DIY
»· The Art of the Bouquet ·«
I’ve always admired the way my Mom can just throw together a bundle of flowers and make the most beautiful bouquet. I’ve never been successful at the art of the bouquet and thus stick to one or two types of flowers when putting together “arrangements.” Well not anymore mis amigos, not anymore. This past weekend I put my Mom’s teaching skills to the test (sidenote: she actually is a teacher) and had her show me the ways of floral arrangement mastery. Read below for the step-by-step guide:
You Will Need:
- flowers - DOY!
- a vase - double DOY!
- clippers - triple DOY!
- patience…
Step 1: Lay out your flower choices and pick your vase, or vah-se, however you want to pronounce it. Wildflowers are big in Connecticut right now so we went with a colorful, long-stemmed bunch.
Step 2: Start by putting your main/focal flowers into the vase. These are the flowers that are going to take up the majority of your arrangement. When making a long-stemmed bouquet make sure you can see some of those purdy stems poking out of the top of the vase - if you’re making a short bouquet the stems don’t matter as much.
Step 3: Fill in those empty spaces with bigger, fuller flowers, interspersing them throughout the arrangement. (This was kind of trial and error for me but I used lilies and hydrangeas).
Step 4: Pick up the entire arrangement and give it a good floof, kind of like what you would do to your hair if you wanted to give it more volume. And there you have it! the art of the bouquet at your fingertips!
»· DIY : Polka Dot Nails ·«
If I had it my way I would get a Minx manicure every two weeks, but I just can’t justify spending that much money on nails especially when I’m more than capable of creating some pretty looney looks on my own! Polka dots have become my most recent nail obsession and you won’t even believe how easy they are to achieve at home! Just three steps and you’re done!
You will need:
- 1 Dark Nail Polish (I prefer to use this as the base)
- 1 Light Nail Polish (the lighter the better for polka dots!)
- 1 Toothpick or Wooden Skewer
- Top Coat
1. Starting with the darker color (I’m using Zoya Nail Polish in “Caitlin“) give yourself a regular manicure with two coats of polish. Allow to dry.
2. Using the lighter color (I’m using Sephora by OPI polish in “IM Beauty“), dip** the tip of the toothpick or wooden skewer into the polish and lightly dab little dots onto each nail (I usually go for about 5-8 dots). Allow to dry.
**Careful not to get too much on the toothpick or else you’ll wind up with giant dollops!
3. Apply top coat and let dry.
Boom! You’ve got yourself some festive polky-dot nails!
DIY • Multi-Layered Necklace
Tom Binns is easily my favorite jewelry designer. From his safety pin cuffs (you can see me wearing one in practically every outfit post) to his brilliantly colored necklaces (see here & here), I just cannot get enough of his designs. Unfortunately, many of his pieces are out of my price range and I am thus forced to sit and stare at them like a puppy dog in a window hoping that my pleading eyes will magically place one of his swarovski crystal necklaces around my neck. I realize that this plan is a bit ridiculous (ok, a lot ridiculous) so I decided to take matters into my own hands and created a multi-layered necklace inspired by his designs. Since I don’t have access to swarovski crystals, I improvised with candy colored beads and a design that imitates many of his pieces.
You will need:
- atleast three different kinds of beads
- 24 gauge craft wire, metallic flex wire and illusion cord
- pliers, metal clippers, tweezers
- lobster claw clasp and 5 inches of gold round link chain
1. After deciding which bead you want to use as the main part of your necklace, string them onto the illusion cord (I strung about 36 beads) and fasten one end of the cord to the lobster claw and the other end to the gold round link chain.
2. String the same kind of beads from Step 1 onto metallic flex wire (I strung about 30 beads). Fasten each end of the metallic flex wire to the strand you made in Step 1. I counted six beads in on each side of the first strand before fastening the second strand.
3. Bend craft wire into half moon shape and string on the next set of beads (I strung about 18). Make two of these.
4. Fasten the craft wire onto the strand of beads you made in Step 2. I counted six beads in before clasping the craft wire and left six beads between the two sets of craft wire.
5. Finally, using the illusion cord, fasten your ornamental beads into the middle of each half moon and one in the center of the necklace.
Voila!
DIY • Leather Purse Straps
I bought this bag over a year ago simply because it cost two dollars and I figured, why not!? But, I hated its hideous straps - the metallic faux-leather linked through cheesy gold chain. Blech! So, I finally decided it was time to either fix the straps or toss the bag for good. Knowing my fear of throwing things away, I opted for a change in design and purchased some buttery soft leather trim to turn this once hideous shoulder strap fur bomb into a miraculous cross body furry pouch.
And here’s how:
You will need: leather trim, 2 eyesnap hooks, 6 round studs, 2 u-rings, a hot glue gun, scissors
1. Cut a two six inch pieces from the leather trim and slip each one through a u-ring. Fasten studs onto the leather strap, just beneath the bottom of the u-ring.
2. Slip the ends of the leather through previously made holes in the bag. Fasten together with super glue (**if you have a sewing machine, I highly recommend using that instead of super glue)
3. Using the remaining leather, slip each end through an eyesnap hook and fasten studs onto either side of the leather. Superglue the two sides of the straps together (**again, if you have a sewing machine I would recommend using that instead).
4. Clip your new purse strap onto the u-rings and voila! you have yourself a brand new bag!
DIY ♛ Princess Headbands
When I was little I was a huuuge lover of playing dress up. After forcing my brothers to don capes and armor, I’d dress up in lingerie slips, glittery flats and sparkly headbands and begin Act I of the play Rescue Sonia from the Evil Wizard. Now that I’m “all grown-up” (yeah, right…) I don’t think I stand a chance in getting my brothers to dress up as knights in shining armor, but that doesn’t mean I can’t dress up like a princess from time to time.
I already own a vintage slip (see here) and glittery heels, so all that was left on my “princess checklist” was the sparkly headband. However, instead of spending a fortune on just one twinkly headpiece, I decided this was a perfect opportunity for a DIY! So, without further ado, I bring you an easy-as-pie step-by-step guide to making your own princess headband!
You will need: a needle & thread, hot glue gun, scissors, elastic trimming, sparkly jewels!
1. Using the elastic trim (I chose a black velvet for this particular headband), measure the circumference of your head, snip snip with the scissors and then stitch the two ends together.
2. Once you’ve secured the two ends together, hot glue the sparkly ornament of your choosing onto the elastic and let dry. (**note: I like to glue the sparkly piece over the seam of the headband so that it doesn’t show)
3. Place the crown on your head and begin your reign as princess!
* Check out my festival headband DIY (here) for even more hands on fun!
