DIY plumbing supplies bracelet

photo: style hurricane via: outsapop

Love this. Check out the tutorial by style hurricane for more details.

DIY: Shearling Boots

photos: my vintage secret

Oh boy, how cozy are these DIY shearling boots by My Vintage Secret?! Head over to her page here for full instructions on how you can make a pair of your own. Happy winter-is-coming!

recycled chair hangers

via: sfgirlbybay

I love these wooden hangers made from vintage repurposed chairs by Antonello Fuse. For more info or to purchase, visit resign.

recycled t shirt project inspiration

Whoa it's me! So I thought I'd test out the whole video making thing. haha. May I remind you I have zero skills in movie editing/public speaking/speaking to no one in front of my computer (lol) so I might be slightly awkward. or a lot! eeeee! I wanted to show you this neat top I found that I might try to recreate on my own t shirts...lemme know your thoughts! Ok, have a good one, bye!

recycled toilet paper rolls

I like these tiny scenes by Anastassia Elias.

Lovely toilet paper roll cut outs. Found here.

guess what I'm making?

A recycled glove chipmunk!!! Remember this little guy from a few posts before? I went to my favourite japanese dollar store and picked up all the supplies. Lucky me! they had (almost) everything I needed! (they didn't have pipe cleaners...no bendy legs for this furry friend, oh well) I also couldn't find a plain brown glove so I settled for this striped beige one instead. I like how the blue stripe makes it look like he's wearing pants AND the brown stripe on top worked out perfectly as his nose! Wowee! Well he's a work in progress, the hand sewing is making my fingers a little tired so he's just gonna take a small rest tonight. What a fun project, I'm already thinking of making a glove skunk....glove rabbit....glove kitten, oh he's going to have so many friends! I'll be sure to show you once he's all put together :) Click here for the full DIY instructions.

recycled t shirt embroidery

Housewarming present for Brayden! My first time embroidering....please ignore the wobbly wheels! haha. Follow this tutorial by My Vintage Secret for instructions on how to make your own!

DIY draped skirt

photo: Anywho

A while back I posted about this amazing DIY Burberry inspired skirt project that's been really popular among bloggers lately...AND since I've returned to my home-and-native-land of Canada I could finally get my hands on some second hand jewels, put my sewing machine to good use and (try to) recreate this lovely skirt. Three cheers for fun projects! Hip-Hip-Horray!

I scoured the racks for some kind of plus size cotton jersey dress with enough fabric for the skirt and happened to lay eyes on this little...I mean LARGE fella'. The dress is made of a thick almost sweatshirt-like material in a nice dark grey color which is perfect for mixing and matching. Lucky me, I snatched him up for only $4.99. What a steal!

Here's the dress before: Notice how my shoulders are defined to perfection. You can thank the magic of the ol' pad on the shoulder for this trick on the eyes.

...and here's what "this old dress" (wink nudge) turned into. TA-DA! I like it!

It was a pretty simple project and didn't take much time to make...not to mention super comfortable and earth friendly! The waistband was a bit tricky for my untrained self, so it's only half sewn until I think of some brilliant way to fully secure it. Ideas are always welcome!! (help me) haha. Here are the DIY instructions compiled from the original post by Anywho and the ever inspiring Angie over at Sewithought with her take on the skirt.

1. Use a high waisted bodycon skirt as a pattern (I added about 1/2″ around for seam allowance I also added about 3 inches on the top of mine to make a waistband. Because I made mine from an already made item I used the hem of the dress so if you are not remaking an item you may want to add some allowance for a hem.)

2. Cut 8 wide pieces. (I cut 4 pieces and folded them in half – my pieces were 10 inches wide and 24 inches long. Sew these pieces in order to make 4 tubes)

3. Cross two tubes to achieve a draped affect. Repeat with the remaining two. (Just use the front piece of your skirt for this.

4. Pin everything down all the way around then take the back of the skirt and attach it to the front piece. (I pinned my draped pieces down and sewed them on before attaching the front and back pieces together.)

Happy sewing day everyone!

paint by numbers

photos: meesheo

Recycled wood necklaces by Meesheo!

reMade USA

photos: reMade USA

Oh wow oh wow. How amazing are these leather bags created by Shannon South for reMade USA? Wanna know a little secret? These lovely gems were all made from second hand leather jackets and lined with recycled cotton! Shannon believes in designing products that reuse materials and are locally made. As she says, "why create yet another product to add to the gazillion already on this planet!" Yes! Yes! Wanna know another secret? If you so happen to have an old leather jacket lying around your house or found one of your mom's old leather bombers circa 1978...you know, the shoulder pads, the elastic waist bottoms, don't forget the lovely patchwork design...you can send it in to reMade USA and choose the style you like and da da da DAAAA, a fabulous new/old upcycled leather bag just for you! Give your dusty old jackets a second chance and head over to reMade USA for more info. Happy Thursday everyone!

Scrap Wood Bunny

By the way, in case you don't already know...bunnies + me = love. I came across this GIANT bunny constructed by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman and wished I could keep him in my apartment as my pet. Here's what Hofman had to say about this epic creature, also known as....

The Giant of Vlaardingen

2002 - 2003 8 x 10,5 x 5,5 meters Salvaged wood, nails and screws

"It took three months to build to a sculpture out of salvaged wood, with the assistance of local people. The sculpture is an assemblage, and although the quality of the wood was poor, it stood on three locations!"

