Bling up yr scraggily headbands!!!

My friend Debbie posted this tutorial on her site. It was a very EASY way to salvage and "bling up" those girly headbands that are starting to look a tad scraggily around our house.

Find some scrap fabric with sparkles or some funky textures on it, grab a glue gun and scissors and wah-lah! ;-) If you don't have scrap fabric with sparkles on it, you can always glue gems on!
____________________________

1. Cut the fabric to the length and width that you need + 1" to fold under the ends.
2. Glue the fabric edge to the inside of the headband just off center.
3. Glue as you fold/wrap the fabric around the headband pulling it tight and smooth as you go.
4. Over lap the beginning edge slightly so that this raw edge is in the center of the inside of the headband.
5. Fold the fabric ends inside and glue.
6. Wrap trim around the head band at an angle from one end to the other securing periodically with glue.
(from http://squigglytwigs.blogspot.com/2011/01/tuesdays-tute-recover-old-headband.html?spref=fb)

Baby Umbrellas Lantern - recycle those baby umbrellas, ellas, ellas, ellahs, eh, eh, eh

This is SO CUTE I can't hardly stand it. AND, all it takes is some nifty collecting skills. Keep those umbrellas from yr fancy parties and drinks! You can make 'em into a lantern! ;-)

Do any of you know where you could get a plastic ball like this? I can't think of anything except a paper Chinese lantern or an Ikea hanging round lantern. Any suggestions?



(From crafttutorials.net)

A great way to recycle those cocktail umbrellas after you have a party or get together.

Materials Needed:

Cocktail Umbrellas in all designs and colors
Hard, hollow plastic ball-any shape and size as long as it can fit a bulb inside (all I can think of is an Ikea lamp or paper Chinese lantern...?)
Light bulb with cord - you can buy those with a paper Chinese lantern at Walmart or Target.

Instructions:

Start by taking the plastic ball and cut a 5cm radius. This will be where you place the light bulb (or light bulb holder) when you are finished.
Next you will take the cocktail umbrellas and one by one poke them into the sides of the ball (or paper lantern). If you have problems poking the toothpicks through the ball you can use something sharp like a safety pin to make the holes. Continue to poke them through the ball until the ball is filled.
This can then be placed over the bulb and used to decorate any room.

Let the recycled fine art begin!!!

After taking a trip to the contemporary art building at the National Gallery of Art in Washington last month, I got a little inspired! I found this recycled art on a website and I think I might try it out! Easy steps on how to do this are below. It's very easy and you just have save your plastic bottle lids!

____________________________________

Materials:

- Canvas or wood scraps
- Plastic bottle lids (from water bottles)you can layer of lot of lids
- Paint brush
- Acrylic paints- black and other assorted bright colors
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Aleene’s® Super Thick Tacky Glue ™
- Assorted jewels, flat marbles, small glass mosaic tiles

Instructions

1.Use pencil and ruler to measure and mark sections on canvas.

2.Glue one plastic bottle lid into the center of each section. We glued every other lid reversed. One up, one down, one up, one down. On the small canvas, we layered all sorts of sizes and shapes. Let glue dry.

3.Paint the entire canvas and plastic lids with black paint. Let dry.

4.Using photo as guide, paint each section with a different color. Note that some of the black paint is left to show through the color. Paint each plastic lid with a different color. Let dry.

5.Glue a jewel, flat marble, or tile into the center of each plastic lid. Let glue dry.

Wool scraps into flowers!

I've been looking for a non-cheesy, yet easy (of course) wool fabric flower tutorial. I think this one will suffice. I believe I shall try this one out while the children are off at their friend's houses over Winter break. Yes, I shall try this with some old wool scrap fabric. I will post my results after I try it out. Meanwhile, have a look-see for yourself at how easy and pretty these little flowers look. I'm sure they'd look cute with felt, too.

Cute donuts!

I found these on fabric.com's blog. I'd never have thought to use yarn as frosting. ;-)

I tried making the rolled fabric flowers - TRIED being the exclusive word. Word to yr mother.

Okay. I'm a dork. I didn't even read the tutorial that I POSTED carefully enough. I was supposed to TWIST the fabric as I wrapped. Well, I didn't. I just wrapped and even though they are pretty, they probably will look better once I twist them and ACTUALLY follow the directions posted here. MAYBE ONE DAY I WILL LEARN TO READ DIRECTIONS CAREFULLY AND NOT SKIM THEM. Ya, right. ;-)

My friend's upcycled girly shirts!

My friend Deb, has a few upcycled girly tops for sale on her blog. Click here to check 'em out!