Archive for the ‘diy’ Category

Sponsored: How to Wrap a Turbeanie

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Inspired by Ford’s Fiesta Movement, let’s talk about accessories and styles that we have yet to conquer. For me. . .

It’s hats.

In the last 10 years there have been one or two times when I’ve worn a hat for fun. And It’s been off in about 30 minutes after a lot of scratching and adjusting. Perhaps it stems from the bowl cut of my youth. I went from long locks to my buns to an early 90s girlish boy-cut at 8 years old. From then until I was 11, much of my day-to-day was focused on dressing like a girl. Several times strangers mistakenly called out “Young Man!” in my general direction. Dressing like a girl didn’t include wearing hats. At least none of the hats I found interesting.

Just over a year ago I found myself needing some head coverage in downtown SF. All I had was a scarf on-hand, so I worked magic and made a turbeanie (a turban-like beanie). I loved it, but couldn’t seem to replicate it. Until now.

What styles do you struggle with? High-low trends? Boxy tunics? Leggings? Ankle boots?

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The turbeanie feels much more feminine than a regular beanie, but so much less work than the oh-so-popluar turban headbands. I don’t have to do my hair in order to make it look done!

One of the best parts? I have everything I need on-hand. I bet you do, too. Let’s do wrap a turbeanie together!

How to Wrap A Turban Beanie

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Supplies

Your scarf or fabric – a simple cut of some lightweight knit would be perfect – should be 2 yards by about 18 inches or so.

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If you have an extra wide scarf, fold it in half.

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If you’re going for a beanie look, tie your hair into loose piggy tails to keep your hair from going all over the place. You could alternatively tie this turban with a topknot or any other hairstyle.

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Instructions

Find the center of your scarf and line up the hem along the nape of your neck.

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Pull both ends so the line at the nape of the neck is tight. Cross ends over.

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Cross ends again.

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This creates the popular turban look you see in headbands everywhere.

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Take the ends to the back and cross over to the front.

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tuck remaining tails into the fabric. Be sure to keep any corners on the inside of the folds of fabric.

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Adjust the turban as needed.

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Remove the hair ties and style your hair as needed. I like how this stays on my head, but isn’t as restricting as a regular beanie. Hope you like it, too!

Alternatively, you could watch my little how-to to see it done in real-time.

This is a sponsored post and I was compensated for my participation. The opinions expressed are my own.

This tutorial/freebie is free for personal use and should not be distributed/republished without my consent. Altering any files is NOT ALLOWED. If you would like to use this tutorial for commercial purposes, please email me. Thanks!

Leather Crafting: Sewing up iPhone Case

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We didn’t need much evidence to see that my sister-in-law needed a new case for her phone. While she partied with us this weekend we put our heads together (I see a three-bodied, one-headed monster) to come up with a wallet/case for her. I have a pattern for a phone/wallet pattern and tutorial available for the iPhone 4, but we decided ad-libbing would be more fun for her slightly-different-dimensioned iPhone 5.

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I didn’t make a pattern for her (I kinda wish I did, I love how it turned out). We ended up wrapping the leather around her phone and punching and sewing as we went.

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We used a large leather scrap scored from an upholstery shop years ago. It’s thin, but stiff. Perfect for a durable case that will hopefully last years.

The rustic styling and minimal details play into Brooke’s style well.

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I love the simplicity of this case.

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And the one line of stitching down the side is a really neat detail, IMHO. ;)

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Our little “experiment” was a total win. I couldn’t help but get even more excited and anxious to get my new phone and case!!

Easy Ink Transfers Tutorial

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I was on Studio 5 yesterday sharing a few printmaking tutorials for easy Halloween DIYing with friends or kids! See the segment here.

As featured in the segment, here’s another printmaking idea for you perfect for the upcoming spooky season, or really any time of year.

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I love how these ink transfers are grainy, organic and grungy. The grunge is really fun for this season.

We used to make these kinds of prints all the time in college. I did basically an entire series with oil ink transfers. See my circle series circa 2005.

Grungy Ink Transfer Tutorial

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Supplies

  • ink (water soluble is best)
  • paper
  • pencil
  • brayer
  • acrylic printing plate

Note: you can use acrylic ink (the kinds that comes in tubes, not bottles) or oil paint for this technique!

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Easy DIY Holiday Banner Tutorial

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I whine and complain all the time about not having any holiday decorations. It’s all my fault for not having anything when the holiday seasons roll around. All my fault. I’m crafty, right? Why can’t I take a few minutes and make something?

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A few weeks ago I organized all of my holiday gear in boxes (a first!) so now it’s time to invest in some fun decor to fill those boxes.

Today I’m sharing with you an updated tutorial from days of yore and a way to jazz it up for the holidays.

Styrofoam Prints DIY

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Supplies

  • pencil
  • styrofoam sheets (or plates with the edges cut off)
  • craft paint or block printing ink (water soluble is best)
  • acrylic plate
  • brayer
  • bone folder

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You are Special Today Silhouette Promo

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You know I love me some glass etching. It’s so fun to have an image etched permanently onto such a slippery surface!

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When I got my kit, I knew exactly what I wanted. A “You are Special Today” plate for birthdays.

Several months ago, Gabrielle had me letter a few versions of the phrase for a story about celebrating birthdays. I love how she approaches each holiday with such simple, yet impactful flair. You can download the plate artwork here (and use the tutorial for a drawn or etched plate!).

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From now on (I’m sure I’ll forget, but I’m going to try) I am going to pull out this plate for the birthday girl or boy for each meal.

The craft was incredibly easy since I didn’t have to sketch or cut out the design. Since using my cutter, the project went from an idea to done in a matter of minutes.

Since the etched plate would serve food (likely sticky breakfast foods), I opted to etch the underside of the plate. In reverse. Sometimes you won’t need to reverse it. It just depends upon where you need to put it. You’ll want to reverse the graphic if you’re going to etch pans (because you want to etch the outside of the pan and see the design from the inside). No need to reverse it if you’re putting the graphic on the outside of a jar and viewing the design from the outside of the jar.

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It’s so hard to take crisp, high-contrast photos of etched glass. These lines are a lot more crisp than they photograph. The masking material’s impressive adhesion got me really excited about doing some more intricate abstract patterns on plates. Ideas are coming in droves!

The Silhouette promotion for this month includes a starter kit with all the materials needed for creating an etched craft. Use code MELISSA at checkout for the discount.

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I am a Silhouette affiliate. I wouldn’t blog about their products unless I really loved them. And I do. I receive a portion of sales made with the promotional code MELISSA, so thank you for your support!!

 

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