Back By Popular Demand: DIY: Ugly Christmas Sweater...that transforms into a Christmas Tree

DIY: Ugly Christmas Sweater...that transforms into a Christmas Tree

Just in time for the holiday party season.  

Check out my post on how to make the cutest and most creative UGLY Christmas Sweater ever! 

 

http://loveleahlynette.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-ugly-christmas-sweater-contest.html

 

 

Love,
Leah Lynette

DIY Decor: Old Hollywood themed Bridal Shower

Below are some decorative ideas for an Old Hollywood themed shower.

1. Feather Poms.  These things are AMAZING.  Very easy to make.  See my previous post for 'How-to' details: http://loveleahlynette.blogspot.com/2014/10/diy-decorative-feather-pom-poms.html

2. Social Media Signs.  All you need is a printer, a picture frame, a glue gun and some trinkets to glue on the side of the frame.  Here, I used 3 small feathers and a plastic rhinestone flower to attach to the frame. 

3. Centerpieces. Vases, Crystals and Roses. Lots of Roses.  If you live in Los Angeles, this part is easy.  Two dozen long stemmed roses for less than $10.00?!?  Who does that?  The LA Flower Mart, Downtown LA, that's who.  If you don't live in LA, try to find a flower mart in your area.  

For the centerpieces, we used glass vases, strings of crystals, a roll of decorative mesh, long stemmed roses and mirror plates.  Cut the leaves off the roses before you arrange them.  Line the vase with the mesh (it doesn't have to be neat). Stick the roses in the middle of the mesh.  Add water.  Then, drape the crystals around the roses and the vase.  Finally, sit the vase on top of a mirror plate. 

 

Enjoy! And, Happy Decorating!



Love,

 

Leah Lynette

 

loveleahlynette.blogspot.com

DIY: Decorative Feather Pom Poms

DIY: Decorative Feather Pom Poms

These feather poms poms were GORGEOUS!!  They definitely made the room pop.  And, they were really easy to make.  The best part...they travel & store well.  After the feathers have been applied, just take the metal rod out of the center of the lantern, flatten the lantern & you're on your way.

 

 

The Task: Make fancy decorations for 'Old Hollywood' themed bridal shower 

The Ingredients: round paper lantern, ribbon, feather boas, glue gun

  

The Purchase Locations: Downtown LA - boa shop, Michael's



The Cost: Between $6.00-$15.00 each - depending on the lantern size

It took me: about 15 minutes per lantern 

 

HOW TO:

 

1.  Insert the metal rod into the center of the lantern.  Extend the lantern and lock the metal rods into place.

 

2.  Starting at the base of the lantern, start to glue the feather boa in a circular pattern around the lantern until the lantern is fully covered.  I did this by applying about 6 inches of glue at a time to the lantern, then sticking the feathers to the glue.   

 

3.  Tie a ribbon loop at the top of the metal insert for easy hanging. 

 

NOTES:  1. You need about 2 1/2 adult sized boas to cover an 8" round lantern.  2. Feathers crumbs were EVERYWHERE when I was done.  So, make sure you cover the floor or make these in a confined location where you can do easy clean up.

 

 

HAPPY DECORATING!!!

 

xoxo-Leah Lynette 

 

 

 

DIY: Doggy Princess Tutu...with pearls

DIY: DOGGY PRINCESS TUTU...with PEARLS

The Task: Make a tutu for a doggy princess named Bella. It was her grandpa's birthday and she needed something cute to wear. 

The Ingredients: 1 roll tulle, stretchy ponytail holder or elastic (Bella is extra small so I used the ponytail holder), ribbon, string of pearls, 16 inch long piece of cardboard, glue gun

  

The Purchase Locations: Downtown LA - craft store, jewelry store



The Cost: Approx $6.00

It took me: about 30 minutes 

How to:

1. Take roll of tulle and wrap it long ways around a 16 inch long strip of card board. When all of the tulle has been wrapped around the cardboard, cut the tulle at the top of the cardboard and cut it at the bottom.  Now you have several strips of 16 inch long pieces of tulle.  Repeat this step for each of the rolls of tulle. 

 2. Stretch the ponytail holder around something solid (a piece of cardboard, a book, your knee, whatever) so you can start knotting the tulle around the ponytail holder.  

3. Take two pieces of tulle (one on top of the other) and fold them in half.  Push the looped part up and behind the ponytail holder, then pull the two ends through the loop to create a knot.  Repeat this step until the entire ponytail holder is full. 

4. Tie a ribbon around the middle of the finished tutu. Glue the ribbon to the tutu (I only glued down the part where Bella's tummy was, so her mom and dad could adjust it to fit her waist, as well as get her in and out of it easily).

5. Cut about two-thirds of the tulle off of the stomach area (so your doggy princess can move around easily).

6.  Add a string of pearls to the tutu.  Tie one end of the pearl string to the left side of the tutu, about an inch above where the top of the front left paw would be.  Then, tie the other end of the pearl string to the right side of the tutu, about an inch above where the top of the front right paw would be.  (Because Bella is extra small, the necklace was waaaayy too big.  So, I had to re-string about 20 pearls onto a stretchy piece of string). 

