DIY: Wedding Favor & Decor Projects Made From Paper~ Part: 2

Because you want to thank those who come to wish you well on your wedding day, it's thoughtful to give each of your guests a small token of your appreciation. Friends and family will treasure these simple gifts thought up by the folks at Beter Homes & Gardens. With plenty of gorgeous scrapboook papers & products, it should be easy to find one you love. *

and there's a bonus: These pretty party favors can double as part of your reception decor.

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Tiered Wedding Cake -(top photo)
Grouped together and tied with a ribbon, these paper boxes look like cakes. Display the favors on cake stands of various heights to dress up the cake table. Each "slice" box is filled with blue and white chocolate candies, but you could tuck in flower seeds, tiny cookies, candied fruits, a love poem, or a family recipe.

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Candy Holder

Purchased papier-mache balls are painted and filled with candy message hearts. Or, visit shop.mms.com to order M&M's in custom colors and messages.
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Country Candy Container

Place delicious candies in this beautiful candy container that's cut and folded out of Anaglypta wallpaper.

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Vellum Cone Wedding Project

Shower the bride and groom with bird seed that can be easily scooped up with these pretty vellum cones.
Wedding Candy Box FavorsGive your guests a piece of your cherished day in the form of these handmade keepsake containers.

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Truffle Box Wedding Favors

Embellish a beautifully painted wood box with personalized paper tags and fill with truffles or an assortment of small gifts.

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~The materials, patterns & instructions for each of these projects an be found at BHG.

Happy Crafting! ~Danae :)

Blog Giveaways

Hey There Crafty Folks~
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Just a quick Giveaway post to let you all in on some of the fun.
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~From SteampunkJewelry Rings/Catherinette Jewelry
a $60 Steampunk Ring from Catherinette Jewelry. Check out his stuff- it's exquisite.
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~This next Giveaway is actually 2 separate Giveaways at 2 different blogs, but from the same shop-so if you hope to win (as I REALLY DO!)-go ahead and visit both blogs for double the chances to win.
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~From Courageous Mom & Samy In Wonderland
aluckyhorseshoe (an amazing vinyl wall art ETSY Shop run by a 13 year old who is earning money for college tuition!) was generous enough to offer a $25 gift certificate to her store. And trust me, you'll have a hard time deciding what to get, because everything is so awesome! So you will probably end up choosing more than one thing.
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Have a terrific day & Good Luck to you all.
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~Danae aka 'Crafty'

DIY: Wedding Favor & Decor Projects Made From Paper~ Part:1

Because you want to thank those who come to wish you well on your wedding day, it's thoughtful to give each of your guests a small token of your appreciation. Friends and family will treasure these simple gifts, thought up by the folks at Better Homes & Gardens. With all of the beautiful designs in scrapbook papers & products you will likely have no problem finding a pattern that you'll love!
and there's a bonus:
These pretty party favors can double as part of your reception decor.
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Keepsake Heart This paper heart project includes a remembrance quote and is finished with a tassel and ribbon for hanging.

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Country Confetti Cones Fill confetti cones with rice, confetti, or bird seed to help your guests send you off in style.

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Pinwheel Bouquet

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These pretty pinwheels are made from scalloped edged scrapbook papers. They compliment the colors of the Wedding; and because they are printed with the Bride & Groom's names, and Wedding date, they double as a unique take home favor for the guests to remember the special day.

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Paper Lanterns Paper lanterns are fashioned from scrapbook papers. As part of your reception decor, group them close together over a glow of tiny white Christmas lights

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Paper Fans
Folded paper fans are a useful gift for an outdoor summer wedding and reception. Hint: Hand them out before the ceremony so guests can use them to keep cool.

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Paper Crackers Make your own table decorations by using crepe paper around cardboard tubing to make paper crackers. Fill with small candies or favors.

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Wedding Candy Box Favors Give your guests a piece of your cherished day in the form of these handmade keepsake containers.

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~The in depth instructons, materals & patterns can be found at BHG.com.

