Today my tutorial for a DIY dyed watercolor scarf is up on the London Times blog. Check it out and find out how easy it is to make your own must-have Summer accessory!
Read DIY Watercolor Scarf on London Times Blog
Happy DIY’ing!
xo
Carly
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Simply Spray is a non-toxic, non-flammable aerosol fabric spray paint, available in a range of colors and easy to use. 
The company sent me a 3-can kit of Simply Spray Soft Fabric Paint and Simply Spray Stencil Spray Summer Love Kit to try out in a project, so I decided to take the opportunity to jazz up a boring white scarf I had. (I’d always wanted to try an
Alexander McQueen-inspired skull scarf!) Here’s how to do the same…
You Need:
stencil (or, if you want to create your own stencil like I did, you need: digital image for stenciling / Sharpie / adhesive stencil film / cutting blade / cutting surface) / painter’s or masking tape / item for stenciling (mine is a plain white lightweight Summer scarf from Target) / Simply Spray Stencil Paint / old newspapers or something to protect your surface / paper towels
How To: (more…)
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Another one of my tutorials was featured on the ILoveToCreate blog this week, so I’ve reposted the tutorial here for everyone who might want to try it out! I received a question about how to make a necklush [those looped fabric scarves that have gotten popular recently] a little while ago, and when I went to search for a tutorial that I’d read a couple years back, I found that the tutorial was gone and the blog no longer existed!! So I decided to write (er, re-write) the how-to. Granted, I don’t have a lovely Necklush in front of me so I can’t say exactly how they’re made…but this is my best DIY approximation, which includes a little side-fringe for those who like fringes. Hope it helps!
I’m so thrilled to have been featured on the I Love to Create blog as a guest poster!
They sent me a lovely package of goodies from their immense ILoveToCreate.com website a little while ago (chock-full of Tulip-brand and Aleene’s products, fabric dyes, finishes, paints, and embellishments…if you haven’t checked it out for all your crafty needs, or for tutorial ideas and inspiration, please do!! You’re so missing out!!). I’ve used the contents of the package to create a couple tutorials for them that will be featured on their blog in the coming weeks. My first project, a Leopard-Print Infinity Scarf, repurposes the bottom of an old t-shirt and uses a stencil from one of their tie-dyeing kits to create a fancy feline look. Here is the tutorial in full below:
Fashion blogger Carly J. Cais of Chic Steals will be featured in the next few weeks as a guest blogger here on the iLoveToCreate blog! She has created some trendy and fashionable looks and she shows you step by step how to make them! Take it away Carly…
Nothing could be easier than re-purposing the bottom of an old t-shirt as an accessory! Wear as a simple scarf for a pop of pattern at the neck, a lightweight hood, or sew the bottom closed and add a drawstring to use as a pouch for makeup. By using two colors in the leopard print and varying the size of the spots, you get a much more finished, high-end look than by just using the stencil alone.
Materials:
– Tulip Tie-Dye Fashion Kit in Wild Thing (stencil, gloves, Aqua dye, Cobalt Dye)
– white t-shirt
and…
– garbage bags
– paper towels
– cotton swab (not pictured)
– small bowl for paint (not pictured)
– fabric scissors or rotary cutter
How To:
1. Begin by creating the leopard pattern on the t-shirt. Wash the shirt in the washer (do not use fabric softener) and dry in the dryer to remove sizing.
2. Place onto a garbage bag, laid onto a flat surface. Place another garbage bag in-between the fabric layers so the dye does not seep through.
3. Place the leopard stencil from the Tie-Dye Fashion Kit onto the shirt, and cover around the stencil with paper towels to prevent overspray.
4. Put on the gloves in the kit. Mix the Tulip Aqua Tie-Dye according to the kit directions, and spritz onto the fabric using the spray bottle. Be careful to not spray too much; just enough so the stencil shapes are visible (too much and it will seep under the stencil and the pattern won’t be crisp).
5. Remove the stencil; wipe down with a paper towel.
6. Repeat Steps 3) – 5) to cover all the area below the underarms of the t-shirt on the front. Turn the shirt onto the back and repeat.
7. Allow to dry about an hour.
8. Mix the Tulip Cobalt Tye-Dye according to directions, and squirt some dye into a small bowl (not used for food). Dip a cotton swab into the dye and dab it onto the t-shirt, on top of the aqua spots you made with the stencil. (Reference a photo of what a leopard’s spots really look like to help with placement.)