NOTE: I added a little halter ribbon to the tutu thinking it was necessary to hold the tutu in place, but it wasn't necessary. You live and you learn :-)

ENJOY!!

&

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO BELLA'S GRANDPA!

Love,

Leah Lynette

DIY: FUN FLIP FLOPS

DIY: FUN FLIP FLOPS

 

The Task: Make some fun flip flops

 

The Ingredients: inexpensive flip-flops (Dollar Tree again), water resistant crazy glue, a pair of shoelaces, a plastic wind chime (I know, random, huh? :-)), scissors

  

The Purchase Locations: Dollar Tree



The Cost: Approx $4.00

 

It only took me: about 20 minutes 

How to:

1. Cut the plastic straps off each flip-flop.

 2. Determine how long you want the straps of your sandals. Fold one shoe string in half and push the loop through the top hole in the flip-flop from the top/front of the flip flop through the back/bottom.

 
3. Turn the flip flop over and tie a big knot or two in the looped part of the shoe string. 

 4. Pull the shoe string down as close to the hole as possible, then add a drop or two of water resistant glue to the hole. Pull the ribbon all the way down first, so you don't get a sticky ribbon.

5. Pull the knot down into the hole and tuck it into the hole so the knot is flush to the bottom of the flip flop (This will keep you from constantly feeling like you are stepping on a rock when you walk).

 
 

6. Turn the flip flop back over to the top.  You should now have two shoe string "straps".  Yay! 

 

7. Pull the left shoe string strap through the hole on the left bottom of the flip flop.  Then, pull the right shoe string strap through the hole on the right bottom of the flip flop.   Be sure to leave enough ribbon on top so a foot can fit.  (It may be helpful to try the flip flop on while you pull the straps through for accuracy.) 

 

8. Turn the flop flip over to the bottom. Take the strap on the left and pull it through the hole on the right from back/bottom to front/top. Take the strap on the right and pull it through the hole on the left from back/bottom to front/top.

 

6.  Cut the excess shoe string from the top of the flip flop.

 

7. Add a bit of glue to each hole to secure the straps. 

 

8. Repeat these steps with your second flip flop.

 

9.  Glue any fun treats to the top flip flop strap.  In my case, I found a cute pink and green wind chime.  So, I cut one of the flower charms off of the wind chime and glued it onto my flip flip. 

 

ENJOY!!!

DIY: July 4th Inspired Sandals

DIY: July 4th Sandals

 

 

The Task: Make some cute sandals for the 4th of July 

 

The Ingredients: inexpensive flip-flops (Dollar Tree again), water resistant crazy glue, ribbon, scissors

The Purchase Locations: Dollar Tree

The Cost: Approx. $3.00

It only took me: about 15 minutes

How to:

 

1. Cut the plastic straps off each flip-flop.

 2. Determine how long you want the straps of your sandals. (In hindsight, I wish I had made mine longer so they could wrap around the ankle a few more times.) Cut your ribbon at the desired length.  Fold the ribbon in half and push the loop through the top hole in the flip-flop from the top/front of the flip flop through the back/bottom.

 

3. Turn the flip flop over and tie a big knot or two in the looped part of the ribbon. 

 4. Pull the ribbon down as close to the hole as possible, then add a drop or two of water resistant glue to the hole.  (Be sure to pull the ribbon down first. Otherwise, you'll end up with a sticky ribbon.

 

5. Pull the knot down into the hole and tuck it into the hole so the knot is flush to the bottom of the flip flop (This will keep you from constantly feeling like you are stepping on a rock when you walk).

 

6. Turn the flip flop back over to the top.  You should now have two ribbon "straps".  Yay! 

 

7. Pull the left ribbon strap through the hole on the left bottom of the flip flop.  Then, pull the right ribbon strap through the hole on the right bottom of the flip flop.   Be sure to leave enough ribbon on top so your foot can fit.  (It may be helpful to try the flip flop on while you pull the straps through for accuracy.)

 

8. Turn the flop flip over to the bottom. Take the strap on the left and pull it through the hole on the right from back/bottom to front/top. Take the strap on the right and pull it through the hole on the left from back/bottom to front/top.

 

6. Add a bit of glue to each hole to secure the straps. 

 

7. Repeat these steps with your second flip flop.

 

ENJOY!!

 

Special Thanks to my model: Melissa D. :-)

DIY: Creepy Crawler Flip Flops

DIY: Creepy Crawler Flip Flops...for the little guys (and reptile loving little girls) in your life

 

 You can pretty much glue anything to the straps of a flip flop to turn them into something special.  You just need the right type of glue. I found this out the hard way with this project.

