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Posts Tagged ‘diy’
I’m a grocery bag hoarder. I go around grabbing free totes as well as purchasing them from supermarkets such as Village Grocer, B.I.G., and Jason’s Food Hall. Not that they ever go to waste; I keep a few in the car for work, food, or to throw baby stuff into, and I keep some at home for those same purposes. So I don’t believe that one can ever have enough grocery bags. That’s why, for today’s DIY post, I decided to make one out of a bolster case.
Most of the time, when I buy sheets in a pack, they come with two pillowcases as well as a bolster case. I don’t, however, own a bolster. Hence, they all sit in the closet collecting dust in groups of colors. Instead of letting them go to waste, I decided to repurpose them.
A lot of people use pillowcases for their projects, but I like bolster cases because 1) I can make two bags out of one, and 2) the drawstring on both ends of the bolster case allows me to skip making a closure for my bag. The first thing I did was to cut the case into half, and then stitch tabs on both sides of the cut seams to ensure that the seams don’t come apart from the cut. Then, just sew the newly cut line up to make the hem of your bag.
Next, I made a shaped template for my daughter to use as a guide to make a pattern onto the case. It was a fun process for her, and she managed to get them quite orderly! You can also make a potato stamp for this, but since I’m not very skilled at carving, I preferred using the template instead.
Now, the next step is quite simple, but I couldn’t photograph on my own. All you have to do is fold the upper part of your case down to a comfortable “flap” size. Once you’ve established your flap folding line, just cut slits on both sides of the case about 1″ down from your folding line. You must cut the slits right through to the other side of the case, as this will be where your sling will go. For the sling, I used a cloth belt that I had in my closet. You can just use a long strip of fabric to insert into the slits, or a belt like me. Tie a knot with both ends of your belt to secure in place.
And there you have it, a bolster case bag! What makes this one special to me is that my daughter made the patterns, and each time I use it on a grocery trip out, I am reminded to buy her something nice ;p I still have the other half of the case to make a bag out of, so I’ll get to it while you guys have a go at this! Happy DIY Wednesday!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, gift ideas, kids, mommy stuff, prints
Posted in handbags & gladrags, you say i say / No Comments »
       So sorry for the shortage of posts this week, we’ve been busy running around finalizing some new products and preparing for a big project that we’ve completely lost track of time! Still, we took a little time to DIY to ease our minds from the stress that has seemingly enveloped us and is squeezing us into an airless room made to torment claustrophobics with. Okay, I exaggerate… but I’m sure you’ve had those days. Anyway, back to they DIY. We bought some chalk paint, got busy painting some mini jars to organize our desks with, and now we have cute little chalkboard jars! Easy peasy! This would be the perfect customizable touch to your party treats or kids packs, although we must remind you to replace glass with plastic for fear of them dropping the jars!
Happy DIY Wednesday!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, gift ideas, kids, mommy stuff, party ideas
Posted in handbags & gladrags / No Comments »
While I was busy wracking my brains thinking what to make for today’s DIY post, I was reminded that hey, it’s actually Labor Day! Which means holiday! Which means no work! Which means I have the best excuse in the world not to post any personal projects up! Instead, I procrastinated many projects by stalking the non-procrastinators via Pinterest. And I managed to compile a list of DIY projects that would result in the best lazy day spent:
First, you need to make this hammock. What? You live in an apartment? Just add hooks to both ends of your balcony to hold your hammock – and your weight – up!
Then you need to make this dream catcher. Why? Because you’ll regret not catching your daydreams as they muse and muster amazing bubbles of thoughts that will cause a chaotically ingenious plan to conquer the world in style and design.
Then you will need breakfast….
…. and lunch….
