Thursday, March 31, 2011

Guest Posting at That Girl with another Anthro-Inspired Necklace

I was invited to guest post over at Melissa's blog:

That Girl


This is my first guest post so I'm really excited about it. For my guest post, I prepared a tutorial for this necklace:

Left: Anthropologie's Serengeti Beats Necklace, $58. Right: My version of the necklace


 If you want to make one and save $58, head on over to That Girl to check out my tutorial.



Linking up to the following parties:
Wednesday Link Party at Tea Rose Home | Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts | Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple | Catch a Glimpse Party at A Glimpse Inside | Thrilling Thursday at Paisley PassionsThrifty Thursday at Saved By Love Creations Get Your Brag On at Gluesticks | Transformation Tuesday at The Shabby Chic Cottage | Free for All at Young and Crafty | Strut Your Stuff at Saturday Mornings | Sew Crafty Saturday at Wildflowers and Whimsy | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes | K.I.S.S. at The Tattered Tag | Sundae Scoop at I heart Naptime | CraftOManiac Monday at Craft-O-Maniac | Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative | Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. | Crafttastic Monday at Sew Can Do | Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | A Round Tuit at Creating My Way to Success | Inspire Me Monday at Singing Three Little BirdsMarket Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff |  Your Whims Wednesday at My Girlish WhimsMade by You Mondays at  Skip to My Lou | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios | Make It For Less Mondays at Simply Cadence |  Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | Sugar & Spice at Seven Thirty Three |

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Wall Makeover and Easy Fabric Wall Art

Aside from the wall now being occupied by my Sunburst Disc Mirror, we have another wall at home that needs a makeover:

Well, hello there Dora! That's Andrea's little girl chair. For now, let's focus on the wall behind the couch.
That frame holds a 2000-piece puzzle my husband and I worked on for 2 weeks a couple of years ago. My parents, and my husband's parents are the type who freaks when you make permanent holes on concrete walls. That's the kind of thinking we grew up with so we don't have a lot of wall decor.  I have a couple of those removable 3M hooks but I have never tried using them to hang heavy frames with glass yet. I've been meaning to do something about this wall for a while. So last weekend, I decided to start.

This is what we have now after I was done:


The smallest frame is actually still empty. I painted a couple of frames as well last weekend but I haven't gotten the chance to hang them yet. I decided to try those 3M removable hooks to hang the smaller frames and for the other frames I plan to add to this wall.

We have this wall decal I found at the mall:

Then I printed the silhouette I made of Andrea and put it in an old picture frame that I painted white.
The frame is a little bigger than the image I printed so I used black felt as background.

And then I made this fabric wall art:



I originally wanted a black and white theme for my wall but when I laid out the wall decal, I saw that the cages have colored flower print on some areas. So I decided to add a little color to the black and white fabric I initially picked out.

I prepared a little tutorial on how to make this wall art. Everything I used came from IKEA:



  • IKEA Tyglosa frame (I can't find this on the IKEA website, but my friend bought 3 of these from IKEA in Singapore and I bought one of those from her);
  • Fabric that is at least 6 inches wider, and 6 inches longer than the frame (3-inches allowance on all sides). I used SARALISA fabric;
  • Another fabric for cutouts. I used ANAMOA blue fabric;
  • Fabric glue;
  • A hammer for assembling the frame.
The frame already came with the screws and nails needed to put it together so I just followed the instructions that came with it. You can use any plain frame for this project though.

Step 1: Cut small flowers or other objects from a piece of your fabric. The photo above shows a tree and I initially wanted to use that but after I cut it out, it didn't look quite right if you place it on top of my black and white fabric so I decided to cut 2 colorful flowers, 1 pine cone and 1 leaf from a different section of the fabric instead.

Step 2: Arrange your cutouts on top of your main fabric. Note that there is a 3-inch allowance on all sides so make sure you do not place your cut outs on those areas since you will be folding the allowance under the frame.

Step 3: If you're happy with the arrangement, use fabric glue to attach the cutouts to the main fabric. Let dry.

Step 4: Assemble your wall art. These next instructions were also included in the Tyglosa frame package.
  • Fold one side of the fabric under the frame and secure with small nails. I think I only used 5 nails on each side, though the instructions were recommending to use more than that.
  • Stretch your fabric over the frame and secure the other 3 sides with small nails. Make sure you stretched tight across the frame to make it look even.
You can stop after Step 4. You have your fabric wall art. However, I added an extra step. Since I live in a humid country and dust sticks to everything, I knew the white parts in my fabric will look grimy in a few weeks. So I decided to spray clear paint over it to protect the fabric.

