DIY Valentine's flower brooch at OEH

Hello, friends! Yes, I'm still alive, although it doesn't really look like it from the looks of this blog. However, to give you some proof of life, you can check out the Valentine's lower brooch DIY I posted over at Oh Everything Handmade.

I'll be back tomorrow with a more personal update. Until then, enjoy your weekend!

Refashionista: Trousers into bag upcycle

I know it's already Wednesday, and you're all waiting for a refashionista post since Monday. Sorry, guys! It's been a hell of a weekend and a busy start of the week. It's going to be a crazy May, but bare with me friends, things will get back to normal around here soon. Now, to today's refashion.

Since I'm the main refashionista in our family, my Dad often sends his old jeans and trousers my way in the hopes that they might be of some use to me. I think I have anywhere from 5-10 pairs of my Dad's old jeans in my refashion dresser (yes, I have a dresser full of clothing waiting to be refashioned). Old men's jeans are not an easy thing to refashion, but I think I just might have found a great way to give those old worn-down trousers a new life.

This is my third trouser bag, and I have to say they are very reliable and big enough for me to fit all my things into. This bag might seem huge to you, but you have no idea what I carry around each day (lol).

I actually used bits and pieces from an old bag to make this trouser bag, so it's kind of a double upcycle.  The handles and the zipper are from one of my old bags that was beyond repair. And I used some fun vintage fabric for the inside lining.

Now, I hesitate to say this, but I didn't like this bag at first when I finished it. I don't quite know what it was about it that I didn't like. But, it's starting to grow on me, and hopefully I'll be in love with it real soon. It's been my trusty companion for the past week, and has risen to the challenge. All in all, a successful refashion.

DIY: Simple upcycled colourful lanterns

Today I'm showing you a great tip how to turn your empty jam jars into beautiful and romantic lanterns! They are perfect for creating a cozy atmosphere indoors or out. And, you'll get to give old unwanted jars a new beautiful life.

The only things you need are:

• Empty and clean glass jars
• Glass paints (should be avable in all craft stores)
• Some brushes

All the labels and glue should come off very easily when you soak the jar in hot water for an hour or so.
When you start painting, make sure that you have covered your workspace with some newspapers, because glass paint does not come off easily...
There are no rules how to paint a jar, just make it as colourful and fun as you wish!

Oh, and when you manage to get some paint on your furniture or yourself (as I always do), you can get it off with turpentine or nail polish remover. That's how you get your brushes clean, too.

DIY Recycled Pencil Holder

I think I'm going through a nesting fase at the moment. I've put up curtains, moved furniture around, organized, bought fabric for pillows and made little useful accessories for our home. And this recycled pencil holder is one of those little projects. I was cleaning out my sewing studio, and realized it needs some pretty organizers.

The best part is, that I didn't buy any new supplies for this project, I found everything I needed in my stash. And it's very eco, since I recycled a couple of Pringles packages in the process.

Here's how to do it:

Part I

1. For the first part of the process, you'll need

• Pringles cans, 
• a rotary cutter/knife/scissors, 
• ruler and pen, 
• old newspapers,
• decorative spray or spray paint in the color of your choice

2. Mark the cutting line with a ruler and a pen. Just measure how high you want your pencil holder to be and mark that hight all around. Now use a rotary cutter, a knife or scissors to cut the top part off along the marked line.

3. Prep for spraying by stuffing the cilinders full of newspaper and laying a paper down to protect your floors from the paint. 

4. Spray paint the cilinders. I did two coats of paint, and added one coat of hairspray to make the paint shine.

Part II

1. Once the cans have fully tried, it's time to decorate. I use some lace and ribbon scraps I had left from previous projects.

2. I glued the lace to the can with superglue, adding a dip of glue every couple of inches along the lace and gently pushing the lace to the cilinder.

3. Make sure the ends of the lace overlap slightly and then glue the ends together.

4. I added some ribbon to the edge of one of the cilinders, and lace to the other. 

I love my new pencil holders! And I'm so glad to finally start organizing my studio better. I've always thought a pretty place helps creativity along, so I hoping making my studio prettier will give me a better creative vibe.

Happy crafting, my friends!

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: Sweater into Skirt (tutorial)

I'm a huge fan of upcycling and I love refashioning old garments. Sweaters are a fountain of ideas when it comes to refashioning - there are so many ways to repurpose and remake them. But this refashion is still my absolute favorite. The idea came to me about a year ago and I made several skirts for my shop back then. I shared this tutorial on Merrick's blog a couple of months ago, but I thought I'd share here as well, in case you missed it back then.

The above two are versions I did for the shop. It's pretty easy and quick, but very very cute. A sweater skirt is perfect for the cooler months! Just pair with some colorful tights and boots and you're good to go.

Get the tutorial after the jump!

