Sew Your Own Sash Tutorial

My sister's coworker birthday was yesterday and she had asked me to help her make a birthday sash.  She wanted to add some lace to glam it up so I decided that I was going to sew a double layered sash.  I started looking on Pintrest for some tutorials on how to sew a sash, but it seemed like everyone was posting No-sew Sash tutorials and sew tutorials for dress sashes.  So I decided to make my own Sew Your Own Sash Tutorial.

What you'll need:

• 1 yard of fabric (36-38 inches wide) in their favorite color
• 4 yards of ribbon*
• Iron-On Alphabet*
• Sewing (Machines, needles, scissors etc.)

*An alternative for the ribbon is to get just 1 yards to cover the front sides of the sash only.  No need to cover the whole sash if you don't want to purchase 4 yards of ribbon.  I was lucky enough to buy a whole bag full of ribbon at SCRAP-SF for 50 cents! :)

*If you don't want to purchase Iron-On Alphabets, an alternative is to use fabric glue and glitter or fabric puff paint.

Homemade Campfire Starter

Pin Rating: 5

Cost: $0

Original Pin Here

I'm super excited that summer is here! Okay, maybe it's not officially summer yet, but it definitely feels like it.  My boyfriend and I went camping a couple of weeks ago, and it was such a wonderful trip to kick off the summer.  I looked up a few items on Pintrest that might come in handy during our camping trip and this TP + Lint firestarted caught my eye. It was easy enough to make, especially since I've started hoarding toilet paper rolls for my TP art. So I just  stuffed a couple of rolls with dryer lint before heading out and hoped for the best! I also convinced my boyfriend to grab some free firewood from craigslist since I didn't want to buy any. (However, we also decided to buy some duraflame in case our natural log block did not catch on fire.)

So the TP Roll stuffed with lint worked wonderfully.  It burned right away and we were able to throw it into the pit and have it go blazing for a good chunk of time.

Unfortunately our wood block was too big it didn't catch fire.  We definitely failed at being scouts and lighting a camp fire properly.  Next time we'll go with smaller wood blocks instead of the huge one.  :)  But I highly recommend using the TP + Lint rolls as your fire starters.  No lighter fluid required since the lint is highly flammable. 

Etsy Craft Party 2013

Sign up at: ecomonster.eventbrite.com

Sorry, no blog post this week since I was out of town and didn't plan properly this weeks' blogpost.  However, I have a quick announcement in case you didn't already see it on my Facebook or Instagram account.  I am working with EcoMonster to host a Etsy Craft party on June 20, 2013.  This date was picked by Etsy to host a global craft party and I'm excited to be working with EcoMonster to make this happen in San Jose, CA.  

We will have a few make-and-take stations set up for you to craft using recycled, upcycled materials:

• Handmade Cards for our troops
• Quirky Cork Characters
• Toilet Roll Wall Art
• Junk Mail Cork Coasters
• And More!

In the spirit of being ecofriendly, feel free to bring additional scrap paper, empty toilet paper rolls, and newspapers!

DIY Jewelry Holder

Pin Rating: 5
Difficulty: Easy
Cost: Under $10
Original Pin Here

I've been looking for a quick and cute way to display my jewelry and earrings at the craft fairs and I've finally found it!  It's super cute and quick to make and I had all the materials already laying around the house.

• Picture frame to hang or stand on a table.  Remove the glass piece.
• Hot glue gun/hot glue
• Lace (the more holes in the design the better)

Toilet Paper Roll Art

Pin rating: 5

Cost: $0 (save your toilet paper rolls!)

Difficulty: Easy

The first time I saw toilet paper roll art on Pintrest my mind was blown away!  I knew I had to try this at some point and I finally had a chance to do it.  So I've been collecting toilet paper rolls ever since last year. (You might even remember one of my organization post with gift wrap & toilet paper rolls)  I had a nice collection until some of it was thrown away so I only had a couple of rolls for this project, but 4 rolls seemed like a perfect amount to get started.  

For this particular project, I got my design from this post here at KidsKubby.com 

• Toilet Paper Roll (at least 4)
• Hot glue gun/hot glue
• Scissors or paper cutter
• Paint of your choice (optional)
• Push pins or nails to mount 

DIY Silver Polish

Pin Rating: 5

Original Pin: http://pinterest.com/pin/85849936619336091/ (www.simplifiedbee.com)

Cost: $0

Duration: 10-15 minutes (not including the time to boil water)

My boyfriend found some of his grandparent's old silver ware dining set in the back shed and they were all tarnished.  After he heard that I used a quick DIY home recipe for my jewelry he started asking me about it and was wondering if the same solution can be used for silver polish.  Of course I turned to Pintrest to help me answer that question.  :)  Turns out the two formulas aren't too different and it was just as affective in cleaning.  Also perfect timing to bring out the nice silverware for a mother's day brunch this weekend.  ;)

Ingredients:

Boiling water

Baking Soda

Salt

Foil (enough to cover the sink)

Objects that need polishing

Ecofriendly DIY Jewelry Cleaner

Pin Rating: 5

Original Pin: Centsible Chick

Cost: $0

Duration: 10-15 minutes

So one weekend while I was sitting across from my boyfriend eating lunch I saw him staring at me with such concentration.  I turned around me to see if he was looking past me, but there was nothing there. When I ask him what's going on he bluntly says: "You need to clean your earings."  Yikes!  If my boyfriend is noticing it then they must be dirty!  So right away I knew I had to find a DIY Jewelry cleaner on Pintrest.  I found one that had the most repins and seem to be quick and doable, and it turned out it was great and I love it!  Common household items that I already had so it didn't cost any money either!

• Small bowl
• 1 Table spoon Salt
• 1 Table spoon Baking Soda
• 1 Table spoon Dawn Soap detergent (Why Dawn? I'm not sure)
• 1 cup of water
• Foil