Stay tuned for Part:2! :) ~Danae

My Black, White & Pink Bedroom Makeover ~ Crafty Chick Style

Hello Friends~
Welcome to my newly cleaned & redecorated bedroom! I am very excited to share my progress with you all. You see- I am a bit of a clutter bug; and I have had definite housekeeping issues in the past. My problem is not one of leaving 'trash' & 'junk' laying around... it is one of having too much stuff.
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I know that this has become a very common problem for many of us in our 'have it now', disposable society. I even heard a really cool term for it- 'Affluenza'. And unfortunately 'affluenza' doesn't only strike the rich, or the folks who are 'trying to keep up with the Jones'.
No- 'affluenza' can affect any of us- even those of us who may not have alot of money.
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Over the years I have made, bought, been gifted and collected waaaay, way too much stuff; and the problem is, that while I love almost all of it- I just don't have the room for it all. Between the normal household 'things', my children's 'things', and my many interests and hobbies- I have accumulated enough 'stuff' to fill my small house to the gills.
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Also, a big part of my 'clutter problem', is that as a very visual person, I constantly feel the need to keep my stuff 'out' so that I can see it- otherwise, I forget it is there- and I do not use it. (Think books, art supplies, make up, jewelry, cooking stuff, kids toys, clothing & accesories, etc.)
This isn't merely a problem of too much stuff for such a small house- No!- I have a feeling that I could fill ANY size house, if given enough time.
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And it is not only a matter of buying more organizational equipment. Trust me- as I cleaned my house; I cleared plenty of drawers, cabinets, closets, boxes and cubbys- if I owned it- I filled it!
To make it worse- I have an obbsesion with collecting cool jars, boxes, tins and such; in which to store all of my 'stuff'!
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And while my things were fairly well grouped together, and most had 'homes'; ... I began to feel that I, myself was not very 'together', and that I was running out of 'home'. I began to realize that my outer clutter only was a manifestation of my 'inner' clutter. This is definitely not healthy for me; and is not the legacy I want to leave to my kids.
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Somewhere between getting married, having a baby, moving houses, (having another baby), a failing marriage and subsequent separation, the depression that often goes along with such life events, raising school age children- and everything else that goes on...I had lost my will to fight against the beast of disorganization.
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I told myself that playing with the children was more important than sorting out our ever growing accumulation of 'stuff'. I used all the excuses- house too small, no money for nicer things, a single Mom with young children, a long family history of clutter bugs and hoarders, etc., etc...
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I chalked it up to being an eclectic, artistic type person. Pretty soon it was easier to ignore the mess; than it was to attempt to fix up a house full of junky hand me down furniture, and outdated belongings.
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So- earlier this Spring- I set about a giant house purging & a mission to create the home that I had envisioned for myself and my children. (Not that I haven't done this before- I have, plenty of times.) But I never really had gathered enough steam to overhaul my entire home- as well as my attitude about my home.
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In these last few months, I have made some amazing progress- both inside my home, and out- as well as within my own head. I still have plenty more work to do; and a ton of 'fixing up' and home decor projects that I still want to tackle.
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But so far, I have:
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~Cleared, organized and reclaimed my Bedroom from the storage room with a bed that it had become- and created a room that I enjoy being in, as well as one that reflects my personality & interests.
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~Cleaned & made presentable my Living Room; which is a work in progress, as I still would like to paint, and aquire new couches. But...it is now decent, and inviting; and best of all, unexpected visitors can show up without striking dread & terror in my psyche.
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~Cleaned, organized & started the redecorating process in my daughter's room. It is now a place that she can play, study & rest in- and a room that she is proud to bring her friends into.
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~Gave up my bedroom, so that my son could FINALLY have his own room. ...and created an awesome space for my Little Guy!
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~Cleared, cleaned, organized & reclaimed my Art Studio. This is a major feat in itself! And last, but certainly not least...
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~I whipped my front & back yards, gardens, & my back patio back into shape. In fact- I daresay that they are in better shape than they have ever been in the past! (Ditto for the inside of my home!)
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I still have a long way to go. I have made a great start- but in truth, I have merely scratched the surface. I know that I need to keep up the work; and that the 'stuff' never stops rolling in. I need to be vigilant about keeping on top of things. And to remember that my desire for a comfortorable, inviting home is stronger than my need for 'things'.
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I'd still like to paint, and of course finish hanging my pictures, art, and shelves.... but now that I am on a roll- these goals seem more attainable than before. I hope to share with you my continued progress.
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(And while I know my little house is very humble, and I don't have a lot of 'nice things'... I have always had a way of making it nice with what I do have. I hope that you can see beyond the fact that I don't have beautiful furnishings & whatnot- and still see the steps that I have made.)
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So... without further ado...
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Welcome to my newly cleaned & redecorated Bedroom!
~A Crafty Chick Freestyle Makeover!

