Tag: diy (page 10 of 12)

Vintage Button Magnets

So as you all probably know by now I love buttons. I made this letter S a few years ago and I still love it. Buttons are so much fun to go through and sort and reminisce about. I think they are one of my favorite crafting item.

So I made another craft with buttons. This time I made button magnets.

In addition to the crafting I decided to reopen my Etsy store and sell some of the things I make here on this blog. Stop by and check it out: TakeTimeToCreate.

Here is how you can make your own button magnets

Materials:

~ Buttons (so many buttons!!! And this is only a small portion of what my mom gave me! She is the best!)

Box of buttons     Buttons

~ Magnets

~ Glue (I am using my trusty E-6000)

~ Clippers or something to cut the shank off

 

Instructions

~ prep the buttons. You might need to clean them a bit or snip off the shank. Be careful because pieces of plastic might go flying.

Cut off the shank

~ Stack the buttons to create a different looks. Glue the stacks as necessary.

layer the buttons     layer the buttons

~ Glue the back of the button and add the magnet

Glue on the back of buttonAdd magnet to backAdd magnet to Button

~ Wait for them to dry and then put them up on your fridge. You can see I use them to hold pictures of Cole. I love his monster and dino magnets he made when he was little. So cute! Sigh he is not so little anymore.

Stay tuned for DIYs on how I made the little canvas magnets and the bottle glass magnets.

Display button magnet     Display button magnet

Here are some of the completed magnet sets that I have on Etsy just to give you an idea of what you can do with magnets and buttons. These make great house warming gifts!

Button magnets     Button magnets

Button magnets     Button magnets

Make Yarn Out of an Old T-shirt

Hello Everyone!

I hope your years is getting off to a great start. I am pretty excited because I have started on a project that I have been wanting to get started on for a long time. I got this huge stack of old t-shirts that had the wrong logo on them (this pic is only part of what I got). And since the shirts can’t be sold my friend gave them to me to make into yarn. This is not a new technique, but it is new to me and I am pretty excited in how it turned out. It is a perfect activity to do while I am watching TV. I am only part way through the stack, but eventually I will be done and then I am going to make rugs out of the yarn. Great way to upcycle old t-shirts and make something new.

stack of shirts

I didn’t connect the balls of yarn to make one big ball because I am not sure if I am going to braid the rug or crochet it. (if I crochet the rug I will need to combine the yarn, if I braid it then I will need to sew together the strips.) Either way when I do the rug I will be sure to do a  tutorial for you guys.

Here is how you turn in old t-shirt into yarn.

Materials

~Old T-shirt (make sure it is washed, if it is new this will take the sizing out and if it is from a thrift store it will make sure it is clean)

~ Scissors

~ ruler if you want, I didn’t use one but a ruler might make it easier to cut the strips.

Instructions

~ Lay the clean shirt on a flat surface. As you can see from the pics I am working on the floor, but that is just my preference. Make sure the shirt is flat and as smooth as possible.

~Cut the top off right under the sleeves. (I am keeping this top part, not sure what I am going to do with them but I just can’t throw it away) Then Cut off the bottom hem. (I threw that part away)

 

Cut top and bottom off

top cut offbottom cut off

~ Then you want to cut the remaining shirt into strips. I cut mine about 1-1.5” wide.

***This is Important! Make sure you don’t cut all the way to the top! You will need this uncut area to make the yarn into one continuous length.

cut into strips

angeled cuts to make 

(This is what the top looks like with the uncut areas. You will cut it at an angle to make the strips, starting at the right end)

~ For this part refer to the pics, and please let me know if you have any questions.

To make the yarn cut off starting at the last strip and make an angle cut to the edge. Then cut the rest of the strips in an angle until you get to the end. I place the shirt on my arm and make the cuts on there, that just helps me keep track of were I need to go next.

 

cutting t shirt yarnwhere to cut for t shirt yarn

~ Once you have cut the entire shirt you should have on long length of T-shirt Yarn. Then gently stretch the yarn and then wrap it into a ball. I made individual balls because I am not sure if I want to combine them into one length or not, but this way I am keeping it all nice and neat until I am ready to use it.

stretch yarnwrap yarn

I know this may seem a little confusing, but I am here if you have any questions. Have any of you made t-shirt yarn before? I would love to some tips and tricks to make it better and or easier.