The wall still looks a little empty so I may need to add a few more things.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Sunburst Disc Mirror

I've been seeing a lot of sunburst mirror projects floating around link parties and so far, I haven't seen something I didn't love! I couldn't find a plain, small, round mirror I can use to make one though. So I used what I had lying around. And this is what I came up with:

You might be wondering if those are CD's/DVD's. They're actually not. They are what you find inside a computer's hard drive when you open them up. They are approximately the size of a CD, only they are made of really shiny, really clear metal. First time I saw one, I thought the disc was really pretty. They are like small mirrors, and the image you see is way clearer than the reflection you see on a CD or DVD.

So why do I have a lot of them? You see a while back... a tragic thing happened... our external hard drive malfunctioned and I lost a ton of pictures and other stuff. After we were sure it was a lost cause, my husband opened it up and that was the first time I saw one of these silver metal discs. Then a few months ago, my husband's office got rid of their old equipment which includes several old desktop computers. Before they sold everything to the junk shop, my husband took out the silver discs from inside the hard drives and brought them home
If you have husbands who collect junk errr... old desktop computers, maybe you can convince them to pry the hard drive open so you can see it. DO NOT EVER, EVER TRY ON A COMPUTER YOU ARE STILL USING! 

So anyway, for this project I used:
  • 13 of those silver metal discs, one is slightly bigger than the others... I don't know why. And I don't know if they come in any other sizes. I used the slightly bigger one for the center.
  • 6 pairs of disposable chopsticks :)
  • White paint
  • Super Glue
Step 1: Paint the chopsticks white. Wait for them to dry completely before proceeding to the next step.

Step 2: Take your center disc and glue the the chopsticks around it. Make sure that the distances between chopsticks look even.

Step 3: Glue the other end of each chopstick to one disc. Wait for the glue to dry completely.


You can also use this idea as a kid craft using cheap blank CD's or DVD's.

Edited:
I did a little research and I found out that those discs are called 'platters'. You can google for images online. Use 'platters inside hard drive' or 'what is inside a hard drive' to search. You can see plenty of pictures to better appreciate how pretty they are.

I linked up to the following link parties:
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Inspire Me Monday at Singing Three Little Birds | Made By You Monday at Skip to my LouShow Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | Take-A-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative BlogCraft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | Weekly Tues - Thurs Link Party at Running With Glitter | The DIY Showoff | Made With Love Monday at Sew Chatty | A Round Tuit at Creating My Way to Success | Tutorial Tuesdays at Hope Studios | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | Wednesday Link Party at Tea Rose HomeWhatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts | Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple | Thrilling Thursday at Paisley Passions | Thrifty Thursday at Saved By Love CreationsGet Your Brag On at Gluesticks | Transformation Tuesday at The Shabby Chic Cottage | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes | K.I.S.S. at The Tattered Tag | Sundae Scoop at I heart Naptime |

Monday, March 28, 2011

What's new this week?

I have 41 followers??? Wow! When I logged off last Friday, I only had 37, I think. Anyway, welcome new friends!

I saw a couple of blogs that hosted their giveaways when they reached 40 followers, not really an impressive feat in blogland I know, but I started with only 2 followers (and both of them are my friends, haha!) last October... so 40 is amazing to me. I've actually been planning to host one but I still have to figure out the logistics. I'm not sure if you gals noticed but I'm not in the US (I might be visiting again in October *wishing wishing* but that's not yet certain), but around 70% of my readers are. And some are visiting from other countries too. When I host my giveaway, I want it to be open to all my readers, wherever in the world you might be. So first, I have to find out how much it would cost to ship from here so I can figure out how many prizes I can afford to give away. Until then, I hope you continue to find things to inspire you in my blog.

Anyway, I finally got around to doing a little decorating last weekend! I was planning to post something today but I was sick in bed all of Sunday so I didn't finish editing all the photos. For now, I leave you with this teaser:
What's new this week?
Details and tutorials coming this week!

Lights Out!

Last Saturday, the world celebrated Earth Hour.

I even made a lantern see? :) To make your own lantern, click here.