Here is the veiw when you come into the room. My bed and new sheet set I bought for my birthday back in December. One bonus about being single is that I can finally surround myself with all of my 'girly' type things (without having to worry about if my husband likes it or not!)
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On my headboard sits some of my little altered tin boxes & drawer sets that I have created; along with photos of me and my children.
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Eventually, I plan to paint a wall mural. Either the black silloette of a cherry blossom tree with a bird in it; or a black swirly type faux wrought iron bed frame. Or, I may do both- the bed frame on this wall, and the tree on the opposite wall. We'll see. For now I have my initials on the wall above my bed.To the right of my bed is my cool shelf/mirror thing. (And yes- it actually belongs hanging on the wall above a big bed; but I scored it for free, and have hopes of painting it black & white, and possibly decopauging some neat paper onto the back panel.)In the meantime, its shelves have been home to many neat displays of my collections, as well as a great bedroom altar. I usually change it each month- or season, depending on my mood. Currently it is housing my candles, family photos and my art. The 3 peices in the middle of the top shelf are one of my Witchy Art Dolls, my 'Queen of the Craft' Collage, and a black & white Birdhouse I made. The second row holds my Altered Journal, an Altered Heart Box & to the right is a Flower Canvas- all made by me.
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I forgot to set them out when I took this photo- but I have added several of my nicest peices of clear & rose quartz crystals to the display. It looks especially nice at night, when the room is lit by tons of candles.
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On the top of my dresser sits my little black velvet dressmaker dummy, flowers, photos and a couple of tins to put my odds & ends. And also a wire square that I repurposed into a jewelry holder. I use these all over the house. They are great little 'bulletin boards' to hang doodads from.

I use them in the kids room for all those little things they bring home & love- but that I don't wan't cluttering up their shelves. In my Art Studio, to hang my supplies, and as inspiration boards to clip my idea photos & swatches to. In the bathroom for jewelry and hair accesories. As well as in the kitchen, as a wall rack to hang utensils from. (They can even be suspended from the ceiling and used to hang pots from.) These little things are great- and the price was right too- f.r.e.e.!

And lastly is my other wall,

where I have a floor mirror, a T.V., and my daughter's little pink guitar, that I 'confiscated' as a room decoration- but of course I told her that any time she wants to use it she can! LOL I just thought it looked so cute in my black, white & pink bedroom, that I had to use it.

Well Guys, I hope that you enoyed this little peek into my home. I really wish I had taken some before pictures, just so you could see how dramatic the change is... but , because it was so messy & not 'put together'- I never, ever would have thought of taking pictures of my bedroom before- so you will just have to take my word for it....THIS IS A BIG IMPROVEMENT!

I will be taking some more photos of the rest of my rooms to share with you all in future posts. And if you would like to see my progress in the gardens- I have a post on Crafty's Cuppa Coffee that shares my Spring 2010 Garden.
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In the meantime...

I have another drawer to clean out! Lol.
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Have a great day! and Thanks for stopping by!~Danae, aka 'Crafty'

DIY Jewelry Home Decor Projects: Part 2 - Projects for Entertaining

There are so many fun DIY Projects to be made for Entertaining & Parties. Oftentimes, a peice of jewelry is just 'the thing' to make these projects stand out from the crowd. Here are 4 more DIY Projects to make using bits and peices of Jewelry. I hope that these ideas get your creative juices flowing- and provide you with plenty of inspiration for making your own DIY Entertainement Projects made from jewelry. Enjoy!
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Creative Cake Stand (top photo)
Glass beads from a necklace, rethreaded onto light-gauge wire, dangle like earrings from the scalloped edge of a glass cake stand.
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Earring Table-Runner Fringe

Fringe the ends of a table runner with pretty jeweled earrings. Insert the wires of pierced earrings along the edges. Look for a runner that is made of fabric so the earrings can pierce through it easily.

