DIY Tutorial

September 11, 2011 Laura Mazurek

Here is a super easy and simple DIY on how to make fabric wrapped bangles (like I wore in my previous outfit post). I have another one I made a long time ago that I wear on a very regular basis. I was recently gifted these wooden bangles, so I immediately wanted to make more. Its almost so simple that you dont really need a tutorial, but just in case...

<< Supplies you will need >>

wooden bangle

fabric strips or ribbon trim (or get creative)

scissors

hot glue gun

<< step one >>

hot glue one end of your fabric strip to the inside of your bangle, preferably at a slight angle in the direction you are going to wrap.

<< step 2 >>

start and then continue to wrap the bangle around the whole bracelet. as you are wrapping you can re-enforce with little dabs of hot glue on the inside, under your fabric. You dont need to on each wrap around, just a few here and there. Also, as you are wrapping make sure to keep it tight, and going at the same angle to create the same space difference in your pattern. (unless of course you want it to be a bit uneven and unpredictable, which is just as cool).

<< step 3 >>

Cut your fabric to be just long enough to wrap the end part around to the inside of the bangle. Just like you did when you started, apply hot glue, and then flatten out your fabric on it. If you miss the corners you can always add a bit more.

And there is your bracelet. You can play with adding more than one fabric together to create an interesting pattern play. For my fabric I choose here, I ripped my strips instead of cutting them so that the edges would remain raw like you see. If you are not sure how to do this, all you need to do is to start a slight cut with your scissors in line of where you want your fabric to be cut, and then hold each side of the fabric in your hands and tear it apart. You will hear a nice 'rip' sound as you do so.

I love these wooden bangles b/c they are usually big enough for my to wear high up on my arm. But I also love this look of adding two contrasting ones together. Just a fun easy way for you to accessorize your outfits specifically to your personal liking! Have fun, and send me a photo if you make one!

PEACE,
Laura

Fringe Tee Shirt DIY...

August 29, 2011 Laura Mazurek

Im sure most of you have noticed that the trend of fringed shirts has been huge lately. I love that they have transitioned from not just vintage motorcycle and rocker tees, to any every day tee. A few weeks ago I made one with a Skyline Fever shirt, an orange owl one... and thought Id do another for a DIY b/c it is just so easy. I was asked by a girl at the pet store how to do it b/c she said she tried and failed miserably. So Im here to show you today just how simple it really is. Im sure there are already a bunch of tutorials out there on this, but here is my way.

All you need is your shirt and a pair of sharp scissors. *you may want to practice on an old shirt first if you are afraid of messing up a good shirt* Lay it out nice and flat on a hard surface.

The first thing I did was cut the edge off of the bottom and both sleeves. This gives it the nice thin rolled look instead of the thick edges. Then just cut the neck in a half circle. The wider the circle, the more off the shoulder the shirt will be. You can always cut more, so I suggest to not cut all the way to the shoulders at first, just to see how you want it to fit.

Then decide how far up you want your fringe to be. You can make long fringe or cute short fringe. I went about half way up with mine. I placed a ruler (you can use anything straight and long) just as a place marker to keep me going in a straight line. Then holding both sides of the shirt together, begin to cut strips in a straight line all the way up to your marker. They really dont have to be perfect or the exact same thickness b/c once you wash and dry the shirt, the fringe will naturally roll up a bit and you wont even notice.

*if you want, you can do the same thing to the sleeves*

and there is your shirt!

I hate wasting things, so I thought Id also show you an easy, quick & versatile way to use up the scraps that are left over from the edges you cut off. I used the bottom (cut in two strips) and a piece of lace to make a braided headband. *you could also make bracelets with the sleeve parts*

Just cut your fabrics all the same length. I always pin my strips to a pillow for braiding to hold it in place. (dont mind the kitty hair on my pillow)

For the closure I used two brass clamp style findings that I had laying around in my jewelry room. But if you dont have anything like that to use, you can always just hand stitch the ends up, and also hand stitch some yarn or other trim for the ties. Get creative, there are probably a ton of different things laying around your house you could use instead.

Once you have completed this easy and fun tutorial, have fun snapping some photos and send them my way! Id love to see!

And for those of you who dont want to hassle with doing this yourself, but would love a Skyline Fever shirt decked out in fringe, you can now add this too any shirt or dress by adding this option to your cart at checkout.

PEACE,

Laura

DIY - Eclectic Boho Bunting Tutorial

June 1, 2011 Laura Mazurek

First of all, you may have noticed the blog has a whole new look. Ive been working super hard in my extra hours lately designing it, and Im so happy with the way it came out. It is so much more me. I used all of my own images for the backgrounds and header, which made it so much more personal. The background image is a quilt my mom made in the 70's. Let me know what you think of the changes, Id love to know!

I thought it would be fun to kick June off with a fun DIY bunting tutorial. I wanted to make this bunting for our new house since we found out we got it! And since i dont have any curtains for my windows yet, it was the perfect little thing to make it cute. You can make this for any space though. It would be super cute on a mantel or in a doorway, or even just strung on the wall.

MATERIALS NEEDED:

trim, ribbon or really anything for the main part

trinkets, ie: doilies, photos, buttons, feathers, etc.

scissors

needle & thread or sewing machine

Sew any parts the need to go together first. My vintage lace was too short, so I sewed 3 peices together to make it longer. I also needed to sew the pom poms on the velvet strip.

Once all of your little pieces are put together, lay it all out on a large flat surface and place everything where you want it to go. This is the fun part. Change things up until you get it just right in your eyes.

If you want to add a photo (or bookmark like i did), all you need is a hole puncher and yarn. I just tied it in a loop in one of the holes of the lace.

Pin all of your pieces down so you dont lose their perfect place. I like to pin it all at once so I dont have to keep coming back to the table for each piece.

And its always nice to let your kitty help you decide too :)

I used vintage ribbon to create two loops on the end for hanging. You can use anything, yarn, string, ribbon, etc.

For the feather, I just used a needle and thread and pulled it right through the stem, and attached it to the lace. I wanted it to dangle, so I left a space between the feather and trim.

Then all you have to do is find the perfect spot in your home for your new little bunting! I love this bunting so much more than a typical fabric bunting (not knocking them, i love them too)... just b/c it can be so personal with your own stuff. Use stuff that has alot of meaning to you, and you will enjoy it so much when you walk past it and are reminded of great memories!

Now my window just need a pretty curtain! If you make a bunting, Id love to see it! Please send me a link if you post it! And feel free to share this on your blog, just please please link back to this post, thank you!

PEACE,

Laura

Crochet Envelope DIY...

May 10, 2011 Laura Mazurek

Hi Violet Bella readers! Thanks for having me here! A few months ago an Etsy friend and I decided to take our internet friendship to the next level and become pen pals! It is so much fun because the act of physically writing down my feelings, troubles, and joys to another person is a great way of releasing stress. Also, I just love getting mail. :-) In such a technologically driven world, the art of letter writing is dying away. I decided to start writing letters because I know I won't remember a single tweet or blog post in 20 years, but I will still have my letters. That's why I wanted to make this crochet envelope pattern to store the letters from my sweet pen pal. If you don't know how to crochet, this is a great way to get started! The pattern is simply a square done up in all single crochet stitches. You can really use any kind of yarn you like, so long as it ends up as a perfect square. If you change the yarn, remember to change the crochet hook too, to obtain the correct gauge.