Jazzing Up a Simple T-shirt

Jazzing Up a Simple T-shirt

Continuing with another DIY for my birthday dinner I will show you what I did to jazz up a simple t-shirt from Old Navy. I had this plain black shirt in my closet that I never wore. I have a lot of plain black shirts, but this one never called out to me choosing my outfit for the day. So I decided it was time to spruce it up with some lace. A very easy DIY that turned a boring shirt into something that I wear all the time.

diy lace shirt

Here is how you do it:

Materials:

~ pre-washed t-shirt (you want make sure it is washed first in case there is shrinkage) I got mine from Old Navy on clearance

jazz up a plain t shirt with lace

~ lace

~ needle and thread, or sewing machine or glue

fabric glue

Instructions:

~ I wanted to try gluing the lace, I have never used this glue so I thought I would give it a try. I just glued the lace to the bottom of the shirt. The glue hold well and did wash well, but it took longer than sewing that is because I had to do it in sections and wait for each section to dry before I could move on to the next one.

glue lace to shirt

~ Since my lace does not stretch I decided to start and stop the lace at the seams on the bottom, that is so there is stretch and movement. I am not sure this was necessary, but it worked for this shirt. There is a small gap on the sides of the shirt, but it look intentional.

~ I sewed the lace to the sleeves, this was easier and faster than gluing. Just take the lace and sew a straight seam around the sleeve. This shirt is more like a tank top so the lace only covers a small part of my shoulder.

sew lace to shirt

I am loving how this turned out and I have worn it a few times since I make it. It can be dressed up for an evening out or dressed down for something more casual.

Easy diy add lace to a t shirt

I think I have a few more shirts in my closet that might need a little TLC.

diy lacy shirt

DIY Altered Necklace I wore to my Birthday Dinner

Hi All!

I am happy to be back in the swing of things and I am starting today off with a DIY necklace. I showed you this necklace last week, it is the one I wore to my birthday dinner with my hubby. It is just a simple alteration to make it more my style.

I think the results work for me, what do you think?

Linda getting ready for her birthday dinner

Here is how I did it.

Materials:

~ Necklace

~ Needle Nose pliers

~ Jump Rings or extra chain length

~ Metal Clippers

 

Instructions

~ I found this necklace at Wal-Mart on clearance. Yikes, it was a little much for me. I am not very tall (as in I  reach 5’1” if I stretch Smile  ) so when I wear  a necklace that is too big for me it looks like I am weighed down. For someone of my height more is not always better Smile

~ Take your necklace and cut off the parts you don’t want. I am saving them for another project.

alltered necklace

~ After I took off the parts I didn’t like I found that that the necklace was a little short, so I added a length of chain so that it fit me.

~ When you cut off the unnecessary pieces, save what you can  you might need it for later. I reused the metal clips holding the two pieces together.

Altered necklace cutting instructions

 

altered necklace reattached instructions

And that is it! Simple alteration to make the necklace into a necklace that I will wear all the time.

20160103_160703

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

New Years Day is always a fun one for me. Not only is it a start to a new year, but it is my birthday. I find it is nice to reflect on the year that has passed, but it is fun to wonder and speculate about the upcoming year.

This blog has been so much fun and I can’t wait to see where it goes next year! You guys are the best, I thoroughly enjoy all the comments and suggestions you give me. You guys make me want to create more, you inspire me.

I have big plans for the blog this year. I want to do 2 projects a week (ambitious I know, but I think I can make it happen most of the time) and I will feature new and old products so you guys can see what I use and what is out there for your projects.

It is going to be a fun year and I am excited that you will make the journey with me.

Linda

Here is a sneak peak of next week’s projects. I wore this outfit for my birthday dinner with my hubby. I am wearing an altered necklace and I added lace to my shirt. I will show you how next week.

20160101_150243

DIY Shirt and altered necklace

20160101_150441

DIY Shirt and altered necklace

DIY Shirt and altered necklace

 

Continue reading

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

I know I am way late to the scarf train, but now that I am aboard I am all about scarfs! I love how you can take a basic outfit and dress it up with a simple scarf, and they make your wardrobe so much more versatile!

Well now that I have accumulated a fair number of scarfs I ran in to the problem of where to store them. I wanted the in a location that I could see them so I didn’t forget about them in the morning. Also I wanted the scarfs to hang so they didn’t get too wrinkly (less ironing, which is always a good thing)

So we can up with the solution of finding a way to hang them on the back of the closet door. Please excuse any mess you see in my closet, organization is an ongoing problem in there.

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

This is a fast and easy way to hang your scarfs

Materials:

~ Dowel Rod

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

~ Adhesive hooks (I used 3M Command hooks)

~ Level (for hanging)

~ Duck Tape (Used this great purple Prism color)

Easy DIY Scarf HolderEasy DIY Scarf Holder

Instructions:

~ cut your dowel to length. I wanted 2 rows, so I just cut them the length I needed. We had a saw at home, but the home improvement store can cut it for you if needed.

