Apr 26, 2011 | DIY
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…
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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.
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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-
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Apr 22, 2011 | DIY
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!
And also, some of my recent projects:
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?
Do tell! And have a Happy Earth Day!
xoxox
Carly
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Apr 19, 2011 | DIY
So two weeks have passed since my last DIY LOTW, and it’s high time I shared some links that have caught my interest since then. Lots of projects and ideas are in my inspiration folder for the past couple weeks…
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Yup – that’s pretty much where I get my inspiration…from nature. Where do you get yours?
Dismount Creative shared this super-simple way to make a pair of el-cheapo shoes with a faux woodgrain sole…look much more expensive than they are. With a Sharpie, no less! Check it out here and give all your ugly Target and Payless shoes a clean makeover.
Though it has nothing to do with DIY, I just loved this illustration from Retrogasm: History of Fashion Silhouettes. I kind of want to add 2011 to is: loose blouse + poufy 80’s-style pants!! 😉
Smashion Babble posted the hottest nail colors for Spring 2011. I think they need a coral-red-orange to add to the list!!
Chic Intuition‘s DIY Balmain Ripped and Safety-Pinned T and Slashed Pants are so simple but so effective. Where are all my razorblades??
LOVE this D&G-inspired music clutch by Cut Out + Keep user Andrea. Music to my ears hands. LOL
Soccer Mom Style is at again – this time with a trio of DIY Alexander McQueen-inspired miniaudieres! GREAT idea to use separate rings to emulate the look of the knuckleduster…and a brooch pinback! Genius!
(And we all saw Honestly, WTF‘s tutorial for the DIY Miniaudiere, right? Best use of a sunglasses case I’ve ever seen!)
Naughty Secretary Club posted 20 Favorite Green Craft projects for Earth Day. (April 22) 3 days left – so get your craft on!
We all know how much I love a men’s shirt makeover!;-) Here’s a cute project that turns an old shirt into a sweet skirt from Hawadare!
Recent favorite affordable and cute shopping destinations:
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-
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Apr 6, 2011 | DIY
I was fully intending to finish this list up and post yesterday, but started feeling woozy with a sudden head cold and hit the hay early. Today, barely hanging on with the help of some Airborne and Nyquil, I soldier on.
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Sometimes we all get caught up in the what-if’s or how-do-Is? Myself included. Sometimes we all just have to take the plunge and figure things out as we go.
Donatella from Inspiration & Realisation made a goregous color-blocked Mondrian Sweater with the creative use of fabric paint. Totally on-trend for the colorblocked brights we’ve been seeing everywhere for Spring! She’s also an amazingly talented knitter and crocheter – so def. check out all her other projects too!
Kristen from Glitter ‘n Glue shared a quick DIY for making a paperbag-waisted skirt from a pillowcase. Lovely and bright – and another great idea for refashioning a skirt from a pillowcase.
Beautiful – but it gives me the willies to imagine wearing it: this Victorian dress made from insect parts has just been restored. From Refinery29.
Smart n Snazzy added a DIY Carabiner strap to an old purse to give it a much-needed makeover…and is currently challenging herself with a full 30 DAYS of DIY! A project a day – so inspirational. Check out her blog daily for each new one.
Though Martha Stewart‘s main focus is home, garden, and lifestyle, once in awhile she posts a doozy of a DIY for something wearable. See her Gallery of Sewing Projects: Clothing and Accessories and her ideas for DIY Totes and Purses. And did I mention her Gallery of Handmade Jewelry and Accessories? Perfect!
Natalie’s Creations made a video on making a Prada-inspired striped dress…out of T-shirts! Too awesome for words!!
Modanista Junkie made some lovely bow hair clips…and I’m sure you’re all dying to know how! Check it out here for the how-to.
DIY T-strap bra from Love Aesthetics. Simple, beautiful, and oh-so-Wang.
I’d normally post some Chic & Cheap shopping sites at the bottom of this…but I have to roll into bed and get over this cold so I’m wrapping this up quick.
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-
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Mar 29, 2011 | DIY
How was everyone’s week? It’s been Spring Break for one of Lil Tot’s schools…which means he’s been home a lot and I’ve been in full Mom mode. But somehow despite the little [3-foot-tall] distractions I managed to get through a whole pile-up of DIYs and projects that have been sitting on my to-do table (yes, I have a whole TABLE of stuff to do…not just a pile;-). I can’t wait to share them all with you!
Here’s some food for DIY’ing thought…
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But first, onto other DIY stuff from around the web!
DIY maven Maya from Bye, Bye Soccer Mom shared her Ice Cube clutch, ring, and miniaudiere – inspired by Chanel. Her creativity gives me goosebumps!;-)
Reader Sara from Short of Something sent me a link to her Faux Headboard DIY…and I love it!
How on earth did I miss this??? The Glamourai gave her Forever21 crystal rhinestone necklace a vintage-style makeover…with brown and black Sharpies. Awesome idea for faux-ageing your jewelry. Check it out here.
Style Hurricane posted a how-to for a DIY Jil Sander Market Bag. Very easy, with an amazingly chic result!
This Detachable Coat Skirt Tutorial from Rosy Red Buttons makes me a little sorry it’s Spring and I’ll be putting away my winter coat for awhile. Oh wait – I live in Portland – which means it won’t actually start feeling like Spring until June. I still have 3 months to make this amazing, multifunctional piece!!
April Fools’ Day is coming up this Friday – so why not try a DIY April Fools’ Day Dinner for your loved ones? Meatloaf as cupcakes – candy bars as fishsticks…I can’t wait to see what my son says when dinner looks this bizarre. From AllRecipes.com.
Sarah (from Welcome to the gOOd Life) posted a guest blog on Whatever Dee-Dee Wants on how to DIY your own Anthropologie-inspired “Squeezebox” pleated top. Sarah is an incredibly talented sewist, and her Anthro and J. Crew DIY’s are the best replicas I’ve ever seen! This amazing shirt is no exception.
Art Clay World USA is sponsoring the 2011 North American Design Competition, which has an Open Theme this year. Submit your best projects made in Art Clay Silver, Gold, or Copper, and compete for cash prizes and Art Clay World credits (up to $1500!). Deadline is June 20, 2011, and all the info is here – scroll down & click on the news for March 02, 2011 for the downloadable pdf and details.
Recent favorite affordable and cute shopping destinations:
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-
~If you liked this post, please share it!~
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