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Beautiful Beaded Napkin Rings

Ordinary metal napkin rings morph into gem-encrusted beauties when you thread beads and crystals onto craft wire and wrap it securely around the rings. Thread more beads onto wire to make a coordinating set of wineglass charms.

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Posh Party Favors

Sachet bags sewn from linen, filled with lavender or balsam, and secured with vintage brooches make great party favors or hostess gifts. Or make some for yourself using a loved one's jewelry to create a sweet-smelling reminder of that person.

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Happy Crafting!

~Danae aka 'Crafty'

DIY Jewelry Home Decor Projects: Part 1

Hey there to my Loyal & Crafty Blog Readers~

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I have been quite the 'Neglectful Blogger' these past few months. For that I truly am sorry. However- judging from the amount of readers that I still get everyday- I apparently still have a bit of a following! Lol. (I have noticed that my T-Shirt Reconstruction Project is still #1 on the popularity list- so I will be sure to have more of those coming soon. Especially now that I have a new camera!)

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Anyways- without further ado.... I will jump right into today's post-

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Creating DIY Home Decor With Jewelry

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As Artists & Crafters, many of us have a love affair with jewelry; be it hand-crafted, vintage or modern. We also tend to collect peices to use in our art projects that we may have no intention of ever wearing. Many of these peices may be broken bits of jewelry, that we intend to use in other ways. And still others are ones that we love, and wear often- but would like to have out on display in between wearings.

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I know that I have a ton of jewelry that fits into all of these catergories. Instead of letting these treasures languish in a box, awaiting the day when they are 'reincarnated' into their next 'life'- I often use them in my Home Decorating Projects. Many times, a peice of jewelry is just the unique bauble that I need to accent a pillow, a photo frame, or a curtain tie-back.

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I am always on the lookout for new ways to use these peices- and for inovative ideas, tutorials and inspiration to share with my readers. What follows are some project ideas that come to us from the awesome designers at Better Homes & Gardens. I hope they jumpstart your imaginative juices as much as they have mine.

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And, as always, if any of you make (or have made) any similar projects- I LOVE to see the results! Please send me some pictures of your projects here. Also be sure to note if you care to have your pics shared here on the blog- with your name, or without- or kept private. Thanks! and Happy Crafting!

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DIY Jewelry Home Decor Projects

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Dress Up a Vase (photo at top of post)

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Restring faux pearls on light-gauge wire and wind around the neck of a glass beaker. Thread glass beads onto fishing line to make a sparkly "necklace" for another vase.
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Easy Artwork

Enameled flower pins discovered at a flea market make a simple and graphic design statement when grouped into a triptych of shadow-box frames. Similar treatments of other like items, such as cloisonne or cameo pendants, could be equally interesting.

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Curtain Tieback A vintage pin adorns a ribbon for a pretty curtain tieback. Wrap sheer ribbon around the curtain panel and tie, leaving tails about a foot long. Pin the flower brooch at the knot. Brooches like this one are easy to find.

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Papered Jewelry Holder Turn a wooden cutlery tray into a beautiful piece of art. Glue scrapbooking papers to the bottom of each compartment using an adhesive that works on paper and wood; secure screw eyes to the cubbies to hold jewelry. Select favorite pieces to fill the tray.

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Frame Photos in Jewelry Decorative pins and belt buckles make fun frames for family photos. Remove the buckle's center catch if needed, and tape a photo to the back. To prop your pieces, fold 1/2-inch-wide strips of cardboard into triangles, and then tape them to the backs.

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Framed Gems These flea market frames, outfitted with fabric or paper, ribbon, and glass knobs, show off a beautiful collection of brooches, bracelets, and necklaces. Even the earrings get a chance to be in the spotlight when hooked over a length of ribbon held in place with upholstery tacks.

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Embellish a Pillow The embroidered designs on these silk pillows were enhanced with stitching on jade disks and small glass beads gleaned from a mixed bag of jewelry bought at a yard sale. Remove the pillow forms before stitching.