~ I was worried about the wood snagging my scarfs so I decided to wrap it in Duck tape. It also has the added benefit of being purple and sparkly.

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

~ Attach your hooks to your door, or where ever you want your scarf holder. (My fabulous husband was nice enough to help me hang it up and make sure it was level)

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

~ Add the dowel rods

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

~ Add your scarfs and you are done!

Easy DIY Scarf Holder

 

It was that easy!

Gallery Wall

Today I thought I would take a moment and show you my gallery walls that are in my house. I love to have photos of my family and our favorite vacation spots on our walls in our house. Since we don’t have a ton of wall space we needed to be creative in how we display our pictures. So we set up two gallery walls. One in a 3 x 3 grid and looks a little modern with our black and white pictures. The other is a little more free flow. I will show you both and how we put them together.

gallery walls

gallery walls

Black and White Grid

This was a fun  way to show our favorite vacation spots. We love to travel and we have tons of pictures from our travels, so what better way to show where we have been than with a gallery wall. The frames are 12 x 12 black frames I got at Aaron Brothers, but I think you can get them pretty much anywhere, including online.  I had our photos printed at Walmart in black and white in and  8×10 size. I added a blurred boarder around the edges. When I got the photos I glued them on to a 12 x12 piece of card stock and framed the photo. We then hung them in a 3 x 3 grid pattern. Very easy to do and it is a nice way to show case you travel photos.

Here is a close up of the photos

gallery wall

If you want to see how we painted our couch you can see this blog post.

 

gallery walls

Gallery Wall

The other wall was a little bit less defined. Going up our stairs we thought it would be fun to show our family pictures and other things that mean a lot us. First we laid it out on the floor (and yes that is Starlight “helping”). I am so sorry for the blurry pictures, these are just terrible…

gallery walls

Anyway we laid out that pattern and when we found a pleasing layout we took papers in the sizes of the frames and laid it out on the actual wall so we could get a good idea of placement. Once we were happy we pounded in nails and hung up everything.

gallery walls

On this wall we have our family pictures, a favorite saying (Live well, laugh often, love much) a letter S that I put buttons on (the how to blog post is here) and a beautiful hand pained tile we got in the Bahamas. And we have prints with what our names mean. It is a wonderful grouping of things we love.

gallery walls

gallery walls

 

What do you think of our gallery? How do you hang pictures in your home?

Wake Up And Be Awesome

Wake up and be awesome is my motto. Everyday you have a choice of what you want to be and awesome is my answer. It is not always easy, but I do try.

So what better way to show my love for awesomeness than to make a wall hanging? It is fun to look at first thing in the morning and they day is always better when you start off with a smile.

wake up and be awesome diy project

Materials:

~old painting that you are willing to cover up. I found mine at Goodwill

~ paint (I am using acrylic paint that I found at the craft store)

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ Alphabet stickers, I was looking for big stickers and I found mine at Target near the poster board section

~ Rhinestone (of course I need rhinestones! I think this is a prerequisite for all my crafts Smile)

~ Glue to glue on the rhinestones (I am using Aleene’s Jewel-it glue)

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ Foam paint brush

 

Instructions:

~ Take your old painting and wipe clean. A damp paper towel should do the trick. I found this painting at Goodwill. It is not an actual painting but a print on canvas. The style doesn’t match my décor but the colors do. So I thought it would be perfect for this project.

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ Gather your supplies

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ I cut out the letters and laid them out to make sure everything fit.

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ Stick the letters on the canvas. Really press them down to make sure no paint seeps under the letter

wake up and be awesome diy projectwake up and be awesome diy project

~ Start painting.  Cover the entire canvas. Take your time and make sure it is all covered and looks good.

wake up and be awesome diy projectwake up and be awesome diy project

~ Before the paint completely dries take the letters off and throw them away. Check for sections where the paint might have seeped under the letter and clean it up. I used a Q-tip to make the letters look crisp.

wake up and be awesome diy project

I am not sure how anyone gets anything done without a little cat help. Smile It seems like every time I start a project Starlight has to be in the middle of it. But she makes it more fun.

wake up and be awesome diy project

~ Then I started adding rhinestones. I think everything is better with a little sparkle. I just added a few to the left edge of the each letter in the word Awesome. I think it added just the right amount of sparkle.

wake up and be awesome diy project

~Hang it on you wall (mine is in our bedroom) and get ready to wake up and be Awesome!

wake up and be awesome diy project

DIY Tangled T-shirt

Any trip to Disneyland requires  new t-shirts, right? I will use any excuse to make a Disney shirt!

I love Tangled, it is one my favorite movies. This meme describes me perfectly.

