09 June 2011

Got to Believe in Gold


Here's another remarkable recycling idea:

blah: Strips cut out from an old T-shirt.

TADA!: A truly unique necklace.

The flirty gold beads elevate the look.
People will be surprised to know
that this used to be an old T-shirt!

08 June 2011

Lucky Charms


Thanks for visiting me today!
Our featured blah this week is an old t-shirt.

Cut it up, stretch out the strips and you've got
yourself some "yarn". You can do anything with it.
I've been having a ball making necklaces and
here's another idea:

Knot short strips together to make a loop.
Measure accordingly if it's to be worn by a
child or an adult.

Add some charms: something spiritual, something lucky,
something that triggers a memory.

What was once a blah t-shirt is now a
TADA! necklace.

Have a wonderful day!


07 June 2011

He Loves Me, He Loves Me Knot


It's another week of T-shirt transformations!

Yesterday, I showed you how to make "yarn" out
of on old T-shirt. Simply cut the shirt into uniform strips.

With this "yarn", I'm going to make another necklace.
Here's how:

Gather five long strands, find the middle and secure with
a safety pin. Attach the pin with a binder clip and use
this to hang on a hook or nail.

Make some knots & repeat to make several rows.

Just take a new, loose strand.
Knot once on one of the hanging strands.
Grab the strand beside it and knot again.
Keep doing this until you've finished a row.
The knots should look like they are
hugging the strands.

Once you've finished a row, end with a double knot.
Trim ends but leave a half-inch tail.
Hide the tails at the back by twisting, tucking
and hand-stitching in place.

Take a new, loose strand and repeat process.
I made 10 rows, you can make more or less.

TADA!
How do you like my handcrafted necklace?

Knot the dangling ends for a clean look.
This is meant to be worn like a medal
{so make sure there's enough room to
fit it over your head}, but you can
use a necklace closure that you can
buy at a craft store.

TADA!
I think I want to make more in other colors!

06 June 2011

Let's Hear it for T-shirts!


I hope you had the most beautiful weekend dearies!
The weather was perfect here and I hope it was
in your town, too.

T-shirts have been a popular blah on this blog.
Well, all of us have t-shirts and we have to
get rid of them at some point.

But you know that the "getting rid" part
isn't entirely true.

After a session at the washer-dryer and when you've
said your farewells, secure the front & back of the
t-shirt with some pins. Cut the shirt in thin strips,
about one inch.

Pick up a piece, take one end with your left hand,
the other end in your right and stretch the strip.
Stretch hard until the strips are thinner and
a few inches longer.

The edges have to curl inwards.
Keep stretching the remaining strips.

Now we've got ourselves a skein of cotton
that any crafter will go gaga over.
TADA!

Add a few fat, swishy beads...

Instant necklace!
TADA!

03 June 2011

Dangle that Bangle


Yesterday, I turned a bunch of bangles into a necklace.
Today, I'll turn them into earrings.
Yes folks it's possible!

blah: faux gold bangles

Bangles + Big, bright earrings bought in Brazil
{make your own by winding crochet thread in a
circle; seal with all purpose glue & allow to dry}

TADA!
Combining two blah elements and adding these
gold pendants produces an accessory
with lots of impact.

Go ahead, rummage through your jewelry stash
and see what wonderful combinations you can
come up with. New looks for very little money!

Have an easy-breezy weekend!

02 June 2011

Big and Bold


The quest is on to transform these
neglected bangles from blah to TADA!

blah: bangles that need to step out
of the house more often

blah: scraps of colorful ribbon

Link the bangles together with the ribbon...

TADA!
A statement neckpiece that turns those
jeans & t-shirt days from blah to TADA!

01 June 2011

A Crafty Spin


Many bangles means many options.

You see, I've got quite a number of these bangles.
Given that it's Wednesday, I'm still turning
the same thing from blah to TADA!

And you guessed right: there's thread involved.
But don't worry, no beads this time!

I cut a super long piece & secured it to the two bangles
with a double loop. Then I made a mock-knit stitch with
my fingers, making sure the bangles were covered.

TADA! I made something new from something old!
{And quite fashionable if you're into the color-blocking trend!}