… and a tea time snack …
… and dinner…
… and dessert…
… all served to you in one go (yes, one go) by this…
That completes my lazy list of DIYs. Now to find someone to make all of the above for me while I bask in the glory that is this lovely holiday!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, recipes, recommended links
Posted in he says she says / No Comments »
Black and white is fast becoming the most romantic coupling since, well, the last time they were. For the past few days, I’ve been noticing a cat shoe DIY floating around Pinterest, but now that I’m finally ready to embrace the cat-lovin’, it’s gone. Just like all sordid love affairs that were meant to be just never being, I was torn and shattered. Okay fine, it barely affected me. However, I really did want to make myself my very own Tom-like cat flats to skulk around in and loiter within the dim of everyone else’s shadows.
So I did it anyway, despite being a dog lover.
I started by digging out an old pair of black slip-ons I had lying around. I remember purchasing them on impulse, mainly due to the fact that they were only RM20 (think school shoes, but with a filtered edge). But I never got around to wearing them because it always came down to a fight between them, and a pair of black Comme des Garcons sneakers I’ve loved since I first laid eyes on them. The latter always won, if not out of loyalty, then out of fame.
Ignore the layer of dust on them… Will get them cleaned by rolling some cello tape around them after I turn them into shoes I’d love to prance around town in!
I started by taping a line of cello tape across each shoe. These would keep me from jumping over the line and making wrongs from rights. Yes, I’m feeling rather melancholic today as I write this simple post.
Once I was done painting white acrylic to the bottom part of the taped section, I pulled the tapes away and touched up any sections that may have seeped through the tapes with a thin brush.
 
All that was left to do was add the ears, eyes, and nose of each cat. And there you have it, cat shoes for the obvious dog lover! Why? – Just because sometimes, opposites attract in the most powerful of ways that nobody would, or should, try to comprehend. And though this tainted love affair will undoubtedly falter from the pressure of making sense out of fragmented pieces that don’t belong with one another, it will be a love affair worth wearing out…
Happy DIY Wednesday, peeps! A friendly reminder to stay away from the emo tunes!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, fashion, handmade, kids, mommy stuff
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As a small family that likes to travel, keeping our necessities organized and compact while maintaining easy cleanliness as well as durability is a daunting task. My beauty bag, which was once filled with beauty products and skincare, now fits four toothbrushes and a two travel size toothpastes. Because the bag wasn’t made for toothbrushes, it ruins the bristles and stretches the bag. The other issue I had were the water stains that came along with rushed packings in the morning to make it on time for hotel checkouts.
So today, I decided to resolve this traveling problem of toothbrushes, and teach you guys how to make your own towel toothbrush roll.
The most important item required for this project is a towel. You could opt for an old bath towel that needs a little saving, or some kitchen/hand towels that you have lying around. I found these argyle hand towels at Daiso, and decided to sew them together to form a length long enough for my toothbrushes.
The first thing you have to do is sew the towels together. Or if you’re using a long bath towel, just measure and cut double the length of your toothbrushes. I started with a line across both towels, followed by a flattened seam inside to neaten the seam.
The next step is to fold the bottom bit of the towel upwards, using your toothbrushes as markers. Once you’ve established your big pocket, pin the side seams together to keep that pocket in place. Then, take a few toothbrushes and line them up according to your required measurements. Since I normally carry four toothbrushes with us on trips, I decided to go with a balanced number of five slots (one extra for guests). Of course, you could make more slots, and the more you add, the tighter your pockets will become, keeping the toothbrushes from moving around.
Mark your measurements with a fabric chalk, and insert two long pieces of ribbon on one side of the roll. The ribbons will be your opening. Ensure that they are sewn only on one side and not the other, and align them on top of one another while sandwiching about 1cm allowance between your side seam. Now, sew the side seams together first (aka the big pocket) before sewing straight lines downwards to make each toothbrush slot.
  
To use your roll, simply insert your toothbrushes into their individual slots, fold the excess fabric down to cover the toothbrush heads, and roll the towel sideways towards the ribbon. Then just make a pretty bow, and you’re done! This DIY would also make a great gift for visiting guests, or as a kids slumber party pack. The best part is that the towel can still be used as a towel, and can easily be thrown into the laundry upon arrival home. No water stains! However, for art brushes and kitchen tools, a cheaper and faster solution to organizing them for travel would be to purchase our Tootsie Roll ^_^
Happy DIY Wednesday, and thanks for popping by!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, gift ideas, kids, mommy stuff, party ideas
Posted in he says she says / 2 Comments »
There is no shortage of successful DIY projects to be found on Pinterest and blogs, but what most fail to show is how they got to said success. However, today I decided to show you a DIY gone wrong.