 PERSONAL SIDE NOTE: It was a little uncomfortable making these flip flops because anyone who knows me knows I am NOT a fan of lizards - not real ones, not cartoon ones, not plastic ones, not even pictures of lizards.  I had a bad experience with a lizard when I was a child.  And, we have been on the outs ever since.  They run too fast. They always end up in the wrong places, i.e. on your body somewhere.  And, there is something completely unsettling about a creature whose tail can snap off from their body and keep wiggling around minutes after detachment.  It got so bad I saw a therapist to help get over my fear.  It worked.  And, I can now see a lizard without having a full blown sweaty meltdown.  But, I hadn't tested actually holding a lizard (even a fake one) until this project.  Mission accomplished...but not without some moments of shoulder shuddering and "Ewww" outbursts from yours truly. 

The Task: 

 My bestie's son LOVES lizards.  She tells me all the time about his backyard "lizard hunting" adventures with his dad.  So far, he's been unsuccessful in his quests.  But, he hasn't given up.  I wanted to make some flip flops for kids and ran into a pack of plastic reptiles.  I immediately thought of my little lizard hunter and decided to make him a pair of flip flops for the summer.

The Ingredients: inexpensive flip-flops (Dollar Tree again), water resistant crazy glue (VERY IMPORTANT if  you want your plastic creatures to stay put), some binder clips, rubbing alcohol

The Purchase Locations: Dollar Tree

The Cost: Approx. $3.00

It only took me: about 30 minutes (only because me and the glue were not getting along) PLUS a 24 hour drying time

How to:
1. Wipe off the plastic straps of your flip flops with alcohol. 

2. Decide the layout you want for your reptiles.

3. Add a few drops of water resistant glue to the plastic flip flop strap and to the bottom of your selected reptile.  Place the sticky reptile on the strap.  Use a binder clip to hold the reptile in place for 24-hours.

4. Repeat until your flip-flops are full of creepy crawly reptiles.

 

5. Let the flip-fops dry for 24 hours.   

 

6. Remove the plastic binder clips after about 12 hours (just to make sure they don't get permanently glued to the flip-flop)

 Enjoy!!!  

 

TIP 1: You really can glue anything to the flip flip strap.  Just make sure it is not too heavy or bulky so the wearer will be comfortable.

 

TIP 2: My trusty E6000 glue failed me this time.  The reptiles did stick to the straps but they could be easily peeled off.  I know little boys and I know they like to take things apart.  I didn't want to make it too easy so I opted for a stronger glue.  Plus, I figured the flip flops are bound to get wet so water resistant glue would be a good choice.  It was.  I didn't get it right until my third gluing attempt.  The second attempt, I tried regular super glue.  Terrible idea.  If you ever want two pieces of plastic to NOT stick together, use regular super glue. 

 

DIY: Studded Flip-Flips

DIY: Studded Flip-Flops!!

Summer is coming! Summer is coming!  So, this month I will be featuring a variety of DIY Flip-Flops.  

The Task:  Flippie floppies don't need to be boring OR expensive.  So, grab a pair and spice them up a bit.

The Ingredients: inexpensive flip-flops (got mine from the Dollar Tree), studs, E6000 glue

The Purchase Locations: Dollar Tree, downtown LA rhinestone shop for studs and glue, rubbing alcohol

The Cost: Approx. $3.00

It only took me: about 10 minutes

How to:
1. Wipe off the plastic straps of your flip flops with alcohol.  I do this so the glue will stick better.

2. Decide what pattern you want for your studs.  I just lined them up about 1/4 inch apart from each other.

3. Add a drop of E6000 to the back of one of your studs and place it on the plastic flip flop strap.

4. Repeat until your flip-flops are full of studs and fabulous.

Enjoy!!!

NOTE: I made a pair with raised "bullet" studs.  The studs started to fall off after I wore them a few times.  (I'll post these soon) So, I suggest flatter studs.

DIY: Adult Tutu

 

DIY: Adult Tutu...because big princesses need tutu's too :-)

These tutu's were made for the 2014 Revlon Run/Walk. They complimented our "Pretty Girls Fight Cancer" shirts perfectly!

It's super easy to make your own.  Just check out my DIY from: http://loveleahlynette.blogspot.com/2014/01/tutu-from-jurnees-terrible-tu-tus-2nd.html.   It's the same concept with just a few changes.

The Ingredients: This time I used four rolls of 6" tulle, measuring tape, elastic, a 24 inch long strip of cardboard (you can cut this from a box), scissors, two rubber bands

The Purchase Locations: idearibbon.com (the tulle - very, very cheap here),  Downtown LA craft depot (for the elastic)

The Cost: Approx. $5.00

It only took me: about 30 minutes

How to:

1. Take one roll of tulle at a time and wrap it long ways around the 24 inch long strip of card board. When all of the tulle has been wrapped around the cardboard, place a rubber band around the top of the strip and one around the bottom of the strip.  This holds the tulle in place.  Cut the tulle at the top of the cardboard and cut it at the bottom.  Now you have several strips of 24 inch long pieces of tulle.  Repeat this step for each of the rolls of tulle.

