Tutorial: DIY Earring Holder

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I’ve seen and pinned so many DIY earring holders lately, I decided it was time to take the plunge and make my own.  I wanted to create something that would work for my posts and my non-post earrings.  I didn’t want something too complicated or fancy, because I wanted my earrings to be the main attraction.  So I collected my materials and got to work.

  • Picture Frame (I went with IKEA Ribba, but pretty much any picture frame would work)
  • Perforated Metal sheet (I bought this at Home Depot for about $19, but there are probably cheaper options if you look around)
  • Chalk or colored pencils
  • Metal Snips (the ones in this picture sucked.  The ones shown in step 2 are Wiss Long Cut Aviation Snips which worked like a dream)
  • Picture hanging kit (not shown)Step

Step 1: Take the glass and backing out of the picture frame.  Use the glass as a guide to draw the lines you will cut the metal sheet along.

Step 2: Using metal snips, cut along the lines and cut out your sheeting.  Do this slowly and try not to bend or warp the metal.  Oh, and you should wear gloves since you’re working with sharp metal.  I didn’t because I was being lazy.

Step 3: Put your cut-out metal sheet in the picture frame and secure in place by folding down the picture back thingys (don’t know the right word).

Step 4 (Optional): Attach picture hanging wire with picture hanging kit.  I like using this because it lets you adjust the frame to be straight.  I take down my earring holder whenever I need any of the post earrings, so this makes it easier. You could forgo the picture wire and simply set the frame on a table or dresser.

And that’s that!  There’s tons of variations. You could spray paint the metal sheet a fun color.  You could try a hinged double picture frame (I’m thinking of trying this).  You could decorate the picture frame, etc.  It’s a really great way to be able to see all your earrings at once, and as you know, when you can see your accessories, you’re more likely to actually wear them.  Enjoy!

 

3-11-12: Links that make me :)

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“She made her home in between the pages of books”

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Even librarians have to let their inner rockers out every once and awhile :)  And what better way to do that than wearing the boots I stalked eBay for months to get?

This is one of the reasons why I love fall – my sad, neglected boots get to come out of hiding and shine.  Even if it’s only for a few months, it’s still glorious.

Tunic: Tulle (via Penelope T)
Vintage Slip: Sherry’s Yesterdaze
Leggings: Target
Boots: Frye 8R (via eBay)
Necklace: Self-made
White Clutch: Thrifted

Quote: Linger (Wolves of Mercy Falls, Book 2), Maggie Stiefvater

DIY: Changing Cap Sleeves to Elastic Sleeves

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I’d had this tank top for ages.   While I loved how it looked with cardigans, I never liked it much by itself, because the cap sleeves were not so flattering to my arms.  A few weeks ago, I decided to get stitching and see if I could fix that.  Here’s my photo tutorial for what I did*:

Step 1: Mark where you will cut. I used pins to mark the cuts while wearing the shirt, so that I could see what they would look like.  If you have a dressform, that would work better, but I don’t (yet).  Make sure to leave about 1/2″ extra fabric to make an elastic casing.

Step 2: Take those scissors, and cut off excess fabric. But remember, measure twice, cut once.

Step 3: Press fabric to make casing. Your iron is your friend.  Use it wisely.

Step 4: Stitch, leaving a small opening for elastic. I think I used about a 5/8 hem.  How large yours is will depend on how wide the elastic you’ll be using is.

Step 5: Thread elastic through casing. If you don’t have one of those elastic threading things (sorry I don’t know the proper word), you should seriously think about getting one.  They’re insanely useful, and make working with elastic so much easier.

Step 6: Stitch elastic together, then place back in casing and stitch casing closed. Try to make sure that the elastic isn’t twisted.  It’s not very comfortable when that happens.

And…

Much more flattering.   Elastic sleeve holes make for a pretty casual look, but I think it fits the vibe of this top well.  I originally wanted to just do a regular hem, but without the elastic, the sleeve holes gapped in a very unflattering way.  Now it fits just fine, and looks great.  Happy sewing!

*I should note, this tutorial will really only work for tops which have a similar sleeve design.  There are many, many different types of cap sleeves, and this won’t fix them all.  Plus, it works best with jersey fabric – woven cotton wouldn’t look the same.