Above is an image taken from my phone before everything shown ended up in the communal trash room. In an attempt to reuse some plastic containers salvaged from many Chinese New Year visits, I was going to post a tutorial on how to customize your old jars or containers with some silicone gel and spray paint. Prior to wanting to show the silicone gel as the chosen medium for this project, I had already ruined another container by using glue, as suggested by many Pinterest users. But the glue did not puff up as well, and fell rather flat. So I opted for silicone gel in a tube instead.
As usual, I’d snap pictures of the process, granted my hands don’t get in the way of the steps. The picture above was the calm before the storm. When it comes to DIY projects, I don’t believe that we should be spending extra cash running out to purchase materials when the purpose of the projects are to save you money. Hence, the spray was leftover from my other projects, and the silicone was also from my snow globe post.
At this point, I would be asking you to squeeze the silicone gel out in a cursive onto the container to form a word of your choice. Since my container had a handle and would make a great gift filled with treats, I opted for COOKIES in cursive. Silicone takes awhile to set, so you’d have ample time to clean up the rough corners with a cotton bud. In a rush to post, I used my fingers instead. I’d like you to note that that was a very mindless decision of mine, considering I’m typing at the pace of a lethargic snail going nowhere fast as a result of that decision and the gel slowly setting on my hands.
Once I had ‘written’ my word, I took the container out to the corridor to be sprayed pink. Alas, after countless coats of spray, the paint kept sliding off the plastic surface! But I wasn’t about to give up. Concluding that perhaps spray paint didn’t work as well on plastic, I ran back into the kitchen, and dug out a glass jar. And I followed all the same steps.
Truly believing that I had success in my sticky, silicone-coated hands, I gleefully carried my jar – this time labeled TIPS – outside to be sprayed. But to my dismay, the paint responded the same way against the glass surface; it slid off despite many coats and drying sessions. I was on the verge of tears from wasting two perfectly good containers, and at wit’s end trying to figure out what went wrong.
While this was supposed to be a quick and easy project, there are many things that went wrong. Firstly, I was using a lacquer spray, which isn’t the best option for spraying on plastic or glass and more suited for wood products. Secondly, to prove I barely glanced at the directions on the can of spray paint, I was NOT spraying from at least “30cm away from the article.” In fact, I was spraying so close that I was gasping for air and high on fumes within seconds. The spray would’ve worked and stuck better if I had been spraying at a further distance. Thirdly, I did not organize my steps well. In order to gain success, one must not cut corners and just “go with the flow.” Always do your research on materials before jumping into a DIY, especially if you’re actually purchasing the materials to conquer it.
While blogs and Pinterest are useful for inspiration, a lot of the projects shown may not work as well without the exact tools shown, or are edited to seem workable for the sake of a post. At the end of the day, always trust your instincts, and it’s okay to make a few mistakes along the way. If I hadn’t created such a mess, I wouldn’t have learnt to read disclaimers and directions as intently as I do now!
Happy DIY Wednesday, and I hope your DIYs turn out better than mine did!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday
Posted in he says she says / 2 Comments »
Easter is fast arriving, and we’re happily decorating some eggs to be hidden around our office for the little bag gnomes to find. Yes, we have bag gnomes that help us – with much enthusiasm, not pressure – to make great quality bags and organizers so that all of your bag needs are well taken care of. And what unappreciative hosts we’d be if we didn’t lay some eggs around (both chocolate and real) for our little guests and helpers to celebrate with? Granted, their bunny friends might find it odd that they’re associated with eggs, but nonetheless, they’d surely get the same kick and pleasure out of scouting for hidden treasures.
