diy: update your cardigan

I was going through my closet the other day desperately searching for some much needed fall sweaters, when I stumbled across this cardigan crumpled up in some dark, neglected corner. At first glance, I tossed it aside and kept rummaging through, but after a second look I decided with a little TLC it could be something beautiful. And I apologize for the terrible photo quality. I decided to do this at midnight and the lighting in my room isn't the most glamorous.

The great thing about this project is that you probably won't have to buy anything because you will probably already have these items lying around your house, maybe except for the Liquid Stitch (but this is optional! Needle and thread is probably your best bet, but this was so much easier for me). You can actually use any fabric you like, I just didn't want to run out to the store, so I just made do with what I had.

1. First cut off the buttons. These buttons were the worst offenders. They made the sweater look gaudy and cheap. Immediately upon cutting them off, the cardigan looked a million times better.
2. Measure the thickness of the cuff on the pocket and then double that number. Then add a half inch for hemming purposes and there is the length of the rectangle. Then just measure the width of the pocket and add another half inch for the width of the rectangle. I promise it sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is.
3. Glue or sew the edges in so there aren't any frayed edges, or you can leave them be if you want a more distressed look. But my cardigan was a little prim so I decided to go with a cleaner look. Fold the rectangle in half and glue to the front and back of the pocket.
4. Next put some glue around the edges of the cardigan trim, and place your fabric on top. I didn't photograph this step but using the same methodology as cutting fabric for the pockets repeat for the cardigan trim. Continue gluing the back until you have completely covered the cardigan.
   *Note: This will cover up the button holes, you will have to cut out holes if you want to keep them. I like cardigans without buttons so I decided to leave it as is.
5. Make sure to leave some excess fabric at the bottom so you can fold it over and cover up any white parts.
6. Put some glue on the front and just fold the fabric and press down. Let it dry overnight and it's ready to wear. 

I really think this cardigan looks so much more classy. But I'm not sure if I'm completely finished with this cardigan though! I might add some black to the sleeves or add bows to the pockets. I think gold or crystal buttons might be cute too. I hope this inspired you to look at your clothes in a new light and bring new life to your wardrobe.

diy: anthropologie bedding

After graduating college I decided my room needed a bit of a makeover and I figured bedding would make the biggest impact in my room, and thus this ruffled duvet is born! I didn't post any instructions since there are so many other Anthropologie cirrus diys out there, although I did make a couple of modifications.

• I tried the basting method but I found it pretty difficult to do, especially on such a long piece of fabric. The thread was difficult to pull and would sometimes break.
• An easier method was measuring a piece of elastic to the same length as the width of the comforter and then stretching it across and when you sew ruffles automatically appear!
• I also made 6 panels instead of 8 since I have a twin-sized bed and I felt 8 might look a little overwhelming.

When I was browsing the Anthropologie website I saw this really gorgeous mint colored one that I wanted to recreate but when shopping around I couldn't find green sheets that I loved, and after a previous terrible dying experience (I tried to dye a dress black but it turned out a grayish-purply color) I decided to settle on a lilac, lavender color. I do love the color, but it is a little young looking, as in it makes my room look a little like a girl's room. Nonetheless I still really love it, but now I know why purple isn't on their website.

I hope these tips were helpful for you and good luck on making your ruffled duvet cover!

scalloped lace shorts

I was cleaning out my closet and was about to donate a pair of old jeans when I realized that I could repurpose it into something I would actually wear and thus this DIY was born! These shorts have both a lace print and scalloped edging which I think makes it pretty unique. Here's how I did it...

You will need:

• a pair of jeans
• lace
• newspaper (for protecting your work space)
• spray paint in your choice of color- I chose black because my denim is a bit on the darker side but I think white would look amazing on lighter shades, or you could do something fun like neon or metallic! 
• some rocks (for holding the lace in place)
• pencil 
• scissors
• round object (not pictured)

Step 1

Lay out newspapers so you don't get spray paint everywhere, and place your jeans (buttoned and zipped) on top. Working outside is probably best, or somewhere ventilated because inhaling pounds of spray paint fumes is not very fun.

**Another note: definitely try and make the jeans as flat as possible. Iron them if necessary, especially if they are an older pair. I did not do this and where there were a lot of folds the design did not come out very cleanly.

