09
Apr 13

My Friend Made That: Andy’s Book of Letters

*This was posted on a previous date, but was late and never commented on. I am using it as today’s post and accepting a missed post on that date–I think it deserves the attention.*

I met so many amazing people through THON this year—one of which was Emma, a great friend and a great graphic designer.

Emma was one of our Gear Chairs—responsible for designing the t-shirts our committee would wear at Blue Shirt Workshop and during THON set-up and teardown.

When THON came to a close, Emma volunteered to put together a book of letters from our committee to our captain. I was so, so impressed by the craftsmanship and dedication she put into the book that I knew I had to ask her if I could share it.

The Project: Andy’s Book of Letters

Front Cover

The Inspiration: Emma used the same techniques she learned while making a book for one of her classes.

The Materials: Printer Paper. Waxed Thread. XActo Knife. Blue Cardstock. Rubber Cement.

The Steps: To make the book, Emma started out with about ten sheets of printer paper. She used waxed thread to bind together three separate signatures. (The book was about 40 pages or so.)

Emma then took a thicker piece of “nice blue paper” and cut it to the correct size for the book cover. She used rubber cement to glue it to the spine of the bound signatures.

Full Book

She then used Photoshop to create the graphics for the cover page, title page, centerfold, ending page, and four basic page layouts. She copied and pasted each of our committee member’s letters into the basic page layouts and formatted them that way.

To add to the centerfold, she used folded bits of paper to give our committee picture a “pop-out” effect.

Back Page

Using an XActo knife, she cut out all the printed graphics and pasted them into the bound book. She also cut out the cover design and pasted that onto the front cover.

Overall, it took her multiple days and many, many, many hours to complete the book—but it was worth it. I know our captain and our committee both appreciated all her hard work.

Inside Pages


19
Mar 13

I Could Make That: Anthropolgie’s Dripping Mason Jars

Anthropologie is probably my favorite store. I love everything about it—the clothes, the accessories, the things you can buy for your house, the displays. If I were asked to live inside an Anthropologie catalogue, I would probably consider it.

My mom came across a website praising Anthropologie’s Dripping Mason Jar displays last week and sent the link my way. For $2.00 each, plus the cost of paint, I now have three new flower vases to keep in my dorm. And they only took 10 minutes to complete!

The Project: Anthropolgie Dripping Mason Jars

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The Inspiration: Anthropologie. This website.

The Materials: Mason jars. (Mason jar mugs.) Paint.

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The Steps: This is one of the simplest projects I have ever created for this blog—so obviously it’s also one of my favorites. The first thing you need to do is come across Mason jars. I was lucky enough to find a few Mason jar mugs at McLanahan’s for around $2.00 each.

While at McLanahan’s, I ventured through their school and craft supply row and found mini bottles of paint in a few vibrant colors. I picked pink, yellow, and white, but the fun thing about this project is that just about any color combination looks great.

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To avoid making a mess, I covered my desk with a plastic trash bag before using any paint. Then, all you need to do is take your paint and pour it directly into your jars. Let it sit for a few seconds, then flip your jar over so that the paint runs down the sides. It is better to flip them slowly—that way you can better control where you want your paint drips to be. (When I said that this project was simple, I wasn’t kidding.)

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Like on the website I linked above, I added second and third colors by pouring the paint from the top edge of the jar and letting it drip down, rather than by pouring it in and flipping the jar over.

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Once you’re happy with the way you paint drops look, set your jars on paper towels in a warm place and leave them be.

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Now comes the hard part: watching paint dry.

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26
Feb 13

I Could Make That: Free People’s Updated Cut Offs

With Spring Break starting at the end of this week, I’ve convinced myself that summer is just around the corner. And with summer comes my very favorite clothing trend: cut off shorts.

I was scrolling through the Free People blog—if you’ve read my blog before, you know it’s probably my number one inspiration—and I came across this awesome post on how to update any pair of old cut off shorts!

If you have an old pair of shorts, scissors, and a sewing needle, this is a great project to throw together super quickly—and a great pair of shorts to wear out during your Spring Break vacations.

The Project: Free People’s Updated Cut Offs

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The Inspiration: This great post from Free People!

The Materials: Old cut offs. Fabric. Sewing needle. Thread. Scissors. Pins.

The Steps: I followed the steps listed on Free People’s website pretty exactly. I love the DIYs they do because they are so simple to follow and always turn out so great!

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As shown on the Free People website, the first thing you’ll want to do is cut a scrap of fabric a little larger than the area of your shorts you want to cover. I left about an inch on each edge—just to make sure I had a little bit of breathing room when it came to my stitching.

