5 tips on how to get crafty

DIY print on print, envelope clutch, COS inspired dress, ASOS inspired skirt

Getting crafty is one of my favorite hobbies. Why? It's great for anyone on a budget, it's a great stress reliever, and it's pretty awesome to tell people you've created something all on your own. As a lover of DIY projects, I thought I'd share my top 5 tips that I follow for any DIY project.

1.  Avoid gluing and taping apparel together.
DIY projects are great, but not if they can't last. It's important to take your time because you want your project to not fall apart while you are wearing/using it. Tape and glue can be used for smaller details, but if you follow a DIY project where you glue a seam together, you risk your project falling right off of you...literally. The sewing machine I use is up for grabs for just $60! It's worth the investment, especially if you are just starting.

2. Take your time!
Alright, so we all make DIY projects, but we don't want it to look like we made it at home. Take the time to go for the little details in each project. It can be time consuming, but it makes the difference between a project that looks slopped together, versus one you would buy in a store.

3. Do a Google search.
After you decide what your next project will be, do some research. Think of all the ways that you can construct a project. A quick search on Google can easily solve problems that you are running into with your project. I do this before every single DIY, helping me save on time and money.

4. Measure twice, cut once.
Find whatever scrap material you can and test out your project before cutting your expensive materials. For clothing projects, you can buy muslin from the fabric store. It's a cheap fabric, and its life purpose is to be used for testing. This is especially helpful if you are trying to draft your own sewing DIY patterns.

5. Don't give up halfway in
I have many projects that I thought weren't going to work simply because I couldn't vision the end result. Do your best to finish the project all the way through, and then judge whether it was a success or not!

So what do we think? Helpful? I hope so! Enough with this wall of text and go get crafty with these five tips! 

diy envelope clutch

DIY clutch and skirt, H&M shirt, Stylenanda sandals

I've had this fabric for a week before I even attempted this simple project. The thought of cutting and sewing this fabric on a basic sewing machine made me quite timid, but yesterday I sat down and said "I can do this!" Turns out, the latter voice was right, but not without the help of internet research beforehand.

Finding myself leaning towards between two looks as of lately...clean minimal looks or chic western inspired outfits. This clutch was perfect to help add a piece in my closet to help me reach a western inspired wardrobe. The clutch was made out of one single pattern piece. You'll find many different patterns over the internet of how to make envelope clutches, but the fabric you choose is what sets it apart.

A few behind the scene photos

DIY Summer Shorts Video Tutorial

And here we have my first DIY video! So excited to share with you all. I've wanted to do this project for a while, but didn't get around to it till now. Watch and enjoy! Also, leave a comment or email me if you make your own pair. Big thanks to my sister Brooke for helping me film this. Let me know if you have any questions! Happy sewing!

the diy fur collar

Fur collars have been around for a bit this season, and even though its March I decided to try and make one of them. I love to add texture to an outfit and figured I'd find use of my left over fabric from my faux fur jacket. My friends response: "Is that a scarf? A dead animal on your shoulders? It's a dead animal on your shoulders." Well, a definite faux fur collar that I'm making.

What you will need...

1. Faux fur fabric. The amount will vary depending on the size of your scarf/collar.
2. Lining fabric. I'm going to use china silk, this is optional, but a detail that can make a great difference in your project.
3. Fabric cutting scissors.
4. Paper & Normal scissors.

The first thing you need to do is determine the shape you want your scarf/collar to me. This is the shape I went with. Draw and cut out the paper, this way you can try on your paper paper and somewhat get an idea of what you want. After, cut that piece of paper in half. I did it this way so that I could make sure that I had the same thickness on each side.

Take this shape and trace it onto the back of your faux fur. I drew it out twice to make the complete original shape. It's not easy to cut faux fur, and you cannot cut on a fold.If you are worried about cutting the fur, google some faux fur cutting techniques. Don't go fast! Take it slow with small cuts so that you are only cutting the backing of the fabric, not the hair. If you are lining it with a different fabric, use the same paper pattern and cut it out in your other fabric. Don't forget your seam allowance!

Once you have the two cut out, in them to each other! There are other ways to line an item, but I did it this way so that the furs were still sticking out on the edges. Now sew! If you get little hairs stuck in the seams, its okay. Just gently take a comb and brush them out.

Now wear! Style it with a cute dress or over a leather jacket. I'm still looking into buying one that is a little bit thicker but this will be a fun little thing to mix into outfits. Hope you enjoyed!

Lace Bell Bottoms Tutorial

Alright! Time for some DIY! Remember these crazy lace bell bottoms that Bonadrag sells? Super awesome, but it isn't a usual thing that I have an extra $140 taking up space in my bank account. What are we to do? Make our own! I made my pair for about under $30 and it was super easy!

Materials

1. Thread
2. 2 yards of lace (Any color, of course. My lace isn't stretchy.)
3. Shorts (to sew the lace legs to)
4. Skinny jeans & Flared jeans
5. Paper
6. Pins

The first thing that I noticed about the pants is that they are tight to your leg until right under the knee. To get my size correct, I took my pair of skinny jeans and put them on top of the flared jeans. Then I traced the shape on to some paper (you don't need the jeans to get the shape, you could eyeball it if you'd like). Remember to add a seam allowance on the sides of your pattern. You need the seam allowance in order to give yourself space to sew. If you don't, the garment will be smaller than intended!

Take your pattern and lay it onto the fabric. You can either pin the pattern to the fabric or use pattern weights. Now cut! You need to cut four pieces of this pattern shape.

DIY Collar Tutorial!

Want to see how I made my collar? Head on over to Seventeen.com to see! I'm excited to share it with you! Here!