DIY: Braided Infinity Scarf

The holidays season is a very crafty time for me because it's the time to make handmade decorations and gifts. The last is not always an easy task, especially when the recipient is a guy. You can't really go wrong with a gal when giving her something cute and pretty (and perhaps sparkling). But it's a whole other story with the guys. This is where today's DIY projects comes in handy. It's an easy to make unisex braided infinity scarf. Quick, easy and guy approved!

I made it from a couple of old black t-shirts, but you could just buy a meter of cotton jersey. Be sure to click "read more" to see the tutorial.

DIY Repurposed Gift Cans

I'm officially in the get-ready-for-the-holidays mode, which means lots of holiday related handmade projects. Making handmade gifts has been one of my holiday traditions for years. I try to make most of the presents I give to my loved ones myself or at least include a handmade element into them. It's not always easy to squeeze in many big projects into an already busy season, but there are some quick and easy projects you can do to incorporate a little something handmade into your holiday givings. And if it includes repurposing trash items... Well, we have a winning combination.

These repurposed tin cans can be used in so many different ways. You could use them simply as gift wrapping if the item is small enough, or you could fill the can with delicious candy. And the best part is that the recipient can reuse it as storage for jewelry or other knick-knack.

Find out how to make these gift cans after the jump.

DIY: Skirt to tote bag

You know I love nothing more than to give and old unused garment a new life. So, you can understand my excitement about this project. The idea came to me I think on the same day as the sleeve socks. It must have been a creative day!

This project is so simple and so quick, not to mention practical. I have a few more skirts that could be utilized this way and you can never have enough tote bags. They are perfect for grocery shopping, and their environmental friendly as well. A win-win situation if you ask me :)!

1. Cut off the hem of the skirt and if there are any slits, sew them closed.
2. Pin the bottom of the skirt together on the wrong side and sew the bottom shut. Use a serger/overlocker or a zig-zag stitch to stop the edges from fraying.
3. Match the side seam and the bottom seam at the corners and pin. Now sew horizontally between the pins (as indicated by the pink line). This will determine the width of the bottom of your bag, so just find the spot were the "pink line" will measure your desired width.
4. I used the hem as my handles. I just cut two strips in my desired handle length plus sewing allowance . You could also use an old belt or some other fabric as your handles. Pin and sew the handles in place.

Now, isn't this super easy? You'll have an eco-friendly shopping bag within half an hour tops.

On a side note, I had a fantastic thrifting spree today. I haven't shopped so much in ages. My friend Ann showed me this incredibly cheap and amazingly stocked thrift store right in the center of the city. I couldn't even believe the treasures we found. Hopefully I can share soon!

DIY Upcycled Socks from sweater sleeves

I'm so excited to share this tutorial with you! The creation of these socks was like an "ahaa" moment. I have been trying to think of ways to upcycle sweater sleeves (I already know how to upcycled the body part) that I have left over from previous projects. And then, on a whim I put one of the sleeves on my foot and a light bulb went on in my mind. Sweater sleeve socks!!

They are super easy and fun to make, and they are so cute! Be sure to click "read more" below to see the how-to process.

Refashionista: Upcycled tank top

Today I'm sharing another total reconstruction refashion. Every once in a while I use pre-loved clothing just for the material. I love a simple refashion any day, but sometimes a more radical change is in order. Like I showed you last Monday as well.

This beautiful long-sleeved tee was actually in very good shape and someone could have easily worn it, but its previous owner had grown tired of it (as we all do eventually) and gave it to me. I loved the material from the first touch, but it took me a while to figure out what to make out of it. Until one day the light went on and I turned it into a tank top.

I use the simple Burda tank top pattern again (I think it's my most used pattern ever). I added the cut out heart detail for visual interest and cuteness (tutorial here).

I made the back of the tank, the binding and the bottom edge out of the tee and used a jersey knit from my stash in complimentary color for the front piece. You could also use another used t-shirt to harvest the fron piece fabric from.

That's the refashion inspiration for today! I also have a very cool and useful upcycling project for you tomorrow, so be sure to stop by.

Experiments in upcycling

I've been experimenting with different upcycling projects and designs in the past week. I feel the need to redesign pre-used materials. I love working with used materials, because they already have a certain form and a character. Their condition can sometimes limit the possibilities of design, but that just makes the process more rewarding, more exciting.

I have a bunch of vintage ties that have been waiting for me to figure out what their second life should be. And I think I finally figured it out. It took me a while, a little experimentation and some trail and error. But, bow belts it is!

I figured out a one-piece design, so I don't have to cut into the tie at any point. I think it's pretty cute. I'm considering creating 4-5 of these and adding them to the shop, but I'm really not sure. I would really appreciate Your feedback at this point.

What do you think? Would you wear it?

Recycled Braided Bracelet Tutorial

I saw this type of bracelet a long time ago on Pinterest and was immediately smitten. I thought it would be the perfect way to recycle old t-shirts. I made this about a month ago, and last week I started to see similar tutorials popping up all over the web. So, I was a little hesitant to put this tutorial up, but I thought I'd do it anyway since I feel that every tutorial offers something unique.

If you'd like to see how I did it click on "read more" below.