Here in the Philippines, Earth Hour is hosted every year by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). My husband works for WWF so we went to the official Earth Hour event at the SM Mall of Asia. They held a free concert outside the mall for an hour during lights out. Since it was too noisy and crowded outside for Andrea, we stayed inside the mall while daddy attended the official event outside. 

Every year, as part of WWF, my husband gets an Earth Hour shirt, male size large. I wanted Andrea to have her own Earth Hour shirt but I haven't seen anything being sold in her size. So I decided to tailor one of daddy's old shirts to fit her and we have:

Since the shirt is made of thick cotton... and since we live in a humid country... I wanted the shirt to be a little loose so it won't make Andrea uncomfortable. Also, I only had a few hours before we left for the event to make the shirt... I didn't have time to make sleeves. So this shirt was made from 2 pieces: the front and the back, sewn together. I used one of her shirts with the same fit as pattern.

And here's my little earth hour advocate rockin' it at the mall:
While they were celebrating outside, inside the mall, they turned off the lights in the halls so only the stores/stalls were lighted. One weird thing... I thought they were just supposed to turn off the lights. It seemed like they turned of the air conditioning too. It got hot in there!

Did you guys participate in Earth Hour this year? What did you do during lights out?

By the way, this year, Earth Hour's theme is to go beyond the hour. Meaning after Earth Hour, what else can you do to help save the environment. Remember, every little bit helps if everyone commits to doing something. I hope you guys had a great weekend!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Anthro-Inspired Earrings: Swooping Loops

I think I'm doing too many Anthro-inspired posts... and too many jewelry. I would love to get back into sewing projects (I actually have one in the works... and it has been in the works for 3 weeks already) or get on with my plan to redecorate our house, but right now, I simply don't have much time. It's a really busy time at work (and will be until May or early part of June, I think) and Andrea's been sick with alternating cold, cough and allergy for a few weeks already (which means I don't even get to sleep much). Making jewelry/accessories doesn't take up most of my time so I can usually squeeze those in... plus I have demanding customers: my mom and my sister. Haha!

Last Sunday night, I received an SMS message from my sister along the lines of: "Do you have purple earrings? I broke the one you gave me before. Can you make me purple earrings? You can send it to me tomorrow, thanks Ate! :)" (Ate is a term used to refer to 'older sister' or any older female).

She was really assuming I have something ready *sigh*...

Good thing I had something simple lined up on my to-do list. I saw these earrings from Anthropologie:
Swooping Loops Earrings, $48
 Here is mine:
Using tan cord and silver findings

These are very easy to make, 15 minutes max and most of that time was spent waiting for the glue to dry.

You will need:
  - 2 pieces of cord, each piece 6 inches long
  - earring posts
  - those silver cap things again to cap the end of the cord
  - glue

Step 1: Using your 6-inch cord, make a bow. You won't really need all 6-inches. I just find it easier to tie the bow if my cord is a little long.

Step 2: Adjust your bow to the size you feel comfortable with and cut off the excess cord.

Step 3: Put a little glue inside the silver caps and insert one end of the bow. Do the same for the other side.

Step 4: Glue the bow to the earring posts. Make sure the bow is securely attached to the posts... remember, you will be pulling these earrings off and if the bow is not attached properly, it might come off when you take the earrings off.

If you are using clear glue, dab a little in the middle of your bow too to keep it from getting undone.

Step 5: Wait for the glue to dry completely.

And you have your earrings :)

This is the one I made for my sister:
Using white cord, purple pearl drops, and silver findings
The earring posts I used have a loop (you can see them peeking from under the bows on the one I made for me) so I was able to attach a thin chain. Then I added a pearl bead at the bottom of the chain. And then I asked my husband to drop it off at my mom's house for my sister on his way to work. Order (no payment required though of course, haha) delivered!

Total cost of materials? Pro-rated (i.e. computing the cost only of the portion/pieces of the items actually used) I am estimating, around P10... which translates to around $0.25. 

I linked up to the following link parties:

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Creating a Silhouette Image using Photoshop

I mentioned last Monday that I was hoping to do some decorating last weekend. That plan was supposed to involve this:

I did my first silhouette using Photoshop! :) I've been planning to do this since I first saw this project on Ruffles and Stuff. A few days ago, I found the time to do this in Photoshop and put together a basic tutorial.

DISCLAIMER: I didn't have a perfect profile picture of Andrea so the silhouette above involved a whole lot more Photoshop editing than will be discussed here.

