DIY Star Elbow Sleeve Sweater

The star pattern seems to be on trend right now. I've seen it on lots of products lately (and even used it in my newest product line). Last year I made the most simple heart sweater using some wool felt so this year I thought I would use the same technique to make an elbow sleeve star sweater. It would be cute to do on a kid's sweater too.

For a more complete how-to, follow the same steps here.

Cut out the stars after attaching the wool felt to fusible web.

Place the stars (probably the most important step), and iron them onto the sweater.

 Hand sew around the edges if you want it to stay on real good (I actually skipped this step) and that's it.

  

DIY dotted art

As some of you know, I've been busy putting together a nursery for our baby that should be here in less then two weeks and I thought this would be an easy DIY project and something I could hang on one of the walls. 

See the how-to after the jump...

DIY: Gold Dot Tray

Lately I've been in organize mode and one of the biggest things that needs to be organized is my jewelry. I thought I would make a jewelry tray by adding some gold dots with a sharpie to a white tray (easiest DIY ever). That way I can have somewhere to put those pieces I wear more often. Plus, it looks a lot prettier when on a tray then just on the dresser. See more after the jump...

DIY Floral Pocket Tee

I'm not one to be short on gray t-shirts in my closet and thought it would be fun to add a little floral pocket to one of them after seeing this pin on Pinterest. Find out how to make your own after the jump.

DIY Printed T-shirts

Patterns are all the rage right now, and while I do love a solid colored t-shirt I thought it would be fun to add some patterns to plain t-shirts using fabric paint. I think the triangle pattern would also be cool to try on a pair of jeans.

For the triangles, I used white fabric paint and cut a triangle shape out of a potato. I then used the potato as a stamp. It's not perfect, but I kind of like the slight imperfections.

 The gold dots make look familiar because I used the same technique that I used on the dotted pullover. 

 And for the heart, I used the freezer paper method and created a stencil of the heart. 

    (all photos taken by my sister and photographer Katie Perkes)

DIY Tuxedo Pants

 Today you can find me over on Henry Happened sharing a DIY tutorial on how to make your own tuxedo pants. See it here, if you'd like.

    

DIY Whale and Weekend

I couldn't be happier for the weekend. Sorry for the absence lately, I've been busy working on some new projects and apparently making whales. I'm updating Will's room a little bit and found this tutorial so I decided to give it a try (even though it is in Finnish and there is no pattern). I tried to follow along from the pictures and using a lot of google translate.

Have a great weekend.

DIY Studded Flats

Studs are showing up on everything this fall, so I thought it would be fun to add a few studs to the back of some ballet flats. By adding just a few, they are still simple in the front, but fun in the back. Plus, you can't go wrong with navy and gold, it's such a classic combination.

I got my studs from here and used the Gold 7mm ones. I needed 50 for the design I did. 

The ballet flats are from Target and can be found in stores now.

 1. Lay out your pattern.

 2. Apply small amount of glue on stud, and I mean small or else it will show on your shoe. 

 3. Apply studs onto the shoe starting in the middle and working your way out.

Let them dry and they are ready to wear.

DIY: Scallop T-shirt

I thought I'd finish the week with a little DIY project. It's super simple and a fun way to add a little detail to a plain tee.

 Trace your round object on the inside of the t-shirt. 

 Cut your scallops carefully and that's pretty much it. See, I told you it was simple.

 Because the fabric is knit and won't fray, there is no sewing involved.

 Have a good weekend.

   

DIY Peter Pan Collar Necklace

Today you can find me over on Henry Happened sharing a little DIY project. Want to make a peter pan collar necklace? Click here to find out how to make your own.
 

DIY: Dotted Pullover

A few weeks ago I spotted this adorable polka dot pullover at Madewell and decided to create my own version. I'm amazed how easy it is to add polka dots with a pencil and fabric paint to practically anything, and since I have a slight obession with polka dots right now I thought this pullover would be the perfect project.

Learn how to make your own after the jump.

DIY: Sequin Collar

I'm finally getting around to sharing the DIY project I promised last week. A few months ago I found a sequin mini skirt at Forever 21 and was planning to make it into a clutch. However, once I saw this collar, I decided a collar would be more fun to make since detached collars are having a huge moment right now. Have you noticed? Plus, it would be a great item to dress up my everyday t-shirts.

Read the how-to after the jump.

DIY: Geometric Earrings

With the tribal trend in full swing, geometric shapes are everywhere. Here is a tutorial for a simple way to join in on the trend.

You can also see my other earring tutorial here.
 

DIY: Leather Pockets

I made this dress a couple of weeks ago and have been meaning to share with you (if you follow my instagram you already had a sneak peek). I fell in love with this pocketed dress after seeing it on pinterest and decided to make my own version for summer.

A couple of tips for sewing leather (or faux leather) on your sewing machine.

• use a needle made for sewing leather
• use a stronger thread like one that is made for upholstery
• make your stitches wider than normal
• helps to have a teflon foot (makes the leather glide through easier) but it's not necessary
• pinning leather is usually a no-no, but as you can see I did pin it in a couple of places and it turned out just fine

Also, I would pick leather that is on the thinner side but still has some structure (even mine was a bit too thick and if I did it again I would use something thinner). 

The dress I used is from the Gap and can be found here. Also, if you end up making this or adding leather pockets to anything else send me the link, I would love to see.

 You might also like metallic elbow patch sweater
 

DIY: Colored Bobby Pins

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I realize there isn't much to this DIY project, it's pretty self explanatory, but when I saw these lovely ladies with their colored bobby pins I knew I wanted to create the look and thought it would be a fun way to add a pop of color.
 

DIY Gold Dipped Necklace

I've had these black wooden beads (that I spray painted in a high gloss black) for quite some time now, so I decided to spray paint a couple of them gold and make into a necklace. I have a slight obsession with gold and black together, although this would look great in other color combinations as well.

p.s. stay tuned because I've got some other great DIY projects I'm going to be sharing over the next few weeks.
 

DIY Gold Horses

I'm always amazed how spray paint can transform something. The talented Cassie from Hi Sugarplum posted a DIY project on animal bookends and brass figurines this past week. After finding these plastic horses at Target for $1 a piece I decided to to shower them with metallic gold spray paint.

I love how they turned out, and they will be a fun addition to my office once I find somewhere to put them.

DIY: J.Crew Heart Sweater

I instantly fell in love with this sweater from J.Crew (like most things I see at J.Crew). So, I decided to recreate my own version, especially since it's no longer available online (in any of the three colors).