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I used straight pins instead of the pins shown on the Free People website to attach my fabric to my shorts. I learned to sew from my mom and she always kept straight pins in her sewing kit. I bought a pack from McLannahan’s at the beginning of last semester and have been using them ever since.

I hand sewed the fabric to these shorts starting with the seam closest to the zipper. After sewing down this side, I pulled the fabric taut and repined it—making sure it wouldn’t bag or bubble after sewing. I then continued my sewing across the top and down the edge of the pocket, across the bottom, and finally down the outside seam.

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As suggested by the Free People post, after I sewed down a seam, I trimmed the excess fabric as close to my seam as possible. I lost my scissors while tutu making with my THON committee and had to use mini sewing scissors this week—the most frustrating thing EVER…

After you’ve trimmed all your fabric, you’re left with an adorably updated new pair of shorts.

Why bother shopping when you can update all your clothes with just fabric and a sewing needle?!

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12
Feb 13

I Could Make That: Braided T-Shirt Headband

My friend Alex has an entire drawer filled with the scraps of cut clothing. Cut t-shirt sleeves, cut dress bottoms—if she’s trimmed something, she has the scraps.

She finds some pretty creative ways to use them—one of which is tying the goodie bags she makes for our THON committee shut—but my favorite is the braided headband I saw her wearing today.

I loved it so much that I stole some scraps and begged her to teach me how to make it.

Thanks, Alex! This was the perfect lazy-Tuesday DIY and made a perfect lazy-Tuesday headband.

The Project: Braided T-Shirt Headband

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The Inspiration: My friend Alex!

The Materials: T-Shirt scraps. Scissors.

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The Steps: I started out with the cut bottom of a t-shirt. Alex had shortened the all the way around, so the t-shirt bottom was still connected in a loop. The first thing you need to do is cut the seam, so it is in one long strip.

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This strip can usually be shortened A LOT, but make sure you keep it long enough that it will still wrap around your head and have some length on the ends to tie your band together.

The next thing you’ll want to do is cut your band to get it ready for braiding. Just like the scarf I made two weeks ago, you’ll want to cut your band into strips, leaving about an inch at the end so they remain connected. You’ll need three strips for this simple braid.

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Now comes the easy part! Braid your three sections together, just like you would with your hair. You can make this as tight or loose as you want. I made mine somewhere in the middle, so you can see the braid, but it still has some ability to stretch.

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Once you finish braiding, tie the two ends together. You can loop the open braided ends underneath the fabric that wasn’t cut to make it easier to tie. Trim any extra fabric from outside your knot.

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And you’re left with a simple braided headband! Perfect for lazy days and when you just can’t figure out what to do with all your leftover fabric scraps. Thanks again, Alex! 🙂


03
Feb 13

I Could Make That: No Sew Tutu

THON is in less than two weeks and I couldn’t be more excited about it!

Last Friday night, my friend Lisa and I ventured out to Walmart in the freezing cold to buy 90 yards of tulle and bunches of elastic to make THON tutus with all the ladies of our committee.

Unlucky for me, in between helping others make their tutus, I didn’t have a chance to make mine.

Lucky for me, I realized today that it would be a silly and simple project to put up on my blog!

The Project: No Sew Tutu

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The Inspiration: I found these simple directions and adapted from there!

The Materials: Approximately five yards of tulle. Scissors. Elastic to fit around your waist.

The Steps: The first thing I did was to have each of the girls from my committee measure out the elastic for their waistbands. When measuring the elastic, pull it so that it fits snuggly, but not so tightly that it is uncomfortable. Add about two inches to this measurement so that you can easily tie the two ends together in a knot.

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For every tutu, you will need about five yards of tulle. Some girls ended up needing a little more, some girls ended up needing a little less. This really depends on the size you made your waistband.

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Before you get started, you will need to take your tulle and fold it in half—lengthwise or hotdog style. From the folded edge, cut the tulle into strips. The length of the strip is entirely up to you. I found that strips of about 3 inches in width worked well to make the tutu nice and fluffy!

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(If your tulle is extremely wide, you may want to consider cutting these strips in half once more. This also depends on how long you want the skirt of your tutu to be. In the photos that I am showing, I have cut my tulle in half.)

Next, take your strip of tulle and fold it in half forming a loop. Place the folded strip underneath your elastic waistband so that the looped half is facing upward. Grab the tails of your strip and pull them around the waistband and through the loop, forming what looks like a knot. Keep pulling until the tail ends stick out and the knot is firmly secured on the waistband.

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You will need to repeat this step over and over and over again, until your entire waistband is covered.

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Once you have completely covered your waistband, your tutu is almost complete! At this point, you can take your scissors and trim your skirt, add other colors in between the knots on your waistband, or bedazzle the edges of your skirt with sequins! I added a few pieces of a second color and evened out the length of my skirt.

