Festively Floral DIY

       It's that time of year when the weather is beautiful, and almost every weekend there seems to be a different festival; Whether it be for music, food, art, or a celebration of cultures- what's the cutest accessory to wear? Floral Crowns of course!

*Photos courtesy of the worldwide web*



     A perfect statement piece to an otherwise "normal" outfit, sadly, it's not easy to find a reasonably priced AND well-made floral crown. So we went to the dollar store and bought a bunch of cute artificial flowers to make some of our own.

     C embarked on a solo design mission, while J made it a group activity with two of her younger sisters (K & G). We used two different approaches, but centered around the same core materials. Check out our tutorials below...

C's Crown Tutorial

What you'll need:

Step 1:  Take one of the long stem flowers and wrap it around your head to get the perfect size for your crown (this will be the base of your crown)

Step 2:  Once you've decided on the size use a clear stretchy string to wrap around the two parts you are connecting. (you will need to wrap it around a couple times before you tie a knot)

Step 3:  Use a hot glue gun around the parts of the stem you joined together for added support

Step 4:  Wrap the excess flowers sticking out by going under and over the base of your crown

Step 5:  Glue gun the two branches together as you wrap it around so it stays

Step 6:  Cut off any branches sticking out

Step 7:  Stick any other remaining flowers (or pick off smaller flowers from other arrangements) and glue it onto any empty spaces

et Voila! A crown fit for a queen!

J's Crown Tutorial

What you'll need:

Step 1:  Wrap the brown artificial vine around your head once, to measure the length you'll need (ensuring your placement is where you'd want your headband to sit on your head).

Step 2:  Cut vine at the measurement that works for you.

Step 3:  Remove a small fabric leaf from one of the artificial flowers and place vine ends in the middle of the leaf.

Step 4:  Place a small drop of glue where the vine ends meet. Push together.

Step 5:  Now add a little more glue along the inside of the leaf, and wrap tightly around the vine ends, like a burrito.

Step 6:  Once the vine is securely glued together, choose your flowers (simply pull the flower off the plastic stem) and place around your headband to decide on your layout.

Step 7:  Carefully, glue the back of each flower to the headband. (add leaves as you see fit, they can be removed from the stem as well)

Step 8:  If you want to add a little green, you can wrap the extra plastic vine around your headband and cut off any excess.

Now you have a floral crown to bring out your natural beauty!

If you loved our tutorials, have questions/comments, or have floral-crowned yourself already... please tweet us @FashionTMH.
As always, we love to hear from you.

DIY Lace Trim Shorts

Denim shorts will always be in style nowadays however, you won't just find plain denim shorts. There are tonnes of variation, printed denim shorts or denim shorts with printed pockets or lace pockets. I have yet to find a decently priced pair that I like so I decided to make my own. I used a pair of shorts that have gotten a little to short for me, and I haven't been able to wear recently. I thought I could add lace to the bottom, making it look longer, so I can wear them again. I actually had the lace lying around my house, but you can easily find some at your local fabric store.

Step 1: Measure & cut the amount of lace you will need to go around both legs, front and back

Step 2: Sew lace onto shorts (be sure to sew it from the inside out)

Toga! Toga! Toga!

          My roommate and I decided to throw a toga party during frosh week (a college right of passage). We watched a bunch of how-to-make-a-toga videos on Youtube and found that once you get the hang of it- togas aren't really that hard to make. It can seem daunting, but it just comes down to finding the best way to wrap the fabric around your body; You can wrap and unwrap until you get the look you want.

         To recreate my DIY look, which would be great for a Grecian Goddess Halloween costume, you'll need a single flat bed sheet, real or faux vines, some twine or rope for a belt, and a few safety pins.

          Instead of a traditional white toga, as my friend Teesha donned (pictured with me) I used a navy blue bed sheet. Once I got the look and shape I wanted, I tied an Urban Outfitters rope belt around my waist and wrapped some dollar store faux vines around it. I also made a little head band out of the excess vines by simply measuring it around my head and glue-gunning the ends together.