 

So what better way to show my love than to make a Tangled t-shirt.  Here I am wearing my shirt at California Adventure. You can barely make out my Steampunk Mickey ears. I will be doing a tutorial on those in the the next few weeks or so!

DIY Tangled t shirt

Materials

~ Pre washed t shirt

~ Tangled sun stencil. I got mine off the Disney Family Fun website (link here)

~ Fabric Paint

~ Freezer paper

~ Exacto knife

~ Cardboard

~ Iron on transfer paper

 

Instructions

1. Cut around the sun you want to make into a stencil for your t-shirt

DIY Tangled t shirt

2. Tape your sun to your freezer paper (I forgot to take picture of this step, so please as me questions if I am unclear) Cut out your sun like a stencil and then you will iron your freezer paper to your shirt. Place the shiny side down and cover with a cloth and iron the stencil into place.

 

3. Start filling in the sun with fabric paint. Protect the back of your shirt with cardboard. The glittery the better.

DIY Tangled t shirt

4. Let this dry over night. While this is drying you can move on to the next step.

DIY Tangled t shirt

4. Find a Flynn Rider wanted poster online. There are tons out there so find one that you like and will work for you

 

5. Print on iron on transfer paper

 

6. Iron the wanted poster according to the directions.

DIY Tangled t shirt

7. Let it cool completely and then you can rock your new shirt! 

Here are some pictures of the front of the shirt

DIY Tangled t shirt       DIY Tangled t shirt

And here is a picture of the back. It is surprisingly hard to take a picture of the back of your shirt. Smile

 

DIY Tangled t shirt

My son and I on a ride at California Adventure

DIY Tangled t shirt

Annnnnnd he is done with the selfies, can you tell Smile Ah teenage boys, they are fun!

But at least you can see the Steampunk Mickey ears better.

DIY Tangled t shirt

DIY Mickey Messenger Bag

When we went to Disneyland I decided that I “needed”  a new bag to hold my wallet and essentials. I didn’t want it too big, just big enough to carry what I needed for the day. Of course I decided that I needed this bag the day before we left. And of course I wanted to use a product that I have never used before. Nothing can go wrong with this scenario, right?? wrong! All kinds of things happened and and few tries later I ended up with a new bag. It only took me 3 times as long, but it did get done Smile 

DIY Disney Mickey messenger Bag

 

I will give you the instructions on how you should do it  and I will even tell you what not to do, haha!

Materials:

~ messenger bag

~ stencil of what you want to create

~ Graphite paper

~ rhinestones

~ fabric paint

~ E-6000 glue

~ Silver Sharpie

 

Instructions:

1. Pick out the messenger bag you want to decorate. I found this black on at Hobby Lobby, and I used a coupon so it wasn’t too expensive. Much cheaper than anything I would find at Disney in their stores Smile . It worked very well, except with all the decoration the flap was a little heavy and when I snapped it the flap would fold weird. So I just never snapped the flap and let it hang, and that worked out just fine.

 

messenager bag     messenager bag

2. Print out what you what to put on your bag, I found a Mickey head silhouette and the quote. I downloaded a free Disney font and typed the quote in a word processing program and printed it at home. (here is the first problem I had. Instead of the stencil I cut out the Mickey shaped with  glitter iron on transfer paper. then I tried to iron it onto the bag.  It didn’t iron on well and was pealing up. I decided to try again, so I picked off the first one and made a new Mickey head and ironed it on again. Once again it did not work. So I picked off what I could and went on to plan B.  I am going to have to figure out what I did wrong. Do you guys have any thought or suggestions?)

3. Place your stencil and quote on the bag.

lay out stencil and quote

 

4. Cut out some graphite, big enough to put under the quote. Trace the quote onto the bag and the graphite paper will transfer the quote onto the bag. The graphite paper I had was hard to read, but manageable

Graphite paper     Lay out quote

5. Trace the words with a silver Sharpie. I traced it about 3 times. A fabric marker would work as well.

trace quote with sharpie

6. I used Stickles in 2 colors to fill in the stencil. This is another example of a project not working as well as I thought. Stickles are not really good for fabric. We all know this, but if you remember I was doing this the night before we left so I had to use what I had on hand and that was Stickles. I put 2 coats of Stickles on then put a coat of E-6000 glue over the top to seal it in. It worked ok and held up for the week, but I think it would have been better with fabric paint.

lay out stencil

7. Once your Mickey is on and your quote is good to go then add Rhinestones all over. Originally I planned on the bag with no rhinestones, but it was a little too plain for my tastes and I added the sparkle.

 

posing with the bag

That is it. It held up all week with only a few rhinestones falling off, but that is not bad considering all the problems I had along the way.

What ideas do you have for a bag?

What problems have you had with your crafting projects and how did you fix them?

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