2. Measure your waist.  Take between 2-6 inches off (depending on how stretchy your elastic is) and cut the elastic to that length.  NOTE:  The elastic tends to get stretched out as you loop the tulle around it.  So keep that in mind when measuring. No one wants a droopy tutu.  Sew or safety pin the strip of cut elastic together.  Stretch it around something solid (a piece of cardboard, a book, your knee, whatever) so you can start looping the tulle around the elastic. 

5. Take two pieces of tulle (one on top of the other) and fold them in half.  Lay the tulle behind the elastic band so the looped part is on top of the elastic and the rest of the tulle is hanging beneath the elastic band. Grab the two loose ends of tulle, wrap them forward around the elastic band, place the two end pieces between the loop on top of the band.  Then, pull to create a knot.  Repeat this step until your tutu is complete.
Enjoy!

New Baby Girl...New Sparkly Shoes

These were a gift to a 'new mommy' in my life.

Check out: http://loveleahlynette.blogspot.com/2014/02/diy-sparkly-baby-rhinestone-converse.html for details on how to make these.

This time I added a rhinestone heart to the shoe.  I drew the outline of the heart with a sharpie.  Then, I glued the heart on top of the outline.  And, I added rhinestones all around. 

I also used some cute pink and green ribbon for shoelaces.

ENJOY!!  

DIY: Sparkly Baby Rhinestone Converse

After my post a few weeks ago about the Converse I decorated for my niece, I got a request to make another pair.  Yay!  Here's a little picture tutorial.  You can check out my post from Tuesday, January 28, 2014 "Pink Rhinestone Converse Baby Shoes" for the written step-by-step on how to make these cute little shoes.

 

There were a few differences between these shoes and the last pair I did. 

1. These shoes were a Converse All-Star size 4 and they were soft bottoms. They were only $20.00.  I was told the baby wore a size 10.  So, I ordered an "Infant Size 10" online and got a pair of gigantic shoes.  I could almost fit them. I'm not sure what kind of infants Converse had in mind when they made those shoes. :-|  So, I went to the store and saw that Converse baby shoes run from 0-4.  And, they are soft soles.  Although, the 4's do come in hard bottoms sometimes.   Either way, the rhinestone application was still the same for the hard vs. soft bottoms.  I just want everyone to be aware that, to Converse, an "infant" is the size of a 7 years old. So, keep that in mind when you order. :-)

2. This time around I put the E-6000 glue into a plastic applicator with a tip on it.  This made glue application much easier and a lot less messy.  You can purchase the tubes in bulk from a craft store (approx.. 8 per package) for about $3.00.

3. This time I switched out the laces for pink ribbon.  If you look at the picture of all the items I used to make the shoes, you'll notice two different ribbons than the ribbon in the finished product.  That's because those ribbons, while adorable, were too thick to put through those teeny tiny grommets.   So, my suggestion is you use thin, wireless ribbon for your shoe laces if you plan to trade them out.

4.  This time it only took me about an hour to complete the shoes.  I think it was because the shoes were teeny weeny and because I used that plastic applicator for the glue.

Enjoy!

Party Favors - Birthday Cigars

Cigars are a great party favor when you have men at your party.  Plus, a lot of ladies love them too. 

The Task: Make an alternative party favor for my "Fabulous" birthday party.  The first favor was a fabulous feather boa.  

The Ingredients: good, not-too-expensive cigars, clear zip bags for each cigar (the shop will give you these for free if you just ask), card stock, scissors, computer, printer, some type of computer program that allows you to do graphics (I used Microsoft Word), stapler, glue stick

The Purchase Locations: A Cigar shop in Downtown LA (referred by a friend who frequents the place, so the owner gave me a good deal), an office supply store

The Cost: Approx. $6.00

It only took me: about 20 minutes

How to:
1. Make a template for the cigar wrapper in your graphics program.  Create a 3 x 1/2 inch long rectangle.  Then, place a 1 inch oval in the center of the rectangle.  Add whatever graphics you choose to the center of the oval. (I added a star, my initials and the year).  Copy and paste as many wrappers as you can to each sheet of card stock. 

2. Print out the wrappers, cut each one out, then wrap each one around the center of the cigar.  Add a little bit of glue to the end of the wrapper to seal it around the cigar.

3. Place the wrapped cigar into the zip bag and seal the bag.

4. Make a template for the "Thank You for Coming" tag in your graphics program.  Create a 2x3 inch rectangle. Add whatever graphics you choose to the bottom of the rectangle.  (I added a star graphic and a "Thank You for Coming" phrase).  Copy and paste as many rectangles as you can to each sheet of card stock. 

5. Print out the "Thank You for Coming" tags, cut each one out, then fold each one in half and staple it over the top of the sealed cigar zip bag.

DIY: "Birthday Cake" Cake Pop Stand

I really like Cake Pops.  And, I think they make great party favors.  Also, they are less messy than a cake.  So, for my birthday, instead of a birthday cake - I made this...

 

 
The Task: Make a cake pop stand in the shape of a birthday cake to hold my cake pop party favors at my birthday party.