DIY: Layered Chain Necklace

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Last year, I posted about the beautiful layered chain necklaces I was noticing on Etsy.  I love them, but I never actually got around to buying one. Recently, I began to notice that I had quite a few silver chain necklaces and bracelets that I never wear.  With a few jump rings and a pair of pliers, I transformed them into a lovely diy chain necklace.

I started out with four necklaces and two bracelets.  The necklace with the largest links will be my base necklace, because it’s easier to work with.  I ended up not using the jump rings pictured, because they were to large to fit into the links of my base.  You can buy supplies like this at your local craft store.  Jewelry pliers would have been better, but I don’t own any yet.

Step 1: Remove end pieces.

Take the lobster clasps and end pieces off of your necklaces and bracelets.  Leave the small ring at the end of each chain intact – you will need these in the next step.

Step 2: Position necklaces and bracelets in the way that you would like them attached, and use small jump rings and pliers to attach them to your base necklace.

It may take a bit of trial and error to find how you would like your chains arranged.  I decided to attach the three necklaces together closer to the top of the chain, while I attached the two bracelets lower.  There’s an infinite number of ways to arrange your chains, and it’s pretty easy to change it if you change your mind.

And that’s it!  Say hello to your awesome diy chain necklace that costs next to nothing, since you likely already have most of the supplies.  I’ve already worn mine several times, and I think it will become a new staple for me.

DIY: Kitchen Cloths from Scraps

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Since I sew a lot, I end up with lots of fabric scraps.  I especially end up with lots of t-shirt and jersey scraps and sometimes I’m not sure what to do with them.  This week, I found the perfect solution.  I wanted some reusable washcloths for cleaning my kitchen so I can kick the paper towel habit, but I didn’t want to spend money.  I took my jersey scraps and my terry-cloth scraps and combined them to make some awesome, patchwork kitchen cloths.

I sewed all my scraps together into two giant “blankets”, one of jersey and one of terry cloth, cut out 10 by 10 squares, and serged them together.  Then I took scraps of ribbon and bias tape, and stitched them to a corner so that I can hang the clothes on hooks.

Now I’ve got them hanging up near my paper towels, and I’m actually finding myself cleaning my kitchen more, because I love using these!  I keep my kitchen clean with a homemade mixture of white vinegar, water, dish soap and essential oils.  Being green is fun!

Before and After : Blue Tunic Re-con

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Before

You may be familiar with my matching blue and purple Target tunics that I thrifted awhile ago.  You can see the purple one here and the blue one here.  While I love how they fit, I’ve never really liked the length. They were too short to wear with leggings, but an awkward length for jeans.  I tried shortening the purple one a few months ago, but ended up not liking it.  Yesterday, I took inspiration from some amazing re-cons I’ve been looking at lately, and created a completely new tunic.

I measured my tunic against another tunic that I like the length of, and figured out that I needed to add about six inches.  I cut six inches off the bottom of the purple tunic (including the part I had cut off and re-attached).  I then sewed that onto the hem of the blue tunic.  This gave me the length that I wanted, but the color blocking looked odd.  I decided to add some purple details at the collar to give the tunic more continutity.

Inspired by Tatertots and Jello’s recent t-shirt refashion, I decided to create some flower details.  I cut circles from the purple fabric, using my lens cap as a pattern for the larger circle and a paper holder (not shown) to make the smaller circles.  The larger one has three layers and the smaller ones have two.  Following the tutorial, I folded the layers in half, and stitched in the middle, then folded the other way and stitched again.

After this, I sewed them onto the tunic, and stitched buttons in the middle. I chose blue buttons that were a similar tone to the blue part of the tunic, to help further continuity.

I absolutely love how the finished tunic turned out!  I can see myself wearing this a lot more than the old tunic.  It looks amazing with leggings and skinny jeans, and I could even wear it as a swimsuit cover up at the beach.  Next, I plan on fashioning the leftovers of the purple tunic into a new dress or tunic.  Hopefully, I’ll post that next week.

Tutorial: Boot-cut to Straight Leg Jeans

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I posted a tutorial on flared to skinny jeans about a year ago, but it didn’t include any photos, and didn’t really go into detail.  I recently altered some boot cut jeans into straight leg jeans, and I documented the steps to create this more in depth tutorial.

Before

My Express Stella jeans have made many appearances on this blog before.  Lately, though, I’ve been tired of the boot cut leg, and I’ve been wanting a hem that would allow me to wear low-heeled shoes.  I decided to alter them to have them look exactly the way I wanted.

