New Year’s Eve is rapidly approaching – do you know what you will be wearing yet? There is a definite trend towards wearing something sparkly, large, and a total showstopper on one’s head for that evening – and I just love the boldness of it! Here are some fabulous DIY’s for making your own New Year’s Eve head adornment to ring in 2014! (more…)
With the holidays in full swing, it’s that time of year when holiday sweaters abound. Goodwill has partnered with Ad Council to produce a couple of cool tools to help celebrate that sweater-y time with a bit of tongue-in-cheek humor about the (sometimes) questionable and ubiquitous HIDEOUS CHRISTMAS SWEATER.
Using their Sweater Yourself App, you can upload a photo of yourself through your Facebook account, selecting an avatar with accessories and hideous sweater of your choice, and send to all of your friends as a fun little holiday card. (Bonus: It also helps support and increase awareness for Goodwill’s mission to provide job training and community services to people in need.)
In addition, they’ve also created a fun little guide for throwing your own hideous DIY Holiday Sweater Party on Snapguide. Browse through to get some inspiration and ideas for making this season fun and festive, and when all the celebrations are over, consider donating what you don’t need any more to Goodwill to help provide people with jobs, training, youth mentoring, and education. (I wrote a post awhile ago covering the life cycle of a garment donated to Goodwill…which may surprise you in the ingenious lengths the organization goes to in order to ensure that every piece of clothing has a final use (instead of just landfill). Seriously – if you haven’t yet…go read it!)
What could be more chic than paring down what you don’t need and helping others in the process? (And having fun while doing it 😉
xo
Carly
The holidays are upon us – and it’s time to think about dressing up one’s festive table: pairing dishes, napkins, glasses, and accessories to create the perfect backdrop for your feast. Though I LOVE Z Gallerie as an amazing source of inspiration for the holiday table, most of the time I’m willing to plunk down my money for a little more affordable. Take some inspiration from these dressed-up table settings, and DIY your way to the perfect set-up for your entertaining this season:
No. 1: Layer a bronze beaded placemat under a red charger (a cheap plastic one is fine!), followed by a gold plate and bowl (Dollar Tree has some great ones!). Add a gold ball ornament inside the bowl, and a DIY Gold Starburst napkin ring onto a tan chiffon napkin (just get a length of chiffon cut at the fabric store, and hem). A DIY Gold Etched Champagne Glass completes the set.
No. 2: This time make your DIY Starburst napkin ring with silver spray paint, paired with a pewter chiffon napkin. Use 2 white octagonal plates and 1 bowl, stacked above silver ball ornaments ringing the setting. A disco ball ornament (can be DIY’d with CDs if you can’t find a good one) in the center and a glass with a silver stem (spray-painted with Krylon Chrome Spray Paint
No. 3: Use Tulip Shimmer Sheets to apply a gold foiling to a plain white square placemat. Stack 2 gold plates and a gold bowl on top of each other, adding a DIY Pearl Ornament covered in pearl and gold beads to the center. A piece of stemware can be co-ordinated with a bit of gold spraypaint in the center of the stem, and add a gold faux poinsettia to a hair elastic to tie a crimson satin napkin (extra points for adding some gold beading to the edges!)
No. 4: Use a square silver beaded placemat on the bottom, stacked with 3 silver square plates atop. Add a sprayed-on chrome bottom to the glasses as in No. 2, a string of silver ball ornaments in the center, and use a silver tassel from the upholstery section in the craft store to tie around plain white napkins.
No. 5: Use a flower-shaped placemat on the bottom (paint with a nickel-colored fabric paint if it’s not quite the right color), and stack 2 gold plates and a gold bowl in the center, filled with gold-colored ball ornaments. Use plain stemware, silver chiffon napkins, and a beaded napkin ring (using barrel-shaped clear glass beads on silver ball-end headpins).
No. 6: From bottom to top: a gold beaded square placemat, 2 silver square plates, 1 crystal flower-shaped tealight candleholder + telight candle. Add stemware with the centers painted gold (as in No. 3), a silver chiffon napkin, and a spiky-looking napkin ring DIY’d with gold seed beeds strung on to short lengths of jewelry wire that are twisted together in the center.
No. 7: Use a red charger, 2 white octagonal plates, and an octagonal bowl. Add some crimson plums, pomegranates, and/or berries (faux is fine too!), gold-painted stemware, a crimson satin napkin with gold beading at the edges, and a simple gold-and-crimson napkin ring (which you could DIY by spray-painting curtain rings).
No. 8: Gold sequined placemats could be made just by cutting up a piece of sequin fabric and hemming with stick-on hem tape if necessary ($18 a yard will get you more placemats than the $119.80 at Z Gallerie will!). Then add 3 square silver plates, a faux white grape cluster (spray paint something from the craft store floral section if you can’t find the right kind), stemware with the centers painted silver, and a silver pleated satin napkin (you can buy pre-pleated fabric from the fabric store, usually in the formal-wear section). A plain gold-and-white napkin ring finishes everything off.
