How To: A Leather Keychain

Hey, hey, Happy Monday!

Last week, I told you about this favorite belt of mine that broke. 

But all was not lost. I bought a new belt and made a keychain out of my old belt.

There's a bit more leather left over -- enough to make another keychain. 

All that's needed are a jewelry end cap, a jump ring, a metal key ring, hot glue, and a pair of scissors.

Trim the leather to your desired length.

Make the ends meet and stick them together with hot glue.

Apply more glue to the edges and attach this to the end cap.

Now we've made a handsome leather loop.

Place the jump ring on the end cap.

And hook this on a key ring.

A quick and easy leather craft...TADA!

There's a masculine and feminine version...double TADA!

Old Belt, New Life

I like to bring new life to old objects. I think eveyone, and everything, deserves a second chance.

Today, my willing subject is this belt:

It was an inexpensive find that I used many times as a cute accessory and to hold up troussers that were a little too big for me.

At some point, my default belt hole just got bigger and bigger, and broke beyond repair. Sigh.

Here's how I turned this blah into a TADA!:

I made it into a key chain! 

Let me show you how I did it.

I knotted some embroidery floss in the middle of my metal snap hook.

Then I cut a piece of my broken belt and placed it on the metal snap hook.

I used hot glue to stick both sides together. Notice that I sandwiched the embroidery floss in between the leather.

I used a binder clip to keep the leather in place while the glue dried. Then I strung on some wooden beads (these were rescued from an old necklace) onto the string.

I made a long tassel out of more embroidery floss.

Then added this at the end of the key chain, looping it through the end of the string, taking the end of the string all the way back through the beads, to where the last bead meets the leather. Then I made several tight knots and snipped off the remaining string.

Then take off the binder clip as the final step.

This key chain is also useful as a bag charm or a zipper pull. TADA!

How to Tie A Scarf

One of the TADAs of spring are lighter jackets and the many opportunities to wear a spring scarf.

I have many of these light-weight scarves. Some of them were thoughtful gifts and the others are inexpensive purchases -- I can't seem to resist the lively prints and colors!

I have a go-to way to wear this accessory but I figured I must diversify. Of the many tutorials on how to tie a scarf, I was quite impressed with the techniques in this video. Pretty simple but a new look for each one.

How about you? How do you like to wear your scarves?

Happy Mother's Day

There is a quote that goes, "A Mother is like a flower, each one beautiful and unique."

To all our dear Mothers, may you all have a relaxing day today. Happy Mother's Day!

Mom and Me

Mother's Day is on Sunday and if you don't have a little token for that wonderful Mom in your life, I'd like to share this idea.

It's a craft inspiration I saw at a store.

It's a "Mom and Me" activity jar...TADA! 

Inside are little cards listing some memory-making activities.  

It's easy to replicate using an empty jar and cardstock/scrapbook paper.

This is something fun that's not exclusive for mommies and their little kids. Adult children and their moms or mom-in-law, a grandma, a favorite aunt, a godmother, or female best friends deserve this jar, too!

Pretty Flowers

Just a photo for today:

A gentle reminder that life is fast, fleeting, and precious.

A Paper Vase

Hi everyone! It's so nice to see you today!

On a trip to the Museum of Modern Art gift shop, I spotted these vases. They are made of paper! Well, not really. There's an actual vase inside and the outer covering is like a jacket which is made of paper.

I think it's a smart inspiration for crafting. The actual vase can be a bottle or jar, and the "jacket" can be made of paper scraps like printed scrapbook paper or gift wrapper. Or stick with plain paper with cut-outs made using a hole punch, craft punches or an X-acto knife.

I think it would be a nice accent for a desk or line them up on the table for your next dinner party. TADA!