Inspiration for Valentine's DIY

How adorable and trendy is this heart ring. You can learn how to make your own here.

If you're looking for a cute but simple way to incorporate a little love into your outfit on Valentine's day, you might want to check out this diy refashion.

You remember those heart necklaces that you could break in half and then you and your boyfriend both had half a heart? Well, I think this lego heart is a very cool alternative. You could attach a chain to both pieces and make them into necklaces.

I'm definitely going to makes this headphones cord wrap diy. It's so practical, yet pretty and cute. Love it!

This is such an awesome diy! It looks so adorable, and would make a cute little Valentine's decor.

And if you're looking to add more Valentine's decor to your home, this is a pretty way to do it.

I love browsing through all the Valentine's themed DIY projects that have been popping up all over the interwebs. I don't think I'm going to have time to try some of them out this weekend, but I'm gathering inspiration and planning on a DIY weekend next week.

Happy crafting!

DIY Upcycled Heart Pin Brooch

Valentine's week at Pearls & Scissors in in full swing! Today I have a very valentinesy DIY project to share. This cute heart shaped brooch is an easy upcycling project to make and wear on Valentine's Day to add a little romantic spirit to your outfit. It's also makes a cute handmade gift for a friend.

I used an old red t-shirt for this project and it really does come together quickly. Here's how to make your own:

1. Make a heart shaped template the in the size you want. I always fold the paper in half, draw half a heart and then cut on fold to make a symmetrical template. Using this template cut out 5 hearts from a t-shirt, and 1 heart from felt. Also cut a small circle from felt to later cover the pin on the back of the brooch.

2. Stack all the hearts on top of each other so that the felt heart is on the bottom of the pile. Now use a chip of soap to  draw 3 hearts inside each other onto the fabric. Try to leave even spaces between the hearts. Use embroidery thread to stitch along the the drawn hearts.

3. This step can be made either now or at the very end. Attach the pin to the back of the brooch with a glue gun or other adhesive. Now cover the pin with a small felt circle. To make the pin usable, cut two little holes into the felt circle to bring out the needle of the pin and clasp where the pin closes. Glue the felt patch into place.

4. Take a pair of small scissors (nail cutting scissors work well) and cut the first 3 layers of hearts between the embroidered hearts.

5. Use ironing starch to curl the edges of the cut layers and make the brooch a little bit sturdier. Spray the fabric with starch and mull the edges with your fingers to curl them.

I'm really enjoying small little projects like this brooch lately. It's perfect for calming that creative urge when you don't have a lot of time for crafting. Happy crafting!

Refashionista: Lace heart sheer back tee

Welcome to the first themed week on Pearls & Scissors! Doing themed weeks was one of my goals for the blog this year, and here's the first of the series. Since Valentine's Day is just around the corner, I thought a Valentine's themed week would be just the right fit. So, over the course of the week I'll share some sweet projects to prepare for Valentine's day.

The first project is this cute lacy refashion. It's one of those really simple 30-minute projects that adds so much to a simple garment.

The process is really simple:
1. Take a simple t-shirt and measure the width of the back. Now draw a heart shape on paper a little bit narrower than you shirt back.
2. Place the heart template on the back of your shirt (turned inside out) and use a fabric marker/tailor's chalk or a chip of soap to trace the heart shape onto the shirt.
3. Take you lace fabric (preferably with some stretch in it) and place it over the heart shape. Make sure it cover the markings. Pin into place about an inch from the heart shape. If you can't see the heart shape through the lace trace it onto the lace as well. You have to see it to be able to trace it when sewing.
4. Sew along the markings with a zig-zag stitch. When sewing knits, make sure to use a needle suitable for knits, otherwise you could have trouble with skipped stitches. Once you've done with the sewing, turn the shirt right side out, and cut out the the heart shape inside the seam. Make sure you cut as close to the seam as possible.

It's the same basic method I used in this tutorial as well.

I'm very happy with this simple refashion. I have another cute top in my wardrobe, and I used only thrifted materials, which is just an added bonus in my mind. I think it makes a perfect piece in a Valentine's day outfit.