          Needless to say we had a great night and our togas were a big hit. Try a toga theme for your next party and don't forget to share your creations!

DIY Makeup Brush Holder

 For this DIY you will need:

1. A vase/ jar
2. Adhesive spray
3. Glitter

*You can find these items at your local craft store!

Step 1: Spray adhesive inside of the vase/jar

Step 2: Pour a little glitter inside the vase, and rotate until the entire inside is covered in glitter

Step 3: Shake out any excess glitter

Step 4: Let it dry for a couple of hours and...


Voila! You have a super cute & glitzy make up brush holder!

DIY phone case

So last Christmas I finally got an iPhone and one of the things I was most excited about was getting a pretty phone case. Unfortunately they can be expensive. And if you're anything like me, it's hard to find one you really like. I find that the harder cases are nicer but they always break on me. I prefer the gel cases because they last long and are easy to remove and put on. The one thing I don't like about the gel ones is that it starts to get dirty and slightly discolours. And I don't know about you, but I'm not about to keep buying new cases. So I had the idea of painting my old case with nail polish. It's great because if you make a mistake you can just use nail polish remover to fix it and if you get tired of the colours/design you can redo it. After I finished painting my design I used a top coat over it just to give it that extra shine and smooth everything together.

The colours I used for this from top to bottom are:

Essie Go Ginza

OPI Elephantastic Pink

Essie In the Cabana

Essie Play Date

Last Minute New Year's Eve Ideas

          Are you having a New Year's Eve Party? Did you forget to get decorations or were you unable to find enough at the store? Last year I decided to go to the dollar store on New Year's Eve assuming there would be plenty of decorations. I was sadly mistaken. I only found a few decorations and that was after hitting up 2 or 3 dollar stores. I did however pick up some other art supplies to make my own stuff. Here are a couple things I was able to make.

2013 Glasses

       
          Whenever I go to a 3D movie I always keep the glasses in the hopes that I may have a use for them in the future. And finally I do. I always wanted those New Year's glasses that I see people wearing on TV but I can never find them. So I decided to be creative and make my own using the 3D glasses from the movies.
For this DIY you'll need:   3D glasses/ sunglasses, glitter foam or construction paper, glitter, tape, a permanent marker, and scissors. 

Step 1:    Using your permanent marker draw out your numbers on the glitter foam (if you can't find glitter foam/paper you can use regular foam/paper and put glitter on it).

Step 2:    Cut out your numbers.

Step 3:    Use a little folded square of tape and stick numbers onto glasses!

Step 4:    Wear them!!

 

Party Hats

           A few years ago I was able to find these glittery hats at the dollar store and these big crown thing to sit on the rim of it that had the year on it. Unfortunately I couldn't find it this year so instead I wrapped a tinsel garland around it for extra holiday sparkle.

"Photobooth"

          Don't you love going to parties with photobooths and props to take pictures with? I know I do. So why not make your own? All you need is a plain wall to use as your background. I decorate mine with new year's banners etc  and I keep the hats, glasses and New Year's necklaces there for people to take pictures! All you need is a designated photographer, a camera and you're set!

Happy New Year everyone, party hard and be safe!

Homecoming

          September and October are when most of the universities (in Ontario, Canada) have their homecoming. It's almost always impossible to get a ticket for the football game, but there are always lots of fun activities during Homecoming weekend. And as the saying goes "Win or lose we still booze." Haha.. Not.

          At my school they always hand out Homecoming shirts, each year with a different slogan. Since my school's mascot is a gryphon one of the shirts handed out this year said "10 points to Gryphondor" (If you don't get the harry potter reference that's just sad :-p ). As to be expected, the t-shirts are the boring and basic style. So we, "we" meaning my roommate because I always mess up, cut up our shirts to make them look better. (Check out our DIY: Customize Your Top post for another version of this simple project.)

          For my shirt, we cut the neck and sleeves off and shortened the bottom. Remember, don't throw out your extra fabric, you can be creative and make something with it! I got a little creative myself and used the ends of the sleeves and neckline to make a cute braided headband. Here's how I did it: I braided in some yellow ribbon from my art box with the left over red fabric and tied the ends together with random fabric scraps. Sadly I didn't have my mini sewing kit with me so I couldn't finish it properly but still it worked and looked super cute!

