Category Archives: DIY

Last Minute Valentine’s Day Gifts

I, just like every human on earth, am guilty of waiting until the last minute to do things. There’s  something about that last minute pressure that really puts the heat on. This year I actually purchased George’s Valentine’s Day present early and had it shipped to the house. And he opened it before I got home! It was an honest mistake, but I was so mad! I can’t ever surprise that dude. Anyway, now I’m rushing to make something small to give him so he actually has something to open tomorrow.

Here’s a couple ideas for those last minute Valentine’s Day gifts:

rp_Nuts-about-you-1024x616.jpgThis Valentine’s Day printable is super-cute. You don’t even have to make the nuts recipe if you don’t have time. You can just attach it to a bag of nuts! Click here for the printable.

how to make vanilla extractIf you’ve got a honey that loves to cook, homemade vanilla extract would be a great gift. Maybe they’ll get the hint to make you those cookies you’ve been wanting. Click here for the how to.

infused liquorsInfused liquors are so easy to make and instantly elevate a drink. I’d let the liquor infuse for a few days, but it’s a gift that you both could enjoy this weekend. Click here for the tutorial.

gifts for male teachersIf your darling isn’t a drinker, then a personalized mug filled with coffee or chocolates would make a cute gift. Just make sure you don’t put it in the dishwasher! Click here for the details.

Here’s to homemade Valentine’s gifts! And waiting until the last minute!

love,
melanie

 

DIY Leather Clutch

DIY Leather Pouch ClutchI have the worst time trying to keep a purse clean. My purse is generally filled with crumbs, random medications and crumpled papers. And it seems that I never carry exactly what I need. Why is that?! Rules of physics?

After cleaning out my purse and accidentally throwing one of my favorite earrings away, I decided I need to get organized. Not only will this help me in my time of need, but it will help me to save money. I won’t buy 50 bottles of eyedrops because I have it on hand when I need it.

Here’s how I created this cute clutch to store band-aids, eyedrops and alcohol wipes for life’s little ouchies.

Here’s what you’ll need:
A piece of leather or faux leather (mine was 16 inches in length and 7.5 in width)
A threaded sewing machine or a thread and needle
A piece of chalk
Scissors
An alternate color leather
Fabric glue
A leather snap and a hammer

Cut your leather to size. Fold the leather up to create the pouch. I made my pouch 6 inches in length. Sew each side together, leaving the flap on top open on the sides. I then sewed the top edge to make a neater line. Take the chalk and trace an outline for the letters on the alternate color leather. Cut out each letter. Glue the letters to the bag. Let dry. Cut a hole for the snap in the middle of the bag using a pair of scissors or a knife. Hammer the leather snap into the leather on each side of the flap.

Instant purse organization! I feel like Wonder Woman some days.

love,
melanie

Polymer Clay Hair Accessories

Polymer Clay Heart Hair Accessory DIYFor Valentine’s Day I like to add a little something-something to my outfits. This year, I thought a hair accessory would be just the thing.

For this project, you’ll need polymer clay, bobby pins and a tiny bit of cloth. I used leather, but felt will work well too.

I had a little extra polymer clay left over from my For the Makers project. So I thought hey, why not add a little food coloring to it?! This dummie got red food coloring all over her hands and went around with pink hands for two days. Make sure if you decide to color the clay with food coloring, use gloves! Or just buy pink clay. So much easier and so much less embarrassing.

Polymer Clay HeartsI fashioned the clay into hearts. Then, to bake the clay, I placed the hearts on a cookie sheet.  Bake according to the manufacturer’s directions. After the clay cooled, I broke out my trusty hot glue gun, cut a few pieces of leather, secured the bobby pin between the leather and glued it to the clay.

Back of Clay Heart Hair AccessoriesWhere’s the easy button? ‘Cuz this project was eeeeeezzzzzz.

love,
melanie

 

Knitted Baby Blanket

Knitted baby blanketWe see too much perfect on the Internet. It’s all about being pinnable and having these amazingly beautiful and totally unrealistic lives. So, I’m going to tell ya’ll the story of how this cape came to be. It’s an ugly story with a pretty cute ending.

I was sitting in my office during my lunch break with the lights off. (It helps me relax.) I was knitting and listening to my Broadway station on Pandora. You know, reveling in my nerdiness. In an effort to change one of the songs (I just cannot bring myself to like Cats), I spilled black cherry tea on a baby blanket I was creating for a friend. It was one of those accidents that happen in slow motion. I let out a long “Noooooooo!!!” and maybe some cussing. I tried to dab out the stain, but there was no saving it. Or so I thought.