Now you have the perfect tutu to rock during THON weekend–or to your next class!


28
Jan 13

I Could Make That: Hello Giggles T-Shirt Scarf

First off, I have to thank Emma—again—for the supplies to make this project! She gave me this tee last semester to DIY with and I finally found the perfect thing to make with it!

I love scarves and I love Hello Giggles—so when I found a DIY T-Shirt Scarf on Hello Giggles, I was in heaven. This project was super simple, requiring only three materials and no sewing! My favorite.

The Project: DIY T-Shirt Scarf

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The Inspiration: This lovely post from Hello Giggles.

The Materials: Scissors. Tee. Extra fabric.

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The Steps: These steps all come directly from the Hello Giggles website, and they do a much better job explaining it—if you’re interested in this project, check over there! 🙂

I started out by laying my t-shirt out on a flat surface. To get this project started, you need to cut straight across the shirt from armpit to armpit, and I have found that fabric cutting is easiest against a hard, flat surface.

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Once you’ve cut the top half of your shirt off, cut the bottom hem off the remaining “tube.” This will give you two uniform edges on each side of your scarf.

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Next, you will be cutting your shirt into strips from side seam to side seam.  MAKE CERTAIN to leave a one-inch strip between the side seam and the top of your cut. (The tutorial video from Hello Giggles shows exactly how to do this, if you are at all confused.)

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After you’ve cut your entire shirt into strips, take each one and pull on it until it begins to curl. I also gathered all my strips into one hand and pulled them at the same time to be certain they were a uniform length.

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Now gather all the strips up by the uncut section and make them into a loop shape. I also made sure all my strips were pulled a curled exactly how I wanted them at this point.

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Hello Giggles suggests covering the gathered section with a separate piece of fabric to add a little flair to the scarf. I used an old lace t-shirt I had sitting around. I cut the shirt into strips and wrapped the section, knotting each strip around the scarf. Once the entire section was covered, I tucked the ends back underneath the fabric.

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Now you have a super simple scarf that will be perfect for spring in State College!

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21
Jan 13

I Could Make That: Faded Thermals

Over winter break, my sister and I scoured the racks of our favorite thrift stores searching for new additions to our wardrobes.

After spending way too much time and money at Free People earlier that day, we became obsessed with recreating the dip-dyed and faded thermals that they had displayed on every mannequin. With the harshest part of State College winter still upon us, layering a thermal underneath your favorite sweater makes for the perfect cozy outfit.

The Project: Faded Thermals

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The Inspiration:  We the Free Fun Dip Tee.

The Materials: Thrift store thermals. Bleach.

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The Steps: My sister and I made sure to buy the thermals a few sizes too big—and by a few sizes, I mean size Men’s XL. Buying them bigger allowed us to cut them into the scoop bottom shape that makes Free People’s so cute!

Since we made this project over break, I don’t have photos of the shirts beforehand, but the first thing we did was cut the scoop bottom and distress a few spots along the sleeves and neckline.

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On the lighter thermal, we cut a peak-a-boo pattern into the back. If you wanted to add any other cutouts, I always like to do it before you bleach.

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Since we were at home, we decided to bleach in the kitchen sink with the windows open. My sister mixed part of our bleach with water in the sink, while leaving a bit in the bottle for touch-ups.

If you read my Bleached Denim Shirt post, the dying technique was similar for the light thermal. For the red thermal, I used a technique similar to the one I used on my Dip Dye Tee and Shorts.

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Be creative! I’ve yet to mess up a bleach project.

Once all the bleach is rinsed out of your shirts, leave them to dry. I like to wash my clothes one more time in the washing machine before I wear them—just to make sure you get all that awful bleach smell out.

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And there you go.

Perfect for layering.


26
Nov 12

I Could Make That: A Post from Across the Ocean

I’ve talked about my sister on this blog before. Extremely artistic, she can do things with a camera or with a paintbrush that I could only imagine.

A couple weekends ago, sometime before Thanksgiving break, we ended up talking about some of the projects I was making for this blog, and she volunteered one of her recent creations for a post.

So here it is—inspired a little bit by Free People and a little bit by Morocco, where she spent a vacation not too long ago—an “I Could Make That” post from across the ocean.

The Project: My Sister’s Headband

The Inspiration: Free People. Morocco. Spain.

The Materials: Denim. Thread. Beads. Bleach.

The Steps: The first thing you need to do is cut a strip of spare denim or fabric to be used as the base of your headband. This can be any thickness, but you need to be certain that it has enough length to wrap around your head and be secured in the back.