Below are the pictures from Homecoming. I just threw on some face paint and red lipstick to go with our school colors (red, yellow and black):

              

                 Outfit No.1 with my friend Sadiya.

               She looks super cute in her homecoming gear!

Outfit No.2. 

Halloween Haunt

          Happy Halloween everyone! Halloween is one of my favourite time's of the year. If you're like me and hate spending money on a new costume every year, which can be expensive, then here's a chance to get creative!

          I feel like girls feel obligated to dress really scandalous (like in Mean Girls), and let me just say there's a way of making your costume look cute and girly without looking like a total You-Know-What. This past weekend I saw a girl wearing a bra and underwear with a police hat. Like, what?... Personally, I love getting crafty and showing off my creativity instead; This year my roommates and I decided to be road signs (don't ask me why, we thought it was funny).

          To make the sign all I needed was poster board, string, paint in red and black; It only took me about 40 minutes to make my costume. The sign on my back said "speed bumps ahead", unfortunately I don't have a picture of it, I can guarantee you that it was pretty funny though. I wore my signs over a black v-neck, and leggings and wore my cute new black wedges. I also wore this mint polka-dotted headband J bought me, just for kicks. I thought it looked cute, and everyone loved our costumes. My friend Fiona (on the left) also made her costume, she was a toddler in a tiara (if you can't already tell :p). She bought the dress, which came with the pearl necklace attacked to it, for $5 and the tiara and pacifier were bought at the dollar store. So both of our costumes totalled under $10. Happy Halloween.

P.S.  J and I would love to see what you guys are dressed up as for Halloween. Tweet us a pic @FashionTMH. xx

DIY: Customize Your Top

         

          Well it's froche week at my school, and this year I'm a leader; So not only do the freshmen get school swag, I do too. (Sweet!) I got a shirt from the residence hall that I lived in last year, but the only problem was the size: Large. Luckily, my roommate cropped it for me since it was too big and frumpy. Here's a guide to how she did mine... but for yours, make it what you want how you want it! Enjoy:

Step 1: Cut the sleeves off. You can cut the armhole depth to your preference so your bandeau or bra can show underneath. *CUTE-TIP: When cutting an item of clothing, do it little by little; That way you can gauge the look you want without making a huge mistake that you can't reverse.*

Step 2: Cut the collar to make it more of a relaxed neckline. 

Step 3: Split the shoulder tops so you can tie them into knots; This is a fun touch.

Step 4: You can cut the bottom to whatever length you desire. Crop it at the waist, leave it long, make it asymmetrical, high-low, or fringed. The possibilities are endless!

New York, I Love You.

          Oh how I love going into NYC. I usually make a day of it: Do some shopping or sightseeing and have dinner & drinks somewhere fun. Most of all- I take in the street fashion and the big city atmosphere. Plus a day/night in NYC is the perfect excuse to break out a new outfit, or a look I've been dying to try.

          The inspiration for my latest ensemble came from an Urban Outfitters catalog model, who wore a blue & white bandana as a headwrap with practically all of her outfits in the spread. She never matched, mixing prints and colors, and I loved it; I was officially inspired. I decided to go for an urban chic look myself, complete with a DIY headwrap, hoop earrings, and red lipstick. And I mixed 3 prints in total, but chose black as my tie-in color so there was a common thread.

Here's a break down of my outfit:

- DIY Headwrap... I was set on wearing a headwrap, but nothing I had worked so I had a bright idea: Make one! I simply took a swing tank from American Rag, laid it flat, folded it horizontally in about 1 1/2" sections until it was a long band of fabric, tied it around my head and double knotted it for a secure fit. I then readjusted my bun, so it wasn't too perfect and voila! A headwrap, made out of a shirt with no sewing or cutting necessary.

- Clothes... A sheer black tank with ditsy hearts embroidered all over (w/ black bra) and distressed denim boyfriend shorts, both from Forever21. And a Material Girl black & white striped cardigan/jacket.