No. 9: Use a faux white alligator placemat (like textured scrapbooking paper cut into a square, glued onto a piece of cardboard). Top it off with 3 white octagonal plates and 1 bowl, with a green disco ball ornament in the center. Add a green goblet and a green satin napkin with gold beading at the edges, along with a gold-and-white napkin ring.
Here’s to a Happy Holiday Table!
xo
Carly
Images sourceÂ
Hello lovelies! Have you noticed that as of late there have been some FABULOUS DIY-themed crafty digital magazines to peruse while getting into the holiday spirit? No? Well, here are a couple of my favorites – I just can’t stop flipping through them (you may see some of your favorite DIY’ers and their projects featured)…and best of all, they’re completely FREE! Clicky click through the links to read…
Damask Love
Toile: A DamaskLove Holiday Publication
PapernStitch
The Happy Holidays Guide to DIY
{sign up for email list above to receive download}
Ruche
Hope you have a Happy Handmade Holiday!
xo
Carly
Halloween’s TOMORROW (OMG!) and you may still be wondering what to wear. (For the record, it’s been dictated that I will be Splinter, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ rat trainer and Master of Ninjutsu…as dictated by Lil Tot, who is tickled at the idea of me playing second fiddle to his Leonardo. Teenage Mutant Turtle, that is…not Da Vinci. Who incidentally might be a pretty cool DIY Halloween costume for a guy using just a bandage, a brown tweed jacket, and some paintbrushes…but I digress.) If you’re freaking out about what to wear – try raiding your closet to become one of these inspiring (and fashionable!) ladies:
Anna Wintour (former Editor of American Vogue and current Artistic Director of Conde Nast)
The grandmother of American fashion and symbol for generations of style personified, Anna Wintour’s classic look is easily made with a pair of oversized sunglasses, neutral coat with furry collar, and A-line dress.
You Need: large sunglasses, bob (or faux bob if your hair is longer), beaded choker necklace, neutral overcoat, furry scarf or collar, stiff A-line dress, black pantyhose, low-heeled nude sandals or brown knee boots, copy of Vogue magazine.
Sue Sylvester (character from TV series Glee)
That outspoken and terribly evil rival and the Glee club’s worst antagonist, Sue Sylvester is instantly recognizeable in her trademark tracksuit with accompanying bullhorn and stopwatch to keep everybody (cheerleading squad included) in line.
You Need: Striped tracksuit, white sneakers, stopwatch, white bullhorn (DIY from some rolled white cardboard, secured with tape). On the series she has appeared in a number of different-colored tracksuits, so any color you have is a go (or a quick Goodwill purchase).
Janelle Monae, award-winning singer/songwriter
With that trademark pompadour and borrowed-from-the-boys image, Janelle Monae’s stylish duds are easily re-creatable with just a tailored suit, bow-tie, and slicked hair.
You Need: Tailored white or black suit, tie, bow-tie, or black ribbon, rhinestone stud earrings, rat, sock, or donut to build a large pompadour on.
The Duchess of Cambridge, public figure
The whole world has watched as the Duchess of Cambridge has shot to fashionista status with her wardrobe of kicky prim dresses and coats, ever-present pantyhose, classic heels, and sweet little hats.
You Need: Flared coat-dress, opaque black hose, prim black heels, pillbox hat (cover a clean tub or can with felt or fabric for a last-minute DIY and pin in place). (optional: baby doll swaddled in a blanket)
Cher Horowitz (character from the movie Clueless)
This iconic character from the 90’s mainstay Clueless picked her wardrobe via computer to ensure ultimate matching. Don separates with a sassy mini-skirt, knee-socks, and a ton of shopping bags so you won’t let that jeep’s trunk space go to waste. As if!
You Need: Black blazer, white button-down, pleated miniskirt, white knee-socks, maryjane shoes, shopping bags.
Miss Piggy, character from Sesame Street and iconic figure
The original fashion-lover since the 70’s, Miss Piggy is best known for (besides her opinions) her bright pink wardrobe, opera-style white gloves, and classy long curly hair.
You Need: tight pink dress (or pink bathtowel), white elbow-length gloves, triangle ears on a headband (DIY your own with painting some cardboard triangles peach and taping to a headband), faux eyelashes, feather boa, pink eyeshadow, large rhinestone earrings, necklace, and bracelet, green stuffed frog (optional).
Happy DIY’ing – and Happy Halloween!
xo
Carly
Photos sources: Anna Wintour, Sue Sylvester, Janelle Monae, Duchess of Cambridge, Cher Horowitz, Miss Piggy.
Yes little goblins, I’ve been DIY’ing up a storm recently…and can’t wait to share the spooky and fun results! Starting tomorrow (Wednesday) for a week I’ll be sharing a brand-new DIY tutorial each day for 1 WEEK OF HALLOWEEN…to add a little Boo! to your beautiful holiday decorations (and maybe an accessory or two ;-).
Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!*
*supposed to be an eerie cackle*
xo
Carly
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.