You will need:
- Adobe Photoshop
- A photo of your subject showing clear profile, preferably in plain background

Step 1: Open your photo in Photoshop.

From this photo, you can see that the ponytail on the silhouette is actually a pigtail on this photo. I had to add the ponytail, but doing that was a little complicated so for this tutorial, let us assume that you have the perfect profile photo to turn into a silhouette.

Step 2: Using the Polygonal Lasso Tool, click along the edges of your subject. After clicking, move a little along the edge of your subject and click again. This will give you smoother curved lines.(I will admit, this requires a steady hand and lots of practice).
Keep doing this until you reach the point close to where you started, then you can double click to close your shape.
As you can see, since my subject is not posed to capture the profile perfectly, I had to 'draw' the neck part.

Step 3. Copy your selection. 2 ways: 1) Go to Edit, then select Copy, OR 2) Use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + C

Step 4. Open a new blank image: Go to File, then select New.
The default width and height set when you open a new image should fit your copied selection perfectly but you want a little more space around your image. So adjust the width and height to add roughly 100 pixels on both width and height. I like symmetry to I used width = 500 pixels and height 500 pixels.

Step 5. Paste the copied selection from Step 3 to the new blank document. Make sure your new blank document is selected and then 1) Go to Edit and select Paste, OR 2) use keyboard shortcut Ctrl + V

Step 6: At the top of the page, go to Layer then select New, then choose Layer.
You can choose to update the name of your new Layer, but I don't really mind 'Layer 2' so I just clicked Ok to create the new layer.

Your new layer should appear here:

Step 7: Select the Layer with your subject's profile. In my case, that's Layer 1. Then on top of the window, click Select, then click Load Selection. When a pop-up window opens, just click Ok. This will select your subject.



Step 8. Now click on Layer 2 to select your blank layer.


Step 9: Pick the color you want for your silhouette from the Swatches tab by clicking on the color.

I chose Red. The color you selected should appear as the color on the top box here:



Step 10: Select the Paint Bucket Tool and click inside the selected area.
You now have your silhouette :)

You can delete your photo layer by clicking Layer 1 and then dragging it to the small trash can icon on the lower left corner. And then you can use the Eraser tool to clean up sharp edges of your silhouette. Or touch up your silhouette using the Brush tool.

To save your image, go to File, then select Save As. On the Format field, select JPEG, or Bitmap or GIF (most common picture file formats). Then define your file name and click Save.

I hope the tutorial made sense. I've been using Photoshop for a long time but it has always been hard for me to describe step by step what I do.

Here's a couple more of me and my husband:

Monday, March 21, 2011

Layered Tulle Skirt

Last week, I was hoping that come Monday, I would have a 'decorating' post ready. I was so excited to start decorating our home again after a long, long time. Our living room has been dominated by Andrea's toys and equipment all of last year but I was planning to decorate the entrance area of our home at least. But it was not to be (nanny went home for the weekend so I was the only one taking care of Andrea and didn't have much free time).

I was able to find time for a quick project though. I had a little bit of pink sheer fabric left and decided to make it to a tutu skirt for my 2-year-old niece, Helaena (Andrea already has a store-bought tutu). It was only 37 inches wide, apparently, not enough to make it ruffle a lot to make a tutu. So I ended up with a layered skirt instead.

I love that pink sheer fabric! It has small leaves woven in it in white thread. So delicate! Sadly, I only bought a yard of it 5 years ago, way way before I learned how to sew, to make a small patch.

I used pink gena silk for the skirt lining, and added 3 layers of pink tulle under the pink sheer fabric.

I sewed all 5 layers (gena silk skirt lining, 3 layers of tulle, pink sheer fabric) together, and then added black elastic on top. I made the tulle a little bit longer than the outer fabric.

I finished the skirt in around 2 hours last Saturday and we gave it to Helaena in the afternoon when we went to my mom's house. And here she is wearing it last Sunday to go to church:
Those shoes are all glittery and lights up when she walks... she loves them!
NOTE: The lens of our camera is not working properly so I only used my camera phone to take pictures :( The picture of my niece wearing it was actually taken by mom and sent to me via MMS.

