Most of the things I know how to make I learned by looking at an actual product. A dream catcher is one example. When I was still a sophomore in college, a roommate’s sister brought several dream catchers to our apartment. I remember being bored one Saturday afternoon (we had no cable then) when I noticed the dream catcher hanging from the main door knob. I crawled (yes, crawled) to it and studied how it was made.
Now I know that dream catchers are not exactly hard to do and that this is a craft taught in schools or other outdoor camps. However, let me post a tutorial here. I did CRAWL to learn this and I feel that that kind of hard work deserves to be recognized.
Or, you know, I need to record this in case I forget. Which is often the case.
Materials
Ring – Leather or suede cord – beads, feathers – industrial glue – knitting thread
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When I met the boyfriend, I was a girl who I ate cynicism for breakfast. I nibbled on things that slowly withered fairy tales like pages of a century-old book exposed to the rain and snow. I watched people from my little coffee-stained corner and smirked at how they openly succumbed to the false promises of emotions and fantasies. My old blog was the very definition of snarky (and foul-mouthed). I am fairly certain that I was not the best person to be with, despite the aforementioned blog’s steady following.
The boyfriend admitted that he liked my cynicism. So it was only natural for us to ignore the big hoopla that is Valentine’s Day every year.
Several years into this adventure and I now have a great companion in my coffee-stained corner. I am still a big cynic. I have also realized that the monsters and witches of fairy tales have got nothing on the real troubles that can plague a relationship.
This year, however, I want to mark Valentine’s Day like all love-drunk couple I used to smirk at. How? With something crafty, of course. But I had one condition: I promised not to make something typically girly and red and Hallmark-y.
Here is what I came up with:
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…and two of them I learned from one episode of one program.
One will prove useful when I find a guy who would be willing to let me cut his hair.
The other is how to add fringe to newly-cut jeans or shorts to achieve that cool worn-out cut-offs look. Sure one spin in the washing machine can do that but what if you need to wear your new cut-offs NOW?
So here is what you do:
This is a fun project for beginners. The fun factor will be doubled if you use fun fabric, in my opinion. So I used this hippo print Ikea fabric that the ever-lovely Emmich sent me a few months back.
Okay, on with the tutorial.
Materials
- 2 rectangular fabrics – length: your desired length / width: hip size + 14″
- garter: waist size – 1.5 inches
- bias tape for trim
The width of your garter should be taken into consideration when cutting the allowance of the upper parts of your fabrics.
Attaching the Trim
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More than a year ago, I wrote this tutorial. Can you believe that I still have the same rosette and that I’ve never really found a use for it until lately? Yes, it’s a brooch and I’ve use it as such but I have found out that there are other ways I can incorporate it into my fits of fashion madness (or disaster, depending on the day).
1. Corsage or Wrist Cuff
I was inspired by this post, which was actually inspired by my tutorial. It’s a circle of inspiration! A perfect way to jazz up an intentionally dull outfit.
2. Necklace Attachment
Inspired by the neckpieces worn by Miss Emma Pillsbury on Glee.
3. Headband
Simply pin the rosette brooch to an elastic and you’re good to go! Of course, you can also use the ribbon you would use for the corsage or wrist cuff if you want the band to show.
I believe I have not made a blog post about my family. I guess it’s time to do so.
There are only four of us — dad, mom, my sister (older), and me. My father works for the government as a budget officer, having graduated with a degree in Accountancy. My mom is a college professor. She teaches English, Journalism, and some Education courses. She also oversees the student teachers who are doing practice teaching in other schools. Both my mom and dad are around 3 years shy from retirement and have been coming to my city several times a year. My dad takes this time away to de-stress since he works for crooked politicians. My mom, on the other hand, comes to my city to buy all sorts of vitamins and supplements.
My sister graduated with a degree in Architecture but is now a teacher. To de-stress, she paints.
For months, my sister has been begging me to make her a paintbrush roll for her brushes. She has complained that her brushes are not safe with her boyfriend and Ty, the cat, around. Her boyfriend loves to tease Ty with the brushes by poking the feline’s face and Ty, in turn, would flick the brush with his paws in annoyance. Needless to say, the brushes get the most beating out of this father-son display of affection.
So I whipped a paintbrush roll today, using one of my old tutorials.
Painting above is something my boyfriend made for me. It tickles me to be surrounded by visual artists.
