From polyvore.com & modcloth.com

Why not make your own? Here’s what you’ll need:

• Various ribbon
• Pin backings
• Charms
• Small findings (little metal circles)

First, cut a piece of ribbon about 2 inches long. Choose a color or width that complements the charm you want to use.

Sew or glue the two ends of the ribbon together so it forms a circle. If you decide to use glue for this project, make sure to test it out on a scrap piece of ribbon to see if it will stain.

Now sew or glue the circle to the pin back. Make sure you place the overlap on the backside of the pin back so it will not be visible. I found it helpful to sew from the back first and then the front.

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Now you need to cover up the pin backing. You can do this in a variety of ways. Glue rhinestones to it, sew a little ruffle to it, add a bow. The possibilities are endless.  For this first one, I chose to keep it simple and use a little piece of ribbon. I wanted to add 3 metal stars to it, but I didn’t have any.

Finally, put the charm on a finding and add it to the bottom of the folded ribbon.  Tip: If you add two small findings, you can ensure that the charm will always face forward.

One everything dries, pin the medal to a jacket, top, or purse. I’ve already packed my military jacket so I couldn’t take a proper photo.  This will have to do!

You can even create an eclectic collection to pin together.  Here are a few other medals I made to inspire you. I think the heart one is my favorite.

If you aren’t interested in making your own, you can always purchase some from a military surplus store. Just be cautious because some people find it disrespectful to wear actual military medals that you did not earn.

Are you going to try it?

They had every kind of fabric and trim you could possibly imagine!One of my favorite finds were the feather trims.

From moodfabrics.com

However, I didn’t trust my seamstress skills enough to make a feather fringe skirt (DYING for one!) so I picked up some rosette appliques instead. You’ll just have to wait and see what I do with them!

From moodfabrics.com

It was seriously a dream come true and I definitely recommend adding it to your itinerary on your next trip to NYC.

From abcfamily.com

Her job is to find and design the perfect looks for Aria, Hanna, Spencer, and Emily. How fun is that?

Like many of us, Aria is her favorite fashionista. She calls Aria her “lil’ me.”  She finds pieces and inspiration from a variety of locations like flea markets, thrift stores, Squaresville,  Wasteland, Una Mae, Confederacy, Forever 21, Macys, Bloomies, and Nordies.

One great tip she offered in her interview on ABC Family is to stretch your wardrobe by deconstructing and upcycling it. “Go to  your closet and take out things you may not wear any more…cut apart a waistband of a pant or skirt…make a belt! Take a dress, chop it, and make a cute top. Cut the neck out and make it an off the shoulder shirt!! Take some sleeves of a shirt you may not wear anymore and make cute calf sox and put some heels with it!”

I love doing that! Here are some upcycling projects I’ve taken on:

From T-shirt to Tote Bag

From T-shirt to Empire Tunic

Have you ever taken on an upcycling project?

From fabricly.com

They take your sketches and pictures and do all the sourcing, sampling, photography, production, fulfillment, marketing, etc.  And when someone buys your products, you get a percentage of the profits!

Even if you aren’t interested in being a designer, their site sells some of the indie designs. There aren’t many up now, but I assume that will change as more designers participate.

From fabricly.com

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From fabricly.com

What do you think of Fabricly?

First, I found a vintage solid wood piece of furniture on Craigslist for $75. Nice, right?

I removed the hardware and gave the whole thing a light sanding by hand.

This was my first attempt ever at shabby chic-ing unpainted furniture so I tried it out on one of the drawers first. I prepped the drawer by taping along the edges of the surface to be painted and by removing the drawer liner.

Then I painted it with two coats of primer using a small roller brush. I prefer this type of brush because I feel that regular brushes leave more streaks.

Next I painted two coats of color. I got a huge can of paint for only $5 at Home Depot because it was in the reject section. Be sure to check there first because they have quite a selection of colors.

Then I painted on a coat of glaze to seal the paint and make the piece smooth to the touch.  I use a medium glaze for acrylics that I bought at Michaels. I don’t know if it is the best thing to use, but it seems to do the trick.  (**If you have other suggestions, please leave them below.**) I applied a whole bunch of it and then gently wiped it off with a towel.

Once it was dry, I sanded it in random spots. I tried to select places that would naturally see some wear over time like edges and corners.

Then I applied glaze over the sanded spots.

The very last thing I did was spray paint the hardware, first with primer, then with a dark walnut color.

Once they dried, I reattached them to the vanity.

After everything was reassembled, I patted myself on the back for a good first try. Sure, there were some mistakes, but in the shabby-chic style, those are called “character”!

Just kidding.

She was an anniversary gift from my guy. Isn’t he thoughtful? Thank you, sweetie for the wonderful gift!

I just got these low black boots from Forever 21 for $30. They’re ok, but a little boring for my taste.  At 30 bucks, though, they’re hard to pass up!

To make them more my style, I decided to add some more metal to them.  I originally planned on buying various chains from Michaels, but I found this necklace at Walmart for $7 and it was perfect. Plus, less work for me to do!

Read the rest here.

I wasn’t sure how much chord I would need so instead of starting out with the suede (which will look awesome but is about $2/yard), I started out with this kind since it was only 50 cents per yard.  I bought 10 yards and that seemed to be the right amount for the loose look.

First thing to do is cut the chord in three long strips. If you are dealing with a twisted or braided chord, you need to secure the ends of each strip so they don’t unravel. I did this with a hot glue gun.

Then you need to secure the three ends together. You can glue them together, but it might look messy. I used a needle and thread since you can barely see it.

Next use a safety pin to secure the sewn up side to something heavy. I used a suitcase. Doing this allows you to pull on the three chords as you braid and get a tight result.

Once you finish braiding the chords, all that is left is to sew or glue the three ends together. Then wear it!

If you give it a try, send in a pic. I’d love to see it!

]]> http://prommafia.com/2010/05/diy-braided-belt/feed/ 0 http://prommafia.com/2010/05/summer-to-do-list/ http://prommafia.com/2010/05/summer-to-do-list/#comments Sun, 16 May 2010 04:36:15 +0000 Queen Bee http://prommafia.com/?p=7293 I can’t just sit and do nothing, can you? If you’re a busybody like me, check out the diy kits on Etsy. I’ve ordered a few and always enjoyed them. Here are some I recommend:

Resin Pendant Kit

From anniehowes.etsy.com

These are fun. You can make necklaces to match all your outfits! I’ve also made a few Scrabble tile necklaces as gifts and they are always a hit. Here is one I made.

Clutch Kit

I’ve never tried this kit, but I have “make a clutch” on my to do list so I’m definitely considering it.

From whilebabynaps.etsy.com

What plans do you have this summer?