Arbitrarily I have decided to make this week all about rings here on my site. One-fingered, two-fingered, sterling, precious metal, gemstones, faux, real, what-have-you – it’s all about finger-adornment!
If you have any questions about rings: how to organize them, how to clean them, and (best of all, IMHO) how to make them…either leave your questions in the comments or shoot them to me via the Formspring.meAsk me anything box in my right sidebar. —–> I’ll be getting to them all week long, so send them my way!
So first things first, here are some books to learn from and be inspired by:
Another technique and tutorial book; this one also includes tutorials for rings made of Precious Metal Clay (PMC; similar to Art Clay Silver), which is a material people familiar with PolyClay can learn to use quite easily.
Jinks McGrath, a well-known name in metalsmithing, has written this book which details ring-making for bench jewelers. Though this is certainly not for the hobbyist or beginner, the principles and techniques covered in this book are for fine jewelry and will familiarize anyone with how to properly create a durable piece of jewelry and work of art.
Sorry, but we’re talking long-haired elves in tights. I figured a list about rings would not be complete without the One Ring, hmmmm? (Plus, the extended editions add almost an hour of cut footage to the movies -hence, more elves in tights. All the more reason!;-P)
And to get further in the mood, here are a two DIY Ring Tutorials I’ve shared here on the blog:
I noticed these beautiful embellished ballet flats in my favorite Japanese magazine, Vivi, back in Winter of 2010. They’re Miu Miu, available in lovely pastel colors, and boast a pretty hefty pricetag ($745!).
I figured I could make my own lookalikes from a pair of shoes I already had. And it cost less than $15! Here’s how…
Erika from SnobStyle TV shared a video on how to tie-dye something for E! News. I just love it when mainstream news and media brings attention to DIY!
Though the video is from awhile ago, tie-dye is still totally on-trend for this Spring!
And if you’re looking for more how-tos, Parents Magazine has a couple more tie-dye patterns (though you have to scroll through the slideshow (which takes forever, the patterns are on page 5 and onwards).
White cotton t-shirts may look a little Grateful Dead, but try it out with fitted shirts, a blousy tunic, or even a maxidress for the 2011 re-interpretation of this. Tie-dye never goes away, baby!;-)
It’s been a week full of DIY around the Internet! (Or maybe I’ve just been exceptionally diligent in my daily DIY searching???) Well, judge for yourself…
I think maturing enough to learn to not judge yourself through other people’s standards is a pretty hefty feat. I still struggle with it! So onto DIY…
Honestly, WTF shared an upcycle for Earth Day: their DIY Market Bag, made from an old t-shirt. I love the update of adding a fringe to the bottom – very boho chic!
Fix all those busted-out knees in your jeans once and for all…by adding fabric scraps peeking through the holes instead of covering them up. Our Designed Life has the how-to here. (photo from StyleSpotting)
Adventures in Dressmaking posted Mending and Makeovers where she took a dress and a tunic she doesn’t wear, and converted them into shirts. A great way to refresh garments that you don’t wear anymore!
Urban Outfitters is sponsoring an Urban Renewal DIY Contest – where you can share a project that is “remade” from a pair of pants, a skirt, a dress etc. Enter now!
Get some great ideas on how to DIY Your Own Sunglasses from Broke Ass Stuart. The name of this blog totally made me LOL, but there’s some excellent ideas in there! (photo from deodeereblogazine.com)
Frugal Fashion Addict posted her lovely DIY Vanessa Bruno earrings. They remind me of some DIY flowered earrings I mad based on some I’d been seeing in Japan back in 2008. Frugal Fashion Addict, we are definitely thinking along the same lines!!;-)
I love this crafty-cool Art Supply Pouch tutorial from Cheez Beeper Bebe. Imagine making them not just for pens and pencils, but how about for DIY tools? Sewing supplies? Makeup? Or even making a zippered clutch like all those bloggers have been carrying around recently? How cute would that be?!
None of my mens’ shirt to tutorials use a pattern since I like to keep things as simple as possible, but you certainly can use a sewing pattern when cutting out the pieces for your dresses or shirts. Burdastyle member HowJoyful posted her men’s shirt upcycle by using a BurdaStyle pattern for the top half of the dress. How’s that for ingenious?!
Cocorosa did another pair of embellished tights: this time, using beads that look just like candy sprinkles. Check it out here!
This DIY Leather Bow Cuff from Melissa Esplin is so cute and whimsical. I’ve seen so many in Japanese fashion magazines that I’ve been drooling…now need to buy when she’s detailed how to make! LOVE.
New!
If your project was featured above, feel free to grab a button and share the DIY!
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And since I’m not doing my DIY Roundups anymore, if you have a DIY project, tutorial, or creation 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!
xoxox
Carly
-all photos copyright their respective authors; photo array by me-
I’ve shared so many tutorials on this blog about remaking items you may already have in your closet, I just wanted to share them again! (Re-use of an idea – haha! Totally green!😉 ) So here are some of my favorite past projects from the last year or so, that give new life to old items!
I made this pyramid-studded zip clutch following the same directions for my DIY Laptop Sleeve from a Leather Jacket tutorial from last year – except this time I added a gigantic pyramid stud (1″ wide!) to the front, and a zipper as the closure.
You could of course make this zippered pouch out of any material you want – including fabric, a pillowcase, an old towel, vinyl, or even from a Dollar Store faux leather placemat!!
I also found a pair of leather pants at the Goodwill, and hacked off the legs, glued and sewed the hems, and hemmed the lining to create the perfect pair of leather shorts (for a mere $14.99 – which was the cost of the pants! And now I have all that extra leather I cut off to make other projects…)
(I know, it seems sort of hypocritical to highlight projects for Earth Day that use leather – considering most conventionally-made leather is tanned and finished with environmentally-unfriendly chemicals…to say nothing of the environmental impact that a single cow raised on a factory farm makes…but at least it’s an option for what to do with leather items that are sitting at thrift stores or languishing in your closet or just being thrown away…)
What will you do this Earth Day? Make something, recycle something, plant something, use less electricity or water, cook a vegetarian meal?
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.
Arbitrarily I have decided to make this week all about rings here on my site. One-fingered, two-fingered, sterling, precious metal, gemstones, faux, real, what-have-you – it’s all about finger-adornment! 
I noticed these beautiful embellished ballet flats in my favorite Japanese magazine, Vivi, back in Winter of 2010. They’re Miu Miu, available in lovely pastel colors, and boast a pretty hefty pricetag ($745!).
Straw orange and pink sunhats from 
It’s been a week full of DIY around the Internet! (Or maybe I’ve just been exceptionally diligent in my daily DIY searching???) Well, judge for yourself…
Img 
You could of course make this zippered pouch out of any material you want – including fabric, a pillowcase, an old towel, vinyl, or even from a 
I also found a pair of leather pants at the Goodwill, and hacked off the legs, glued and sewed the hems, and hemmed the lining to create the perfect pair of leather shorts (for a mere $14.99 – which was the cost of the pants! And now I have all that extra leather I cut off to make other projects…)