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If you enjoyed this post- be sure to check back on Wednesday May 18th- for Part 2: DIY Jewelry Projects for Entertaining.

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Danae aka 'Crafty'

A T-Shirt Make-Over Project- Repost

This is one of my very favorite T-Shirt Deconstruction Projects!

Probably because it is sooo easy, AND it makes almost any t-shirt look cute.
*I posted this tutorial last year- but I have noticed tht it is still a favorite- so I am re-posting it up here to make it easier to find without having to go thru old posts.
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I will be working on making a couple of new versions of these shirts to post- now that I have a new camera! YAY! *

In fact, it is so easy, that I can do it at a moment's notice...even if I am on my way out the door. (Like today!)


Every time I wear one, I get all kinds of compliments, and people asking me where I bought it.

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So, of course when I tell them that I made it, they all want to know how it is done.
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Today, when I was going to make another one...I figured that I might as well take some step by step photos, and share the process with you all here.
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(First things first. Please forgive my super shitty photos. The only camera that I have right now,is my cell phone camera-and as you can see, the results are definitely not professional looking!)


Now, back to the t-shirt project.

1)First, you want to find yourself a shirt to work with. (As you can see, by the photo above; I had started this project, and then realized that I did not take a 'before' photo. So this shirt on top is a different shirt, but of the same style.



2)Then you begin to cut the neckline. Now, I really hate shirts with a high-cut neck. I prefer a v or a scoop neck. For this shirt I did a real simple scoop. You just cut right along the binding seam, all the way around. Now many people don't cut too carefully, because once you stretch it, it rolls, and you can't see your mistakes. (I am a little more careful, because although I love DIY Style...I don't really want it to LOOK like I did it myself!) So I am careful not to get jaggedy cuts. (Is jaggedy a word? Hhhmmm? I dunno.) :)


3)After you cut the neckline,; you have the option of cutting the sleeves or not. I like mine cut- it gives it more of a cap sleeve, and it looks super cool when it starts to roll.

So, go ahead and cut each sleeve, following the same binding line you used for the neckline. (Try to get nice long pieces cut from here, as you will be using them later, for the back ties)

4)Now you want to put on your shirt, and measure where your bra hits you in the back. (Mucho importante. I skipped this step on the first one I made, and now my bra strap shows when I wear it. Not too classy!)

Use 2 safety pins to mark the top and bottom points where your bra strap lies.

5) Next, you want to take your shirt, and fold it in half, matching up the two side seams. (As shown above.) Make sure it is all nice and flat, and even.

6)Starting about 2 inches from the neckline, make your cuts. I usually do 3 cuts, and they are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches (when folded in half)

The main thing that you want to remember, is to keep the slits away from where your bra strap sits. (Not sexy!)

I like to do my top cut first, then the one above the bra zone, and then I eyeball measure the distance between them for my middle cut.

You could easily make more cuts, even on down to the bottom of your shirt. (But, beacause I am a Mama, and there are times where I wear these shirts up to the school; I try to keep it clean. But, hey, if I was in my early 20's, ya never know!) :)

7)We are almost done now. You want to take those srtips that were left over from the neck and arm cutting, and cut those into nice, even strips. I usually cut them about 5 inches or so, and I like to clean up the ends, and cut them on slant.

Then, you tie them in between each of the back slits. You can start from the top, like I did here; or you can skip the top, and tie the others. (I have done both, and they both look great.)

8)Your very last step, is to gently stretch out the neck line and arm cuts. This makes them roll in a real cute way, and also covers up any of those jaggedy cuts that I was talking about.

Also, if you like, you can cut off the bottom seam binding too. (I am a bit of a fatty, so I definitely don't need my shirts rolling up-HA! -but I have seen that done, and it looks nice...on everyone else!)

There are a whole bunch of variations on the ways you can cut these t-shirts. In addition to, or instead of the back slits; you can also cut the side seams up from the bottom.

You just cut the seam as far up as you like, just make sure you leave enough fabric below the arm holes. Then you cut itty bitty slits, or holes along the outside of each side of the slice. After that you stretch your seam binding ties, and lace them up the sides.