Thank God that I was taught as a kid that when you fall, just make it part of the dance. Really though, there are many home videos of me dancing in my childhood living room, falling and making it a killer addition to the dance. My Ninja Turtle slippers also added a touch of elegance, if I do say so myself.

So instead of being bummed about the stain in the baby blanket, I thought hey, let’s make lemons into lemonade. Or tea into tea dye. I don’t think that metaphor worked. But what I’m trying to say is… I tea dyed the blanket!

knit baby blanket detailThen I washed it and all the tea came out. Whomp. Whomp. What can I say, it all comes out in the wash. Regardless, I think it turned out pretty damn cute.

What disaster projects have you turned around? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

DIY Polymer Clay Bowl and a For the Makers Review

Polymer Clay BowlFor Christmas my sister gave me a subscription to the craft subscription service, For the Makers. I’m so jealous of my sister’s ability to give just the right gift. Last week, I got my first box of craft projects in the mail. Each box contains four small crafts.

Here’s the pros and cons of the service.
Pro:

  • All crafts are simple and small. Great for people that don’t have much space (like moi!).
  • No craft is overly time-consuming. Most will take under an hour.
  • Crafts come four to a box, so there is plenty of crafting to be done.
  • Crafts could be made as directed or used in different ways.
  • A box arrives at your doorstep each month, so there is no excuse not to make things!

Polymer clay bowl DIYCon:

  • The materials were of fairly high quality, but my large bead for a statement necklace arrived with a crack in it. Bummer.
  • The service is a bit pricey ($29) per box.
  • You have to visit their website for the DIY directions.
  • Although they make an effort to include things like a needle, not all materials are included in the box. You still may need things like rolling pin or a sewing machine to make projects look more professional.

The first project I tried out of the box was a polymer clay bowl. I used the directions found here. It turned out fairly cute and I think I’ll put it on my desk at work for paperclips and little miscellaneous objects.

Overall, I love this service as a gift. It’s novel, it’s easy and it arrives right at my doorstep. Have you ever tried a craft subscription service? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

 

Extra Chunky Capelet

Chunky CapeletI’ve been knitting like a squirrel hiding nuts for winter. And in some ways, I feel like that squirrel. I’m bracing myself for another cold snap tonight, but I’m not scared. I’ve made a super warm scarf/capelet (it’s convertible!) and I will sleep in it if I must. My southern, wimpy body can’t take too much cold!

Capelet detailTo make this capelet, I used two skeins of extra bulky yarn and cast on 90 times. I just knit like a mad woman. Out of control.

This project is great for beginning knitters, like myself, and I can wear this cape at least 10 ways. If you need me, I’ll be in my trailer, under a heated blanket, wearing this capelet.

Stay warm, friends!

love,
melanie

Handmade Holiday Challenge Roundup

Gorgeous handmade socks by Hedgehog Fibres on Flickr

Gorgeous handmade socks by Hedgehog Fibres on Flickr

I didn’t finish my holiday challenge or stick to my strict budget of $100, but considering everything I had going on, I think I made a commendable effort. Let’s take a look back, shall we?

  1. Mom: This year, I gave my mom homemade vanilla extract. I think she’ll enjoy using it in her baking. $1.49 for the bottles and $2.99 for the vanilla beans. I already had the bourbon and the vodka, so I didn’t count it towards the budget.how to make vanilla extract
  2. Dad: I didn’t get anything for my Dad because he told me not to, and well, I didn’t really have time. I still love him though and he knows it. Handmade Circle Scarf
  3. Sister: I made this imitation American Apparel circle scarf for my sister. It cost $16 for the fabric. A little steep, I tried to get cheaper fabric online, but my order was cancelled. handmade cat toy
  4. Sister’s cat (weird, I know, but we always give our pets gifts in my family): I made Franklin, my sister’s cat, this toy with stuff I had around the house and out in the yard! He loved it and it was free. Animals and children always seem to love the presents that don’t cost anything the best.
  5. Mother-in-law: For my mother-in-law, I ordered a book of our wedding photos. Our wedding was a year ago and I have yet to print out any photos. I suck sometimes. And although, I’m not considering it homemade, I did get a good deal on the book through Groupon. ($10!)
  6. Father-in-law: We just ended up getting him a gift card to a local gun store. He has done a lot for us this year. He’s helped us to fix up the trailer and let us live on his land. ($50)customized ukulele
  7. Niece: This was probably my favorite project of the challenge. We customized this ukulele for my niece. She may be too young for it. She’s only 2! She wanted to tear off the strings when she opened it! :/ But it’s cute enough to  just sit on a shelf until she’s old enough to learn to play. I can’t find the red model that I purchased on Amazon. It was $29.95. But a similar model is sold on Amazon for a bit more.
  8. Brother-in-law: We bought him wool socks. It’s what he wanted. $20.
  9. Sister-in-law: Like my mother-in-law, I also purchased a Groupon and ordered a large canvas photo of her daughter from our wedding. $12.
  10. Husband: My poor husband didn’t get anything from me this year. We decided not to exchange gifts. We combined our anniversary and Christmas gifts and right now are on a relaxing trip to Austin, Texas! Priceless.infused liquors
  11. Friends: Our friends all received infused liquors this year. They were pumped. To make it, I used ingredients we already had on hand.
  12. Co-workers: My lovely co-workers didn’t get anything from me this year. I just couldn’t do it all.

