DIY Accessories Round Up

I've been searching for fun, easy DIY accessories for a while now. Here are some of my favorites that I've found.

image found via Green Wedding Shoes

1. The most beautiful shoe clips out there. Shown above.

2. You would never guess what this bracelet is made out of. LOVE IT!

3. I'm dying to make this belt. Such a great way to add interest to your little black dress.

4. I've always been a fan of turquoise and I love braids. Therefore I love this necklace.

5. There is nothing more girlie than glittery bows. This headband would add a touch of whimsy to any outfit.

6. A perfect linen summer scarf. Light weight for warmer weather.

I'm trying to get the tutorial done for tomorrow so check back. If not tomorrow then Saturday for sure. I'm still trying to figure out how to manage my time with two kids. Bare with me!

Make Me Pretty May: Fabric Scrap Necklace

This was the perfect little project to get me back in the swing of things. It required no money, no trip to the store and very little time & effort. I have a nice big box full of fabric scraps that I raided and about an hour later I have a fun colorful springy necklace. I wish I had someone here who could take a picture of me wearing it but I don't and I generally don't like to take pictures of myself in a mirror. They never turn out good. So this will have to do. I used this tutorial by Rubyellen from Cakies. There is a great picture of it being worn with that tutorial. The one pictured is three strands I only did two because they seemed a lot fatter than the ones pictured. I think it still works though either way. It's a fun way to jazz up a t-shirt. I love how it feels really casual for everyday wear.

Here are a few more tutorials for braided fabric accessories.

Braided Fabric Headband #1

Braided Fabric Headband #2

Braided Fabric Bracelets

Make Me Pretty May

Photo Found on Emerson Made. I LOVE Big Flowers!

I'm making that the theme of this month. I'm in the in between stage after having a baby. The I have nothing that fits yet stage. The I feel really gross and flabby and fat stage. The I wish I could put my favorite pair of jeans on but I can't fit them up past my thigh stage. I know those of you who have had a baby know this stage (and if you don't we are no longer friends). A lot of you have just had a baby recently as well or are about to have a baby. Have I mentioned here that I had about 15 friends who were pregnant at the same time as me. I know... crazy. Don't you think we need something to make us feel pretty? I do. I think the best way to do that is through accessories. Really great statement accessories. Not only will they make you feel pretty and special but they will distract people from our wobbly bits. Keep the eyes away from our muffin tops and on our hair or neck or arms. So for Make Me Pretty May I'm going to be spending extra attention on great accessories. Starting with a simple DIY tomorrow. I can't wait to share it with you! If you have any great accessory ideas let me know!

Anthro Inspired Necklace Giveaway

So here is the necklace I made for myself out of the polka dot silk material. I'm not going to lie I was a bit worried about this one. The second I started cutting it to size it started unraveling at an alarming rate. It frayed WAY more than the other fabric. So when I was done stringing the beads I gave it a little trim. It actually turned out just as I envisioned it in my head. I might just have to trim it up a bit every so often, but I love it.

So since this was such an easy fun project to take on (and also because I have a lot of supplies left over) I thought I would share one with my friends. Leave a comment on this post telling me which you would rather have (the soft green or the spunky polka dot) by next Thursday March 10. One week from today. I will giveaway one necklace and will announce the winner next Friday March 11! Don't forget to tell your friends!

DIY Anthropologie Inspired Necklace

I've been loving big wooden beaded necklaces lately. Yesterday I was looking through websites looking for inspiration so I could DIY one when I came across this one on sale for $19.95 (originally $38) on the Anthropologie web site.

For Anthropologie it's really not a bad price. I love it for a lot of reasons. I love how they did nothing with the beads. No stain, no paint, nothing. I also love how the fabric isn't finished. It kind of gives it this raw frayed appearance of coming undone. Yet it still looks soft and feminine. Sometimes I feel like Anthropologie is just daring every single crafter out there to DIY their items. Some of them are just so easy. I mean would you pay $20 bucks (or more) for this necklace knowing that I just made it for less than $5? Oh and it only took me 15 or 20 minutes to do it. Here's how mine turned out.

Pretty close right? Obviously the color and texture are different, but the overall effect remains the same. I love the finished product. Here's what I did.

1. Went to Joann's and bought a bag of 19 wooden beads for $3.99. You will use 7 beads total. Note* They are located in the wood craft isle not the jewelry isle. Then I got a quarter of a yard of fabric. On sale for $4.99 a yard. Note* it does not take the full quarter of a yard, but I got extra in case it didn't work out on the first try. I'm making a couple necklaces out of these supplies.

2. Trim your fabric from selvage to selvage (don't cut off your selvages yet) 3 inches wide. Don't worry if it's not perfect. Remember it's supposed to look frayed and messy.

3. Thread your first bead to the center of your fabric strip. I rolled the ends to help force it through the hole, but honestly it really wasn't that hard. Tie a knot on each side of the bead.

4. Thread remaining six beads. Three on each side. Tying knots between each bead and on the ends.

5. Trim off selvages.

6. Tie in a floppy bow around your neck. Your done!

I made this one for a gift. I also bought a navy blue with white polka dot silk that I will be making for myself tomorrow. so check back. I may just do another give away. We'll see.