Step 2

Pull the lace pretty taut across your jeans and secure in place with some rocks. I'm just making shorts so I didn't cover the whole pair but if you're not making shorts cover the jeans completely. 

Step 3

Spray paint away! Get a nice even coat and then wait a couple of minutes for it to dry.

Step 4

Remove the rocks and lace, and you should have a nice lace pattern.

Step 5

Flip over and repeat steps 1-4 on the back

Step 6

If you want scalloped shorts proceed with these steps but if you just wanted to make jeans you're finished! I laid a pair of shorts that are the perfect length for me on top as a reference for cutting my new shorts.

Step 7

Using a round object (I used the lid of a spice jar) trace scallops across the leg.

Step 8

Once you have finished tracing, carefully cut through both layers of denim.

And your'e done! I'm really pleased with the way they turned out although I do wish I ironed the jeans before spray painting. I think it's a fun twist on the typical lace or scalloped short. I'll do a post soon on how I style these. Enjoy!

diy: tom binns necklace

 I was going through my jewelry box the other day and found the necklace that I wore to my prom. Unfortunately, since it was made out of very inexpensive materials some parts oxidized and turned black and green. However, the piece has so much sentimental value that I knew I had to find a way to wear it again. 

Do You Lilac It?, Make Mine Mango, Turning Heads Red, Elephantastic Pink

 I searched around for something to cover up the discoloration and thought nail polish would do the trick just fine. So I grabbed a few complimentary colors and started dabbing a little onto the stones.

In ten minutes I wound up with this. I'm really satisfied with the design and I love how I was able to keep such a nostalgic piece but also add a bit of fun and whimsy to it.

altoids tin jewelry box

 Every time I finish a box of Altoid's I never know what to do with the leftover tin. It seems to nice to toss in the trash so instead they remain in my room collecting dust. I decided to turn them into something practical so I gave it a few coats of paint and turned it into this. It's perfect for storing earrings and bracelets but I currently use mine to store various hair pins and barrettes.

 You'll need an empty Altoids tin, some acrylic paint, paintbrushes and some rhinestones. I painted the lid with two coats of pink paint and the base with two coats of champagne paint. Afterwards I freehanded some flowers and hot glued a rhinestone onto the center. And an optional step would be to add a piece of felt on the inside to protect your jewelry from damage.

Feel free to create any design or customize it any way you want. 

crochet accessories part 2

So in addition to crocheted hair accessories I also made some floral pins. You can use any pattern but roses are my favorite (I used a pattern similar to this) so I made a wide variety and decorated them with ribbons, pearls, chains, beads and a variety of other materials.

You don't have to make just flowers either, I also made a butterfly (like this one) and a star (not pictured here). Feel free to be creative and adorn it any way you want.

For the backing of the flowers I just cut out a piece of felt and poked two holes into it. I then inserted a safety pin into the two holes and hot glued the felt to the back.

If you don't want to use hot glue you can also sew the safety pin onto the back. The backing is not as visible with the method, but it is a little bit more time consuming. 

You can attach these accessories to your bag, scarf, hat or anywhere you want.

I think these accessories add some fun and color to plain bags and garments. Hopefully these inspire you too! Enjoy!

crochet hair accessories

The crochet trend has been super popular this summer so I'd thought I'd put my own spin on this trend. I am only a novice so I didn't want to get into any project that was more than I could handle. I decided to start small and make some accessories, and that's how I came up with these flowers. I got my patterns from this book but I'm sure you can find tons of similar patterns online. 

I actually used embroidery floss instead of yarn and a size 4 crochet needle so they would be nice and tiny. I used a flower pattern that I found in a book, but any pattern would work. After I finished crocheting I hot glued a pearl in the center to add some glamour and elegance.

Then flip the flower over and hot glue a bobby pin onto the back, and it's ready to be worn! These only took me about 20- 30 minutes to make, so it's a really quick and easy project. You can wear a sole flower or a cluster of them. I think they would be cute either way.

And for those that prefer headbands, you can make those too! Here I made two roses, one slightly larger than the other, and several leaves. I also hot glued some rhinestones into the center of the rose, but you could also use pearls like earlier if you prefer. Then I just arranged the leaves and roses into an arrangement I liked and hot glued them into place. Enjoy and have fun!