Who would have guessed scraps of wood could come together as something so adorable! Psssssst visit his site here for some of his other works of art....with project titles such as "Lion avec ballon" "Bunny Candybottle" and "Rubber Duck," you can only imagine what you are about to see. Enjoy.

Upcoming Tutorial

Hi Friend. As you know, last month I came across pixie market's black and white braided scarf and was immediately inspired to create my own DIY recycled t shirt version. After scouring the streets of Macau in search of a thrift store to purchase some old tees unsuccessfully, I sadly accepted the fact that my love affair with second hand shopping will have to be put on hold for the time being. Sigh. I reluctantly purchased some new shirts and began crafting away! I haven't completed the scarf yet but so far I looovvvee how it's turning out. Yahoo! I've been taking photos every step of the way to put together a tutorial for all you craft lovers out there...oooh how perfect for a lazy sunday afternoon and a delicious cup of tea. Here's a sneak peak of what I have completed so far, what do you think?? Check back soon for the finished product and instructions on how to make your very own. I hope you like it :)

In Love With: Leanne Marshall

c

La la la. If I could be dressed by any ONE designer, it would have to be the most darling Leanne Marshall! Some of you may remember her as the winner of Project Runway season 5 :) I was rooting for her all the way...and when I saw her final collection, I fell in love. Aw. She has a unique way of pleating, gathering, and layering fabric that makes all her pieces look like what can only be described as perfectly decorated cakes. Oh yum. Her designs are so detailed and interesting that you can't help but take a second look....not to mention her use of SUSTAINABLE materials such as bamboo jersey, organic cotton and hemp to create her line of eco-friendly clothing. Oh I think I'm love, I am. Let's have a little look-see at Leanne's work and maybe you will have a love crush too! Weeee!

Here are a few looks from her final collection for Project Runway:

Oh wow oh wow, here's a video of the show:

MY OH MY, great music right? Visit Nathan W. Mckee's (Leanne's boyfriend! ha!) myspace page here. Be prepared to have it on repeat after a small sampling.

On to her Spring 2009 Collection, sooooo pretty :)

Video of the show:

Wowee! Are you in love yet? Here is her newest collection for Fall 2010

Did I mention that she has an Etsy shop? Nothing is for sale at the moment but you must check out the sold items to see some of her previous designs. Oooooh I had a hard time choosing which item to feature because they are all so lovely....hmmmmm I enjoy this dress a lot:

oh how dreamy.

I also enjoy the lack of pants in her designs, Yippee!! Only dresses and skirts for me!! For more information on Leanne and a closer look at some of her creations make sure you visit her website, blog, and etsy store! Comment below and let me know what you think! Have a cozy day. Yay!

Shredded Circle Scarf

Oh look what we have here. I've been seeing shredded items popping up everywhere and these circle scarves from urban revision's etsy store caught my eye...I love the soft colors and cozy potential of these friendly neck pieces. I tried to recreate the look using recycled t shirts and it only turned out medium nice. Hmmmmm the shredding process is a little tricky to master, you best be careful or you'll end up with huge holes....not so friendly. BUT check out this DIY tutorial I found on childhood flames' blog that teaches you how to shred a t shirt, video included....give it a go maybe you'll have better luck than meeeee! Weeeeeeee!

Featured: Milwaukee Art Museum!

Oh wow oh wow! Last month Kristin Nelson, the Lead Instructor for a program called the DIY Studio at the Milwaukee Art Museum contacted me about featuring my recycled t shirt knotted bracelet as one of their MAM after dark projects. Every after dark event has a theme and guests have a chance to learn how to make DIY projects that coincide with the accompanying exhibition or theme of the evening. Last month the event had a green theme with a recycled art fashion show, so the focus was, as Kristin says, repurposing materials! Here are a few pictures of the bracelet making in action:

Haha, look at those boys crafting away :) For more information on the Milwaukee Art Museum and the DIY studio, visit their website here, and for a more images from the event including the recycled art fashion show, visit their flickr page here. oh AND here's the original recycled t shirt knotted bracelet post if you so wish to mosey on over. Yipee! thanks, SUPER thanks to MAM and Kirstin for featuring my project as part of the after dark series, I feel nice inside to have been chosen. Aw. Real nice.

Recycled T Shirt Knotted Bracelet

Aw, these bracelets are so snuggly and soft you don't even know you're wearing it! What a great way to use up the scraps left over from whatever t shirt project your working on. This knot is just TOO lovely, I think I'm going to try this one next. hmmm looks tricky.

Update!! Video Tutorial HEERREEEE:

Recycled T Shirt Knotted Headband

Yahoo! I've been really loving all the knotted rope accessories that have been popping up all around and thought I could try recreating the look with t shirts! It took me forever to find a how-to on tying this knot...but here it is, in case you want to do some knotting of your own! I present to you the Josephine knot! haha. HI Josephine, you look nice today. Sorry the colors are kind of drab...I blame the drab weather we've been having. No sunshine and rainbows here. boooo. Lemme know what you think. Knotted bracelets still to come :)

Recycled T Shirt Scarf

Woo wee what do we have here? Half circle scarf, half multistrand goodness. Lemme tell ya, this little guy is super versatile! I've found so many ways of wearing it...a shrug, a belt, a knotted neck piece, and the list goes on. I'll post a few pics of what I've come up with a little later on. Stayed tuned folks, more recycled t shirt goodness to come!