I ended up going over budget at $142.43, but all considering, I’m proud of the work I’ve done. Next year, I’ll start on my projects earlier, so I’ll have time for unexpected things to pop up.

I hope everyone had the best of holidays. I’ll see you all in the new year!

love,
melanie

Handmade Holiday Challenge: Look-alike American Apparel Circle Scarf

Handmade Circle ScarfThis is the last of my Handmade Holiday Challenge items. I made one more scarf, but I knitted it and it turned out a bit wonky. Don’t craft and drink wine, ya’ll. It wasn’t really “blog worthy.”

But I am proud of this circle scarf I made for my sister. At Thanksgiving, she said something about wanting a circle scarf from American Apparel like the one I have. The scarf is super basic and I knew that I could make it for cheaper than the $28.00 American Apparel version.

I purchased two yards of jersey knit fabric at Hobby Lobby. The best thing about working with jersey knit is that you don’t have to finish the ends. The fabric just sort of rolls at the ends. The worst thing with working with jersey knit is trying to sew the ends together. I suggest using a zig-zag stitch (if you don’t have a serger) and testing on your fabric first. I had to take out my stitches more than one because the fabric puckered. Here’s more tips on sewing on jersey knit. I used those when creating my scarf.

For this project I only had to sew the short ends of the fabric together (thank god) to create this scarf. I actually think I like this one more than my American Apparel scarf. I’ll be making one for myself soon.

How did your presents turn out this year? Let me know in the comments!

love,
melanie

A Knitted Baby Cape!

Baby Cape CloseupThis may have been my first knitting project, but it is safe to say I am addicted. I don’t always stick with projects or crafts. Learning is the best part! But knitting really has me hooked. (Get it?!) I got a little ambitious and decided that I wanted to make something for my niece’s 2nd birthday.

I’m no expert and I still have a lot to learn. I used one skein of yarn (111 yards) in Yarn Bee’s “super bulky” eggnog color yarn. I cast on for 55 stitches using size 13 needles. I then just knitted using a basic stitch until almost all the yarn was gone. Then I finished it up using this technique.  Finally, I added a button and a loop to close the cape.

Knitted baby capeI’m so proud of how it turned out. I can’t wait to see pictures of my niece wearing it this winter. She’s a cutie.

Do you all knit? I want to see your projects in the comments!

love,
melanie

A Last Minute Holiday Gift for Your Furry Friends

handmade cat toyI didn’t finish my handmade holiday challenge, but I got close. Sometimes life just gets in the way. Never fear, I will have a recap for ya’ll. And I did have time to eek out this little gift for my furry friend. If it was up to me, I’d have 10 cats, but alas, I’m a cat lady who is allergic to cats.

My sister brought her newest furry friend home for the holidays and I just had to make him something. I couldn’t leave him out! P.S. he looooved the toy!

This DIY was super easy, I made it with scraps and it only took me about 10 minutes.

easy version how to make pom poms First, I made two pom poms. I made them the easy way and just wrapped the yarn around my fingers, then tied the yarn together in the middle. Then, I cut the looped ends. I made two pom poms and tied them together, so the poof was extra poofy. I also made sure to reinforce all my knots since this kitty loves to play (aka rip things apart.)

I then braided a length of yarn slightly longer than my arm and traveled outside to find a nice-looking stick. Once I found the perfect stick, I attached the braided yarn to the stick and attached the pom pom ball to the braided yarn. Finally, I wrapped yarn around both ends of the stick to make it a little prettier.

cat toy close upThe hardest part of this project is tying knots super tight so little kitties won’t immediately kill the toy.

Did you make anything for your furry friends this year? I’d love to see links to your projects in the comments!

love,
melanie