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: 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: 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.