The Ingredients: 1 pack of plastic gift wrap (3 sheets), ribbon, flat head sewing pins, party hat, toothpicks, 3 floral styrofoam rings of various sizes, hot glue gun 

The Purchase Locations: Michael's Arts & Crafts (for the ribbon...always hit the clearance bin first; the larger foam ring), Dollar Tree (everything else!)

The Cost: Approx. $10.00

It only took me: about 30 minutes

How to:

1.  Cover each foam ring with a piece of plastic gift wrap.  I pinned the wrap to the bottom of each ring with sewing pins. 

2.  Wrap a ribbon around each ring.  I used sewing pins to hold the ribbon in place.

3.  Push 4 toothpicks halfway into the top of the largest foam ring.  Place the toothpicks around the ring a few inches apart for each other.

4. Place the middle sized ring on top of the larger ring and push it down over the tooth picks.  This makes the stand secure. 

5.  Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the smallest foam ring. 

6.  Glue the party hat to the top tier.   

7. Get/Make some cakepops and gently push them into the tiers. 

This was the best picture I got of the final project...'cause the cake pops went FAST! 

This stand can be used over and over again!  Just separate the rings, remove the ribbon, remove the gift wrap and start over with new ribbon and wrap.

Pink Rhinestone Converse Baby Shoes

One night when I couldn't sleep, I made these shoes for my niecy-poo Zylyn.  Probably not the best way to combat insomnia.  But, it was fun. :-)

The Task: Add some pink, sparkly love to the Converse I bought for my niece. 

The Ingredients: shoes, approx. 200 small pink crystal rhinestones (1/4 cm), E6000 glue, a q-tip, Craft Tack, alcohol, a shoe box top

The Purchase Locations: Michael's Arts & Crafts, Downtown LA (for the crystals and shoes), 99 cents only store (for the q-tip and alcohol)

The Cost: Approx. $35.00

It only took me: about two hours

How to:

1.  Where ever you plan to place rhinestones, wipe the area with alcohol.

2. Place a bit of craft tack on the end of a q-tip to create a tool that will allow you to pick up the rhinestones easily.

3. Dump the rhinestones into a shoe box top. I like to lay them out so all the flat sides are down.  This makes them easy to pick up and attach to the shoe.

4. Apply a short, thin line of E6000 glue to the top part of the rubber on the shoe.  Add rhinestones in a line on top of the glue.

5. Repeat step 4 until the entire rubber area (and any other area you want to decorate) is covered in rhinestones.

6. Wipe the rhinestone areas with alcohol after you're done to remove any excess glue from the rhinestones.

OPTION:  You can replace the shoe string with colorful ribbons.

TIPS: Although it is tempting, don't add too much glue at one time.  The glue dries pretty quickly.      

T-Shirt & Wine Glass Party Favors

If you live in LA, you know that pole dance fitness classes and parties have been popular for a while.  This particular party was held at Allure Dance & Fitness Studio (http://www.alluredancestudio.com/). 

When coming up with party favor ideas, I always think of what my dad tells me whenever I want to get him a gift.  He always says,"Don't buy me any junk." Because of this, I am a big fan of giving guests party favors that they can actually use.  So, the favors I came up with for this party were favors that the guests could not only use, but that they could use during the party.

Guests were given their favors as soon as they arrived at the party.

The party consisted of a 30-minute reception period that Allure calls "Mingle Time".  During this time, guests were invited to enjoy wine in their "Keep Calm and Drink Wine" wine glass favor. 

There is also certain attire required for such parties.  So, tank tops were decorated with a "Keep Calm and Dance On" logo.  Guests were encouraged to wear their shirts during the party.

The stencils for the t-shirts and the glasses were made using a friend's Cricut machine (www.cricut.com) that she forgot she had.  This machine is the best for cutting out perfect stencils in seconds.

The image was applied to the t-shirt using my same friend's at-home screen printing machine (they run about $100.00), which she also stumbled upon as she went through her craft closet.    She had so many cool crafting things I didn't want to leave her house.  I was there for two days straight...going craft crazy.  It was great.

The image on the wine glass was applied using glass frosting paint.  This paint was so cool.  I never even knew it existed.  You can get it from just about any craft store.  It makes the glass look frosted by just painting on the glass surface, letting it dry for a few minutes, then rinsing the glass with cold water.  I wanted to frost all the glasses in the house after I discovered this stuff. 

I added my signature touch - a pink rhinestone - on top of all the crowns on the tank tops and the wine glasses.  I used E-6000 glue to make sure the stones wouldn't fall off.      

Finally, I tied each shirt with a pink bow and tucked them into the wine glasses so they could be properly presented to each guest.

NOTE: Applying the stencils to the glass was pretty tough.  I had to apply each word separately (and evenly), and adhere it to the glass with pieces of tape. Then, I had issues with the stencil slipping 'cause the paint was making the glass slick.  So, if you do decide to stencil glass, keep the stencil simple.  Don't try to get fancy and stencil a whole sentence AND an image like I did.  It's no joke.

Tutu from Jurnee's Terrible Tu-Tu's 2nd Birthday Party

I really enjoy making tutus. They're cute and colorful and glittery.  And, what little girl doesn't feel like a princess in a tutu?