Anyway, it’s the school break, so if some of you moms are looking to entertain your kids, we’ve compiled some of our favorite Easter DIYs below that are a step above the basic egg colorings.
This is such a super easy project for the kids! Just print out or draw some bunnies on cards, and give them mini colored pom poms to stick as tails. Too cute! You can check out the full post via Poppytalk.
Quirkily unique and amusingly adorable, these photo print easter eggs via A Subtle Revelry would bring a smile to anybody instantly! This would also be a great idea as seating markers for the guests to run about looking at at an egg-related party.
If you’re looking for an affordable and simple project to bring some joy to the neighborhood kids, then we strongly suggest you check out Oh Happy Day’s bunny ear bags. Too easy, too cute!
Lastly, who doesn’t love a piñata? Even better, a bunny piñata? And what beats a bunny piñata? An egg treats-filled bunny piñata! This fun project by Studio DIY is a pull-only project that allows the kids to be, well, less violent to bunnies.
Tell us if you have some favorites that you would like to share!
Tags: diy, gift ideas, kids, mommy stuff, party ideas
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Placemats are really handy things to have lying around for DIY and craft projects, but it’s always hard for me to find placemats suitable to my taste: dark and grey. Hence, when I came across this grey placemat that resembled tweed from afar in the pasar malam (night market) for only RM3 per piece, I knew I had to purchase it for a DIY Wednesday post.
All you’ll need is a really cheap placemat, a sewing machine and basic sewing skills, and just whatever sewing materials you have lying around at home. I didn’t really plan this project… I just knew I wanted to make a clutch or envelope of some sort, and the rest just came along the way.
I started off by folding my mat to form my clutch, leaving a third of it for the fold over closure. You don’t really need to measure the fold, just go according to your own preference or judgement. Some of you might opt to do without the fold over flap, especially if you’re intending on using this as a slide-on cover for iPads or notebooks. The closure I’m going to show below works for either.
The next step would be to fold the corners of the clutch in. Again, no measurements are required. Just fold inwards accordingly, and pin in place. Once the first side is done, you can roughly estimate the other side. Do the same for both sides.
If you have any trims lying around, you can sandwich it between what are now your side seams. I opted for this faux zipper trim I purchased in Hong Kong, but you can also use ribbons, lace pieces, or just leave it plain.
Once you’ve trimmed all around your bag, you’re going to have to decide on your opening. The easiest and neatest opening would be a pop button or a basic button, both of which you can get done at your local haberdashery. However, because I wanted a unique closure, and because my clutch looks very clean cut, I decided to use some soft black elastic I had to create a ribbon opening. First, I pinned the bottom bit onto the clutch, and then I marked a slit to pull the ribbon through on the fold over. With a blade, I created a slit. You can do the same with a buttonhole, but due to the width of my elastic, the slit was ideal.
After that, all that’s left is to fill up your clutch with essentials.
 
And just like that, you’ve got your own unique and stylish clutch made out of a RM3 placemat! Seriously, this is such a quick and affordable project that you’ll find yourself obsessively making tons as gifts to friends, or even one for each day of the week! Let us know if you try this project out with your own placemat. Until then, happy DIY Wednesday!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, fashion, gift ideas, handmade, mommy stuff
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Canvas totes are fast becoming the best alternative to party packs. Instead of giving out the plain canvas bags as they are, why not jazz it up with a little help from a short scarf? I used a mini version of our Gin & Jacqie Tom the tote, along with a vintage scarf I had purchased on Etsy. I also made belt loops out of scraps I had lying around. Simply by sewing belt loops onto my plain canvas tote, I am now able to opt for a chic waste bag look with the use of the scarf, and I love the fact that it resembles an upscale gift bag. Of course, you can also achieve this without the belt loops, but I liked the ease of having them set in place rather than moving about whenever I did.
Now I can bring my tote out on those grocery shopping trips in style! Happy DIY Wednesday, peeps!
Tags: diy, diy wednesday, gift ideas, gin & jacqie, kids, mommy stuff, party ideas
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