Another variation on the sleeves is to cut them into flutter sleeves. I really like this look. When I have a blouse or a shirt that has a bit longer short sleeves than the capped ones, that is what I do.

All you do there, is cut your sleeves to the desired length, and then cut along the bottom seam of the sleeve, up to the pit hole. (Again, a word?) Any ways, you want to make sure that you don't cut into the fabric of the trunk part of the shirt, or else it will open up, and not look too cool.

One more neat variation, is to wear another color of tank top underneath. You can even take an old t-shirt or tank top, (maybe one that had a stain up top, or something), and cut off the bottom 10 inches or so, being careful to cut it off while it is still sewn together on it's side seams. Then, you just take that 'tube' and sew it into the underside of your new t-shirt. This looks really cool as is, or under a shirt that you have cut and tied the side seams on. Tres Rocker Chic! :)

Okay Guys, that's it! I am all ready to take off now, and sport my new super cool DIY T-Shirt in the hot Southern California Springtime! I hope that everyone was able to understand my jumbled up instructions...and thanks for putting up with the super shitty photos!

If anyone has any questions; or even more variations on other t-shirt projects I would LOVE you if you would share. (There are only so many shirts that I can cut up in the same way! J/K, I could do this to every t-shirt in my closet!)
Happy Cutting and T-shirt Crafting!!! I would love to see pictures of your projects.

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Another Crafty Chick Original Creation by: Danae

Cute and Clever Ways to Store Your Small Craft Supplies

Eliminate your craft clutter with these easy and innovative ideas for stashing your embellishments, ribbons, scraps and tools. The designers at Better Homes & Gardens have once again come up with a bushel of notewothy projects that are both cute & clever. Pick their brains for ideas to your own craft storage dilemas.
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(top photo)
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A shallow hanging cupboard provides plenty of storage for small craft items. Finials on the to help corral rolls of wrapping paper. Clear jars hold ribbons, beads, buttons and embellishments. To round up paper scraps, toss them into open top boxes; separated into general color categories.

A small tension rod is a clever way to add extra storage space to a short or narrow shelf. Thread spools of ribbon on for easy, tangle-free access.

Scissors, pens and paintbrushes can easily get lost in the shuffle when hidden in a drawer. Store similar tools together in clean, paper-wrapped cans. Not only are these cans functional; but they also add an easy ways to decorate your craft space.

To make a paper-wrapped tool can, simply measure the height and circumference of an empty, clean can. Cut a piece of paper per your measurements, adding 1/2" to the length for overlapping. Use double stick tape under the edges to secure the paper to the can. Use a hot glue gun to embellish with flowers, ribbons or buttons.

For a fun and functional twist, wrap several tool cans in co-ordinating patterned papers and stack in a pyramid shape. Use a hot glue gun to attach the cans to each other. When completely dry, set on a desktop or worktable for easy tool access. Use the same idea with gallon cans to store larger items.

Help your craft projects go more smoothly by organizing your most used tools in a durable craft

work box. With multiple trays, it will keep all of your tools or embellishments organized for easy and portable access.

Two hanging bars and six bins strategically placed, can turn an empty stretch of wall into 'craft storage central'. Hang the bins over a worktable to hold ribbons and trims; or over a desk to stash pens an pencils. Plus the plastic bins are colorful and washable.

Dress up the top of an industrial parts bin with scrap book paper cut to fit. Then, fill the containers with smaller objects, such as paper clips, tacks and rubber bands.

Replacement covers for outdoor sconce lights make ideal container cups for pens, pencils and paintbrushes. A less expensive and more Earth friendly version is to recycle jars that you already own. Some of my favorites to use, are spaghetti sauce jars and Starbucks Frappuccino bottles. They also make wonderful and decorative storage for all of the smaller embellishments, such as colorful buttons, beads, loose ribbon pieces and fabric flowers.

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It is not hard to find crafty ways to spruce up and organize your craft space. Options are everywhere. All it takes is a fresh eye for viewing what may be traditionally used for something else...and a little imagination. In no time at all, your craft space can be transformed into a fresh and functional workspace that will inspire you to create.
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***Brought to you by Danae, The Crafty Chick...