This tutu was inspired by my dear grandmother, Gaynelle (aka my Good Ole Gran).  Gran would sew dresses for me when I was a kid.  And, she would always sew a little bell under each of my dresses.  I would run and jump and skip around because I LOVED to hear the little bell jingle.  So, I put a few bells in Jurnee's tutu.  At the party, Jurnee's grandmother kept noticing she was skipping and jumping much more than usual.  We eventually realized that it was the bells.  Every time she moved, she heard the bells and loved them as much as I did when I was her age. :-)

The Task: Create a tutu fit for a princess for little Jurnee's 2nd birthday party.  The theme was Terrible Tu-Tu's .  The colors were pink, green and blue.  [There are a few ways to make tutus.  I like them to be really full, so I chose this method.]

The Ingredients: Three rolls of 6" tulle, plain and glitter (25 yards each), a colorful crochet headband, an 18 inch long strip of cardboard (you can cut this from a box), scissors, two rubber bands, tiny bells, thin ribbon, small rhinestones, E6000 glue and various trinkets to add to the waistband  [Important: The glitter on glitter tulle is not very secure.  So, make sure you cover your work area.]   

The Purchase Locations: Michael's Arts & Crafts (don't forget to print out your discount coupon before you go), the Craft Depot (Downtown LA), Dollar Tree

The Cost: Approx. $20.00 (NOTE: You can make this tutu for about $10.00 if you don't add the trinkets and don't use glitter tulle)

It only took me: about two hours

How to:

1. Remove the plastic rings on the end of each roll of tulle.  Then, take the cardboard roll out of the center of each of the rolls of tulle (be sure to keep the roll intact).  This takes some maneuvering, but it'll make your life a lot easier.  Trust me on this. 

2. Cut each roll of tulle in half (3 inches wide) so you end up with 6 rolls of tulle.

3.  Take one roll at a time and wrap it long ways around the 18 inch long strip of card board. When all of the tulle has been wrapped around the cardboard, place a rubber band around the top of the strip and one around the bottom of the strip.  This holds the tulle in place.  Cut the tulle at the top of the cardboard and cut it at the bottom.  Now you have several strips of 18 inch long pieces of tulle.  Repeat this step for each of the rolls of tulle.

4. Stretch the crochet headband around something solid (a piece of cardboard, a book, your knee, whatever) so you can start weaving the tulle through the headband. 

5. Take two pieces of tulle (one on top of the other) and fold them in half.  Push the looped part of the tulle through the base of the headband, then pull the two ends through the loop to create a knot.  Repeat this step above your first knot, two more times.  You'll end up with a row with three knots. 

6. Move over to the next open space on the base of the headband and repeat step 5 until all the tulle has been used.  You can use any color combination you choose.

7.  Take a few tiny bells and string a thin piece of ribbon through each one.  Tie each one around a loop in the crochet headband. 

8. Cut the stems off of the plastic flowers.  Place a bit of E6000 glue on the back of the flower to hold the flower together. 

9.  Glue trinkets to the center of each flower.  I put a "Happy Birthday" trinket on one flower, a J on the second flower (J for Jurnee), and two candles on the third flower (since she was turning 2 years old).

10.  Glue each flower to the top of the crochet headband. 

11.  Glue a few rhinestones on the tulle to add more sparkle. 

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY, JURNEE!!  Thank you Gran for continuing to inspire me!   And, thank you to Just Add A Bow for their excellent video demonstration on how to make the tutu full and fluffy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=35kRpNIXupw)

Baby Niko's Hello Kitty Shower

 

Here are some party favors and decorations I did for my friend Tia's baby shower.  Her baby luckily waited until her due date to make her debut.  So, we were able to have a super fun shower. :-)

Tia requested a Hello Kitty baby shower!  So, I went Hello Kitty crazy with the decorations and favors!  There wasn't much in the room that didn't have Hello Kitty on it.

The party was held at Tia's apartment.  There is a huge mirror in her living room.  So, I printed out some letters on transparent removable decal paper (available at any office supply store) to make a welcome sign for baby.

The water beads made their debut again in the centerpieces.  This time, I added some pink jewels to the vase and a waterproof light to make the centerpieces sparkle.  I also added little Hello Kitty trinkets to each centerpiece.

For the favors, I got some sheets of small dot stickers from an office supply store and printed the shower date, baby's name and a Hello Kitty logo on each dot.  I got some Hershey Kisses and placed a sticky dot on the bottom of each Kiss.  I filled little take-out containers with the Kisses and added a 'Thank You' label to the outside of each container.

Overall, it was a sweet shower for a sweet baby girl!

THE CARD BOOK - Greeting Card/Photo Album (a video demonstration of how ...

This is my latest creation....The Card Book.  