- Jewelry... I went with a set of dark gold hoops, and black and rhinestone stud earrings. I added a long chained heart pendant necklace from Forever21 and two rings from JC Penney.

- Shoes... My black tube beaded sandals from Forever21.

J's DIY Jewelry

          DIY TIME!! For my first project, I wanted to make jewelry. So I chose to make a bracelet- which actually became two because they are just so fun to make. ;-] ... Here's what I used:

 

• 3 bundles of knitting/crocheting thread in black, bright aqua, and natural with gold accent. (I only used a small portion of thread) @ Walmart for under $3 each
• A clipboard from the dollar store; The stripes are so cute.
• Out of the 3 chains pictured, I used some of the silver and gold. (I still have leftovers) @ Walmart $1 each
• For bracelet # 1, I used a basic black button for a closure. Bracelet # 2 is in a wrap style.
• I also applied a bit of super glue to keep everything secure at the end. (Not pictured)

J's New Loves

DIY Project Materials & Decor Accents:
{Left to right, top to bottom}

- 2 Filigree print trays. $2.50 each on sale @ Target
  (Pictured with a tv remote to show scale.)
- 25pc Brush Set. $4.98 on sale @ A.C. Moore
  (I plan to use the thinnest brushes for nail designs and the thicker for normal painting.)
- Folk Art acrylic paint in Metallic Aquamarine. $1.89 @ A.C. Moore
- 2 interlocking wooden trays with double heart cutouts. $1.99 each @ A.C. Moore 
  (Once I paint them, they'll be a super cute way to store my earrings & bracelets)
- A Tumbler with an abstract design. $1.79 @ Target
  (Doubles as a decorative pen/marker holder)

Dream On

          Were you wondering how I made this modernized dream catcher blogged about previously? (See Crisanta's Room) Well here's a tutorial on how I made it with items found in my art box!


What You Will Need:

pipe cleaners       fishing line       artificial flowers       beads

scissors        feathers       glue gun       ribbon  


Step 1: Take 3 or 4 pipe cleaners and shape them into a circle then twist the ends together. I used a faux stick that was flexible, but pipe cleaners work just as well.    

Step 2: Wrap the pipe cleaners several times with a thick ribbon so it becomes very sturdy.

Step 3: Cut a long piece of fishing line and tie it to one end up your hoop.

Step 4: Bring the fishing line to the opposite end of the hoop and tie a knot.

Step 5: Keep doing this until your satisfied. If you want you can string on beads into it before you tie it to the opposite end.


Step 6: At the bottom of your dream catcher tie some fishing line so it hangs down and string beads and tie the end around a feather to secure.


Step 7: With a glue gun, glue some artificial flowers all around the hoop part of your dream catcher. 


                                                                    And now you're done. Say goodbye to those bad dreams and dream on!                                     

How To Make A Headwrap

Have you guys seen the headwraps at stores like Forever21 and Macy's? I know I have and now I'm obsessed. The couple that I have so far are beyond cute, I absolutely love them. But have you ever wondered how to make them? It's actually quite easy. Here are a few quick steps to help you make one, using scarves you probably have at home.

Step 1: Find a square scarf. The one I used is one of my moms old polyester scarves.

Step 2: Fold the scarf diagonally in half into a triangle.

Step 3: Fold the scarf over several times, so you end up with a long thin rectangle.

LOL I look like a maniac, don't mind me.

Step 4: Wrap the scarf around your head and cross the ends into an X shape. (pictured)

Step 5: Now twist your X around so the center is a tight twist. (The ends should overlap so they are the opposite of Step 4.)

Step 6: Simply wrap the ends around to the back of your head & tie a knot.

Step 7: Tuck the excess fabric underneath the headband to create a neat look.


Headwraps work with any hairstyle. Whether you plan to wear your hair down, in a messy bun, or in cute braid... you can't go wrong with a headwrap. Especially if it's homemade!

You can also make a headwrap using a scarf that's long, thin, and rectangular, instead of square-shaped. Skipping the folding step, go straight into wrapping it around your head, and then twist at the center.