Please note: This is specifically how I altered this pair of jeans.  Different jeans may have different constructions, so this tutorial is no comprehensive.

Step 1: Rip out seams. Rip out hem with seam ripper.  Rip out inner and outer leg seams to about 2-3 inches above knee.  Generally, boot cut jeans start to flare out just below the knee.

Step 2: Measure and take notes. Remember that the front of the jeans and the back of the jeans will have different widths. The back of the leg is usually wider.  Keeping notes, measure the width of the jeans at the knee and at the hem.  Measure for the front and the back, and take notes on what you find.  The difference between these measurements will be divided by two, and that’s how much fabric you will take away at the hem.  For example, on the front leg, the knee is 8 3/4 inches wide, while the hem in 10 inches wide.  That’s a difference of 1 1/4 inches.  I decided to take out 3/4 inch on each side, which gives it a very slight taper.

Step 3: Mark your cuts and cut jeans.

Step 4: Analyze and plan for the different seams. In most jeans, the inner leg seams and outer leg seams will be different in construction.

Outer leg seam

In these jeans, the outer leg seam was made by first serging each piece of fabric separately, and then stitching them together with a sewing machine.

Inner leg seam

The inner leg seam is constructed in the opposite order.  First, both pieces of fabric are stitched together, then the seam is serged.  Finally, this seam is also topstitched on the outside.

Because the inner leg seam is top stitched, it’s better to sew it first.  I’ve done it in the opposite order before, and it’s much harder to topstitch a leg seam when everything else is already sewn together.

Step 5: Sew, serge, and topstitch inner leg seams.

Stitch front and back together at inner leg seams.

Serge inner leg seam, then topstitch on the outside.

Step 6: Serge front and back separately at outer leg seam, then sew together.

Serge each panel of fabric separately.  Do not serge them together.

The edge of the front and back are serged and separate.

Stitch both panels of fabric together.

Step 7: Hem both legs. If you’d like your hem to be shorter, cut it now.  I shortened mine by half an inch.  Then fold under about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of fabric, and press.  Fold under to create hem (I prefer a 1 inch cuff) and press.  Top stitch through all layers on the outside.

And voila!  New jeans!  I’m considering going back and making them slightly tapered and slightly shorter, but I’m happy with them for now.

After

Green D.I.Y.- Cloth Napkins

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I’ve been trying to find more ways to eliminate waste in my daily life, and one easy change I’ve made is switching from paper napkins to cloth napkins.  There’s really no need to throw out another napkin every time we eat, when cloth napkins are so easy to make (or buy).  To keep them clean, I just wash them with my dish towels, and I keep enough on hand to last for about five days to a week.  Even if you only have minimal sewing skills, cloth napkins are super easy to make.

Step 1: Start out by making sure all your fabric is pressed.  Wrinkles will mess up your cuts.  Once your fabric is nice and smooth, cut out squares of it.  I decided to make mine 8″ by 8″, but you can make yours at whatever size works for you.  I chose to have patterned cotton fabric for one side (which came from a vintage pillowcase) and plain white cotton for the other side.

Step 2: With right sides together, stitch the two squares of fabric together on three sides and part of the fourth side.  The picture makes it more clear.  By leaving the gap, it makes it easier to turn the napkin inside out (or rightside out, depending on how you look at it.

Step 3: Clip the corners so that they will turn out neater.  Turn the napkin inside out.  Press the heck out of it.  It should be nice and smooth, with crisp edges.


Step 4: Topstitch on all sides, close to the edge.   This will close up the gap left earlier.  Press again.

Step 5: Repeat steps 1 -4 until you have the desired number of napkins.  Prepare a delicious meal, and enjoy your new eco-friendly napkins!

Crafty goodness: Crocheted Teddy Bear

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Even though this is a style blog, every once in awhile I like to throw in a dose of pure crafty goodness.  This adorable little teddy bear is something I recently crocheted for my new nephew who’s due any day now.  I didn’t have a pattern – I just made it up as I went along.  He’s cute, cuddly and washable.  (For those interested, the yarn is KnitPicks Shine Sport, my favorite yarn for toys).  I’m considering one day opening an Etsy shop where I sell hand-made toys, but I still haven’t decided if I would enjoy it, or if it would take the fun out of crafting for me.  We shall see.

Don’t forget that you still have ’til midnight to enter my Dansko Necci giveaway!  I’ll announce the winner tomorrow.

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