A lot of people have been asking, "What is it?".  So, I created a demonstration video so everyone can see how awesome it is.  :-)

The Card Book is a stylish, hand-crafted, fabric-covered greeting card/photo album. The string displays allow easy viewing of your cards.  The additional pockets in the front and back cover provide lots of extra storage room for more cards.  And, the clear plastic photo pockets allow you to display pictures and mementos from a special event OR you can use the pockets to store more cards. 

THE CARD BOOK is a great organizing tool for you AND makes a great gift for Birthdays, Weddings, Baby Showers, Retirement, Get Well, Graduations, Anniversaries and Holidays!
The current Limited Edition of THE CARD BOOK comes in 22 different styles and colors!

Get yours today!  Available for purchase on AMAZON.  Just search 'mayscrafts'

Thank you Ed 'Jay' Jones for the music and Carmen Alexandra for the hand modeling. :-)

Under the Sea Decor - Jurnee's 1st Birthday Party

These decorations were originally intended for a baby shower for my friend's daughter, Jurnee.  However, on the day of the baby shower, Jurnee must have heard we were having a party for her, so she decided to be born that morning!!!  Thus, no shower.  So, we held on to the decorations and used them for her 1st Birthday party.  The theme was Under the Sea.  It was held at the neighborhood swimming pool where she was doing her favorite thing at the time...taking swimming lessons.

Balloons were key for this event. I made clusters of balloons with a mylar sea creature in the middle of each one and placed them around the room.  I filled a lot of balloons with helium and let them float to the ceiling to create the "under the sea" effect.  A roll of blue plastic table cloth to add to the ocean effect.  Pink fish net was a fun table runner.  I put sea shells under the fish net on the table so kids would not grab the shells and try to eat them.  I used little beads that swell when you add water and put them into little fish bowls.  I then added some little squeaky fish toys to the fish bowls.  These were the centerpieces.  NOTE: Water beads and kids do not mix. The kids were obsessed with the beads and wanted to play with them, try to eat them, throw them, squeeze them, etc. throughout the party.  In the future, I will only use fun beads for adults.  But, be warned...adults like to play with them too.  But, at least the adults know not to try and eat them :-)

Jurnee is turning two this week and I'm making a tutu for her Terrible Tu-Tu's 2nd Birthday Party.  Pictures coming soon...

The Jordyn P. Show

http://youtu.be/4BFpwP4XHoI

This little doll's name is Jordyn.  She's 5 years old.  And, she's one of the cutest and wisest kids I know.  She said she wanted her own TV show about happiness and fun.  So, my dear friends and I got together and made it happen for her.  The show is unscripted.  It's all Jordyn...and her BFF Clay.   Enjoy!

Thank you to Jay (for the original music), Carmen Alexandra (for dressing Jordyn), Indira (for your home, camera, lights and Clay), Jodie (for having Jordyn :-)), big sister Jenae for wrangling the kids, Makeeta (for designing the set), Marcell for helping where needed and everyone for your support!

More videos are on the way! If you have a question for Jordyn, you can email her at jordynphd@gmail.com or send her a tweet @jordynphd.   
     

Kenishia's Graduation Party Decor

As promised, here are some pictures of the décor from Kenishia's Graduation Party.  It was around Christmas time, so she wanted to include some holiday décor.  Her color scheme was Mardi Gras-inspired.  She had just graduated from culinary school and wanted to show off her skills, so her party was a Tasting Party.

So, I created a tasting menu for "Kenishia's Bistro", printed it out and put the menu in picture frames with colored paper as the background.

For centerpieces, I got small and large glass vases, stuffed the bottom with some fabric, filled each centerpiece with colorful ornaments and stuck a few sticks ting-ting (the swirly, sparkly, silver branches) in the vase.   Centerpieces were placed on table runners, surrounded by beads of various colors.

Happy Graduation, Chef Kenishia!

The Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest

The Task: My friends and I had a holiday party and an Ugly Christmas Sweater contest. My friend, Lisa Marie, gave me the idea of making a Christmas tree sweater.  BRILLIANCE! SHEER BRILLIANCE!, I said.  Well, not exactly.  But, I did get really, really excited at the idea of creating this little twinkling gem. 

The Ingredients: Two wire hangers (Sorry, Joan. They really come in handy when you're making arts and crafts.), a green sweater (the looser the stitching, the better), fun ornaments, plastic ball ornaments, candy canes, some ornaments shaped like gifts, tinsel, battery-operated lights, hot glue gun, a star, packing tape, two 3-4 inch strips of fabric, batteries for the light show

The Purchase Locations: Giant Dollar (a bootleg 99cents only store around my old neighborhood that I LOVE), Rite Aid (for the colored lights), The G-Dub (aka The Goodwill)

In the 99cents only stores defense, they did have lights, but they were too big to fit through the tiny holes in my sweater.

The Cost: Approx. $25.00

It took me: about 3 hours.  (I think it would have happened a lot quicker...and would have been a lot less painless...if I had a helper.  It's probably not the best idea to hot glue gun anything to a sweater while you're wearing it. :-)

How to:

1.  Bend two wire hangers into the shape of half-circles and tape them together into a circle with packing tape.

2. Stretch the bottom of the sweater over the circle hanger and glue the hanger into the bottom of the sweater. (This doesn't have to be too neat, 'cause you'll be covering this part with tinsel.) This creates the 'Christmas Tree' shape for your sweater.