9. Cover with plastic and allow to dry 4-6 hours. Once dry, wash in the washer with a small amount of detergent and water at the hottest suitable for the fabric. Dry in the dryer.
10. Once dry, cut off the top part of the shirt, from side to side right under the sleeves.
And you’re done! Wear the fabric loop as an infinity scarf for a punchy pattern at the neck, or customize further with a little craftery on your sewing machine.
Happy DIY’ing!
xoxox
Carly J. Cais
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Today I have the pleasure of welcoming Stacie, whom some of you may already know from her blog Stars for Streetlights, which I’ve featured a few times in my DIY Roundups. Or you may have seen how amazingly talented she is by seeing that jaw-dropping DIY Fendi Rose Dress she made awhile ago, or DIY Jeffrey Campbell Tick Studded Espadrilles. She’s a crafty one, alright!;-) We’ve been following each other’s blogs for some time now, and when she contacted me about a possible guest post I was so excited! Take it away, Stacie!
Hi everyone! My name is Stacie and I am a new writer over at Affordable Style and I am so happy that Carly has let me guest post on her blog today. I have followed Carly’s blog for over two years now, (it was actually one of the first blogs I found in the beginning stages of my blog obsession). Carly’s blog is always packed full of great ideas and DIYs that make me want to leave my computer and get craftin’.
A little about me: I just graduated from college in Indiana and started working at Affordable Style—this is my first big guest post. I’ve always loved blogging and finding inspiration in little nooks and crannies around the blogspot and internet world. Part of my job at Affordable Style is to write for Affordable Scarves. It’s really fun, I get to write about anything from alternate scarf uses to 37 Ways to tie a Scarf. A pretty great gig for someone who loves DIY projects and tutorials as much as I do.
Today I am going to show you a really, really easy tutorial on how to make a flowy vest from a scarf. Originally I saw this tutorial on Studs & Pearls (she’s another great DIY fashion guru). You can use any scarf you want from pashminas, shawls, or even square scarves. (Thrift stores are a great place to find scarves if you do not have a specific look in mind.)
What you need:
-1 scarf (I used this pashmina because of its autumnal colors.)
-Scissors
-Sewing needle or sewing machine
-Pins
Step 1:
First you need to lay your scarf out on a large surface and find the middle. This will be the back of your vest.
Step 2:
Next, you need to make the cuts in your scarf for your arms. It does not have to be perfectly exact, but I measured 4-5” down from the top and made 12” angled slits that look like the lines in the photo.
Step 3:
After you have made your cuts, it is time to pin back the slits towards what will be the inside of your vest. Make sure the rough edges are being pinned onto the side that you don’t want to show off. You don’t necessarily have to sew the slits down, but I think it looks a lot nicer and it will make sure your scarf does not tear more or unravel.
Step 4:
Here is what my scarf looked like after I sewed the edges back. I have a machine that can do little funky designs, but you can do a simple zigzag stitch on most machines and it will look pretty nifty as well. (My sewing machine was the best graduation gift from the best mom ever. :))
One thing I love about the scarf vest is the little collar that the scarf creates if you leave a few inches at the top. Plus, if you want to wear your vest as a scarf again, the scarf drapes and folds so that it is hard to see the cuts!
Another shot.
Now we have a great opportunity for a Chic Steals reader!
If you want to win this scarf, just visit Affordable Scarves, pick out your favorite scarf, and comment below! You can get an additional entry by tweeting about the giveaway, and if you blog about it, we’ll give you two extra entries! Just leave those links in the comments below as well.
Thank you so much to Carly for having me, and good luck to everyone with their scarf DIY’s! Have fun makin’ stuff. 🙂
Cheers,
Stacie
Thanks so much to Stacie for this great tutorial!
1. Leave a comment below with your favorite scarf from Affordable Scarves.
2. Tweet this giveaway and leave the link to your tweet IN A SEPARATE COMMENT.
3. Re-blog this giveaway and leave the link to your blog entry IN A SEPARATE COMMENT.
Total: 3 entries per person allowed.
All extra entries (Tweets and re-blogs) MUST be left in separate comments or they WILL NOT BE COUNTED.
Entry period ends Sunday, September 25, at 11:59 P.S.T.
Good luck!
xoxox
Carly
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FTC Disclosure: I have not received any compensation for this post, except for a vest handmade by the guest poster which has been offered for giveaway to one of my readers. Read my full Disclosure Policy here.
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Carly J. Cais I am a DIY’er, designer, sewist, maker, and marketer. Chic Creative Life is where I share what I do, and help others bring their unique style into their own lives.