My sister then got to work decorating her denim. She used a needle and thread to sew different beads onto her band, as well as add some decorative stitching in places. You could use any form of bead or sequin that you’d like, and can apply them with glue if sewing isn’t really your thing.

She added some tassels to the sides of her headband, positioned so that when she puts the headband on, they hang down into her hair.

To the ends of her headband where it would tie around her head, my sister added two pieces of thread. Whether she made the headband too short and added these after, or if she just added them for looks, I’m not sure. Either way, they add an extra touch to this adorable headpiece!

The last step my sister took was to take a bit of bleach and drip it on the headband in some places. This added a distressed look to the fabric and really completed the gypsy-vibe she was going for.

Thanks for the idea, Caitlin! I can’t wait to try it out for myself.


30
Oct 12

I Could Make That: Constellation Lights

When I was younger, I had a book on constellations. It wasn’t very long or detailed, definitely a children’s book to discovering the sky, but my sister and I used to pour over it—mapping out star patterns during the day, standing outside in the summer amidst the fireflies at night.

I love stars. I love the way they look, I love what they are, I love what they have represented for years and what they continue to represent today.

If I could, I would map the constellations onto the ceiling of my dorm room in glow in the dark paint, just like those plastic stars I used to stick on the walls as a child.

I needed a way to bring the stars into my room at night, so I made one.

“We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.”

The Project: Constellation Lights

The Inspiration: These lamps.

The Materials: Cans. Hammer. Water. Freezer. Nails.

The Steps: My mom did me a huge favor while I was home last weekend, and cleaned out three metal cans for my project this week. Thanks, mom!

When I got back to my dorm on Sunday night, I filled these cans with water and froze them in the freezer. My mom told me that this would prevent the cans from bending while I was trying to hammer holes into them.

While they were freezing, I designed my patterns.  I found an awesome picture online of all the astrological star signs and decided to use that as the pattern on one of my cans.

I cut out each constellation and taped it onto the side of my can. I then took my hammer and nails— Thanks, Dad! —and put holes everywhere on the can that a star would be.

In between hammering each constellation, I had to put the cans back into the freezer, sometimes adding more water if a chunk of ice fell out.

The cans weren’t finished defrosting by the time I made this post, but I’m hoping to be able to post a picture of them soon.

I’ll add a candle to the inside and have constellation shadows all over my walls.


23
Oct 12

I Could Make That: Dip Dye Tee and Shorts

To start off, I want to say a HUGE thank you to Emma for giving me the tees to work with this week. I hope you like how they turned out!

I love the way sweaters and jeans look when they begin to fade. When your favorite sweater begins to thin at the elbows and wrists and your jeans fade white on seams and joints.

I love the way colored tees begin to look after about a hundred washes, when they start to fade from the middle out, with bottom edges holding onto color, when seams have long given up.

A well-loved item is the perfect addition to any closet.

And when I found out that the Dip Dye look could provide an awesome fade to any white tee, I was more than pleased!

The Project: Dip Dye Tee and Shorts

The Inspiration: Dip dye trend. This Free People blog post.

The Materials: White tee. Grey jean shorts. Gloves. Dye. Plastic container. Hot water.

The Steps: If you’re thinking about using any form of fabric dye, the first thing to do is read the package. The dye I was using was capable of dying a couple pounds of fabric—and I definitely did not need that much—so I only needed to shake about a quarter of the powder into a clean plastic container. Mine was rectangular, a little wider than the width of a t-shirt bottom, and not very deep.

The dye I was using also called for about two cups of hot water. I didn’t have a measuring cup, so I eyeballed it and used my favorite teacup as a substitute.

I knew I wanted my tee to be darker on the bottom and fade up, so I held the very bottom edge in the dye for about 30 seconds, before gradually increasing the amount submerged and holding each new addition for 15 seconds longer. I’d say the shirt was under the dye for somewhere around a minute total.

When I was finished with the main dye, I wrung out the shirt as much as possible before moving it to the sink and rinsing it with cold water. When the water stopped running pink, I wrung it out again and placed it flat on top of a towel on my desk.

From the Free People Blog I linked above, I got the idea to sprinkle dry dye onto the damp shirt to create a speckle trend. My dye must have been different than theirs, because my speckles turned more into shooting star shapes. (But hey, I still like it!)

I then left the shirt to dry completely.

Once it was done, I brought it back to the sink and rinsed once more until the water ran clear. I hung the shirt up on a hanger, and let it dry overnight.

While that was drying, I made an unplanned second project: dip dyeing a pair of grey shorts I had with the extra dye!

Following the same process, I dyed just the top half of my shorts.

I have to admit, I really like the way they came out.

Emma’s Two Tees: Dipped Dye Tee. Skull Back Tee.

 


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