Jewelry posted a how-to for a Simple Link Bracelet. Imagine making a bunch of these with your favorite charms and stacking them with other bangles and cord bracelets? Lovely and summery!
Autodesk, one of the world’s leaders in design, engineering, and entertainment software (3dsmax, CAD) just acquired the largest DIY community on the web: Instructables.com (for around $2 million). source I truly hope they improve the uploading editor (because it takes so goshdarn long to upload a project that I rarely do it), and that Autodesk doesn’t exclude how-tos and projects that may come close to some of their licensed products and software – as well as respect intellectual property ownership (which according to some of the comments, they have not had the best track record in). It remains to be seen!
Make a Custom Pair of Tap Pants with Haley Pierson-Cox on CraftZine. Boy, the fabric she used for her shorts looks so familiar!! I guess that polka-dot satin just lends itself so easily to a pair of frilly, lovely shorts. A must-do before the summer’s done!
…love, Maegan made a stunningly amaaaahzing pair of
DIY embellished jeweled pumps, inspired by Dolce + Gabbana. The final result is completely droolworthy!!
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/2011/08/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 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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