3. Hot glue the tinsel around the sweater as if you are hanging tinsel on a Christmas tree. Start by gluing the tinsel around the bottom ring of the sweater, then work your way up.  When you get to the arms, you'll need to put the sweater on and place your arms over your head before you glue the tinsel. This is so you'll be able to simulate the full Christmas tree effect in the arm area.  This is the tricky part. Be careful when you glue the tinsel on while wearing the sweater.  Hot glue and skin don't go together.  If you don't have a helper, like me, just use a tiny bit of glue to hold the tinsel in place, then take the sweater off and go hot glue crazy. 

4. Take a strip of fabric and glue it on both ends (leaving a space in the middle to tuck the battery pack) underneath the sweater on one side.  Repeat on the opposite side.   

5.  Add batteries to the battery packs and add the packs to the fabric pockets.

6. Glue the gift ornaments along the front of the sweater.  I kept them on their strings 'cause it was easier that way.

7. Now comes the fun part (I'm kidding)...the lights! The lights need to be pushed through the sweater from the inside out.  I put a bit of glue around each bulb to hold it in place.  I strung the lights on the right side of the sweater up the front of the sweater and down the left sleeve.  And, I strung the lights on the left side of the sweater up the front of the sweater and down the right sleeve.

8. After the lights were all glued into place, I taped the wires down to the inside of the sweater with packing tape.  This was a good idea 'cause it made it easier to put the sweater on and take it off.  It kept me from snagging the loose wires and ripping the lights out of the sweater.

9. Hot glue the ornaments onto the outside of the sweater.  I glued the arm ornaments on while I was wearing the sweater so I could make the "tree" look as real as possible.  Remember, use the glue lightly...hot glue hurts.  You can add extra glue after you take the sweater off.  

10. Hang the candy canes on the tinsel. (I got the pre-wrapped ones so people could eat them if they wanted.  And, I put them on right before I joined the party so they wouldn't crack or fall off.)

Overall, the sweater was way more comfortable than I thought.  I was able to move around freely in it.  It did get a bit hot and I lost a few candy canes over the night.  But, it was no biggie.  I held my star throughout the night, so I could be ready to pose on cue.  (You could attach the star to your wrist with a string or rubber band, so you don't have to hold it).

As far as the contest,  we were havin' too much fun and never actually got around to it. But, I think I would have at least been in the running to win. :-)

The Wreath Project - Part Deux

The Task: I was helping my friend decorate for her graduation party. (She graduated from culinary school. Congrats Chef Kenishia!  Check her out at: http://sweetteaandbasil.com/)  Her color scheme was pink, green, purple and silver.  She wanted a wreath to hang at the entrance to the party.   I couldn't find a wreath that matched perfectly, so I made one. :-)

The Ingredients: A frisbee from the 99cents only store, string of Tinsel, plastic colorful ornaments, a sheet of fake snow (you know, the kind that goes around the bottom of the Christmas tree), some broken pieces of decorative glitter branches I used for other decorations (they're called Ting Ting :-)), some packing tape and my trusty glue gun.

The Purchase Locations: 99cents only store, Michael's Arts & Crafts (for the Ting Ting) [IMPORTANT: Don't ever go to Michael's without printing out the coupons before you go.  They almost always have a coupon that will allow you to get 50% off one item]

The Cost: Approx. $4.00

It only took me: about 10 minutes

How to:

1. I needed a ring to make the "wreath" shape. So, I got a fabric Frisbee, cut the fabric off of it and was left with a foam ring. 
2. Tape the fake snow around the foam ring.  This adds bulk to the ring so the wreath won't look scraggly.
3. Glue one end of the tinsel to the foam ring and wrap away until the tinsel covers the entire ring.
4. Glue the second end of the tinsel to the foam ring and spread the tinsel out so it covers all the fake snow. 
5. Glue the plastic ornaments to the tinsel.
6. Stick the broken ting ting in the tinsel in various places around the wreath.  You can glue them in if you want, so they won't fall out.

Holiday Creations - The Wreath Part 1

The Task: Create a little pink and sparkly wreath for my work anteroom 'cause I wasn't really feeling any holiday love coming from the room
The Ingredients: Foam Circle Plant Holder, String of Tinsel, Green Glitter Bells and my trusty glue gun (one of the greatest inventions EVER!)
The Purchase Locations: 99cents only store (one of the greatest stores EVER!)
The Cost: Approx. $3.00
It only took me: about 5 minutes

How to make this awesome lil wreath: 

1. Glue one end of the wreath to the foam circle.
2. Wrap, wrap, wrap the tinsel around the foam until the whole circle is covered with tinsel.
3. Make a small loop at the end of the tinsel before gluing the second end down to the foam to finish the wreath. (This will create a sparkling hanger hoop for the wreath).
4. Glue the green glitter bells strategically around the wreath.