I linked up to the following link parties:
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Inspire Me Monday at Singing Three Little Birds | Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug BlessingsGet Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | Made by You Monday at Skip to my Lou | Sew Cute Tuesday at Creative Itch | Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Crafts | Show Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts | Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple | Wednesday Link Party at Tea Rose HomeWe Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Sugar & Spice at Seven Thirty  Three | Make It Wear It at The Train to Crazy | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes | K.I.S.S. at The Tattered Tag | Sundae Scoop at I Heart Naptime | Sew Crafty Saturdays at Wildflowers and Whimsy | Free for All at Young and Crafty | Weekend Wrap-up Party at Tatertots and Jello | CraftOManiac Monday at CraftOManiac | Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. | Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple | Just Something I Whipped Up at The Girl Creative |

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Another Anthro-Inspired Necklace - Unbreakable Bonding

I find myself browsing Anthropologie's site more often lately. They have a lot of nice things but it just amazes me sometimes how they price things.

Take this one for example:
Anthropologie - Unbreakable Bonding Necklace, $148
It caught my eye because I have beads like that... in different colors. One pack/string cost only around... hmmm... $2? I made them into necklaces for me back in summer of 2008.

Anyway, here's one of my bead necklaces:
You can wear it with the ribbon tied in front or at the back. I made this design in different colors. Here's the white one:

I also have this in deep green and pink... same design. So to shake things up a bit, I decided to make the yellow one into my version of Anthropologie's Unbreakable Bonding Necklace:

Ta-dah! Janelle's Seriously Unbreakable Bonding ;) See bottom of this post to see why I say 'Seriously'
I only had enough beads for half of the necklace so I added a chunky chain for the other half. Total length of the necklace is 22 inches.

Want to make one? I prepared a tutorial :)

You will need:
  • Resin beads... these are about 0.75 inches in diameter each.
  • Glue (I used Mighty Bond, the kind that dries fast)
  • Thin chain that can go through your beads.
  • Jump rings
  • Clasp (I used oyster clasp)
  • Hmmm... I don't know what these are called... caps? See the picture below to see what I mean:
Silver metal cap thingeys and the chain I used
Step 1: Cut your chain into 3 pieces. If you want your necklace to be 22 inches, your chains need to be around 30 inches each (if you have enough beads to make the entire necklace). Since I only had enough beads for half of the necklace, my chains were only around 20 inches each.

Step 2: Put a small amount of glue inside one of those silver cap thingeys and insert one end of your 3 chains.
Wait for the glue to dry before proceeding to Step 3.

Step 3. Start braiding. I made a couple of braids without the beads first before I added the beads. Quick braiding how to:
- you have 3 chains: the leftmost, the center, and the rightmost;
- insert your bead on the leftmost chain, and then cross the leftmost chain over the center chain;
- insert one bead on the rightmost chain, and then cross the rightmost chain over the chain to it's left;
- repeat the last 2 instructions over and over again... making sure that the chains cross below the beads. See picture below:

See? The chains cross below the beads.
Step 4. When all your beads are braided, make a couple of braids with the chain without beads. Make sure that there isn't too much slack in the chains. The braided chains with beads twists and turns and the braid can become undone or messed up if there is slack in the chains. After you are sure that there is no slack on the chains, cut off the excess chain and hold this end with your fingers. Don't let go!

It took several tries for me to get this right because the braids kept getting undone.

Step 5: With your other remaining free hand, put a small amount of glue on that other silver cap thingey. Then insert the chains you are holding in your other hand to the cap and wait for the glue to dry.

And... No, you are not done yet :)

See I read the reviews on this necklace on the Anthropologie site and one customer said:

After braiding and securing both ends of my chains... I can totally see how that can happen, even if there is no slack to your chains... the beads will still move. I thought about it and tried to glue the first 2 beads on each end to each other.
Then do the same for the other side. I also made sure that the chain between them is also glued between the 2 beads.
After that... I closed my eyes and shook the entire thing. When I opened my eyes, I saw that the beads stayed in place! I tried to drop it and shook it some more. The beads still stayed in place! I did say this was 'Seriously Unbreakable' :)

Step 7. Add your jump rings, extra chain (for me since I only had half the necklace), and clasp.

And this time... you are done!

I really love this color :)
And this morning, we had to take our pretty princess to the doctor for a check up for her cough and colds.
I'm wearing my necklace, and we are using our matching bags! :)
I linked up at the following parties!
Sugar & Spice at Seven Thirty Three | Strut Your Stuff at Somewhat Simple | Crazy Cute at Between You and Me | Think Pink Sundays at Flamingo Toes | Weekend Wrap-up Party at Tatertots and JelloKeep It Simple Sunday at The Tattered TagSundae Scoop at I heart Naptime | Strut Your Stuff at Saturday MorningsFree for All at Young and Crafty | Sew Crafty Saturdays at Wildflowers and Whimsy | CraftOManiac Monday at CraftOManiac | Making Monday Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. | Motivate Me Monday at Keeping It Simple | Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Inspire Me Monday at Singing Three Little Birds | Craftastic Monday at Sew Can Do | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | Made by You Monday at Skip to my Lou | Take-a-Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee CraftsShow Me What Ya Got at Not JUST a Housewife | Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | Whatever Goes Wednesday at Someday Crafts | Wednesday Link Party at Tea Rose HomeWe Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado |

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

From Old Jeans to Summer Skirt!

Remember these denim corsages I've been making?
From Left: My first denim corsage, denim corsages I made for my shoes, denim corsage I made for our Valentine Fair
They all came from the same pair of cut-off jeans I've had pre-maternity. I loved those jeans. Great fit, soft, and really, really comfortable. I found an old photo of me wearing it.

Yes... this is really me... back in 2008.
I used to wear it a lot. So anyway, 2009 I got pregnant and after I gave birth, I was never able to fit in these jeans comfortably again. After I lost a little of my pregnancy weight, it fit... but it was a little tight. After a few months of wearing it post maternity, I saw that some parts were showing obvious signs of wear. I decided to 'retire' it and since then, I've been cutting it up to make my denim corsages.

Last week, I saw this post from Camilla of Rosy Red Buttons about a monthly collaborative project called Point of View. Their theme for this month is skirts. I've never made a skirt before so I decided to try making one so I can link up to Point of View at the end of this month. I saw someone convert an old pair of jeans to a skirt in one of the link parties I join every week. However, I forgot to bookmark it :( But I got the idea from her (if anyone recognizes my project, can you send me the link to that blogger's site or post so I can give proper credit? Thanks!).

Anyway, to make my skirt, I used:
1. Old jeans... or in my case, what's left of it :) If you are using old jeans, cut it off a little above the crotch area.
2. Half yard of fabric (I used the fabric my friend got for me from IKEA, it's a little wide, around 59 inches so half a yard was enough for this project).
3. Matching thread.

Please ignore the ribbon. I was planning to use it but in the end, I liked the finished skirt without the ribbon so I didn't get to use it.

Step 1: Figure out how long you want the skirt to be so you will know how long your fabric has to be before you cut it..

Step 2. Measure the bottom of your cut off jeans.
Double the value of your measurement (you need this much to be able to create pleats), and add your seam allowance. That's how wide you need your fabric to be. Mine was 18 inches wide so my fabric was around 38 inches wide (18 x 2 + 2 inches seam allowance).

Step 3. You already know how long and how wide you need your fabric to be. Cut 2 pieces with those measurements. You will need 2 pieces: one for the front, and one for the back.

Step 4. Hem the bottom of both pieces of fabrics.

Step 5. Place one fabric on top of the other, right sides facing in. Hem both sides.

Step 6. Pin one hemmed side to one side of the jeans. Since I didn't hem the top, I made a small fold inward at the top of the fabric before I pinned it to the jeans.

Step 7. Fold the fabric into pleats and secure with pins. Make sure to fold the top edge inward to hide the raw edge.

Step 8. After you pin the fabric around your jeans, sew the fabric on to the jeans.

And here's my skirt:

Since the jeans I used was a little tight... then this skirt is still a little tight around the hips as well. I need to lose a little weight before I can fit into this skirt comfortably :) But when I do... then I will have a new skirt to celebrate with ;)

I linked up to the following link parties, check them out!
Market Yourself Monday at Sumo's Sweet Stuff | Craft Couture Monday at Craft Couture | Made by You Monday at Skip to my Lou | Take a Look Tuesday at Sugar Bee Craft | Handmade Tuesdays at Ladybug Blessings | Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog | Show and Tell at Blue Cricket Design | We Did It Wednesday at Sew Much Ado | Link Party at Passionately Artistic | Transformation Thursday at Shabby Chic Cottage | Sundae Scoop at I heart Naptime | Free for All at Young and Crafty | Making Mondays Marvelous at C.R.A.F.T. | Round Tuit at Creating my way to Success | Sew Cute Tuesday at Creative Itch | Tutorial Tuesday at Hope Studios | Make It Wear It at The Train to Crazy |