Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diy. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Peacock Costume DIY

{Madame Peacock}
 Hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! Let me start off by saying that this post is so late already but it is one of my favorite holidays, so better late than never, right?  I chose a Peacock this year because I love the colors and the design of the feathers. To me, Peacocks are such glamorous birds! And I-love-glamor!
Originally, it was my full intention to go all out  because last year I threw on some cat ears and a tail and called it a night. It ended up that I was in the process of finalizing some moving plans, so I ran out of time to do something super elaborate. It did turn out so cute though! Read below on some tips on how to make your own Peacock costume!

Peacock Costume Inspirations

www.halloweencostumes.com $199.99 (yikes!)
Fredrick's of Hollywood Mask $59
Super cool peacock eye make-up!
Had I purchased the exact costume and mask I wanted, I would have ended up spending over $250. Last I checked, I still haven't won the lottery. My hand-made costume ended up costing me approximately $30. I already had a black corset & fishnet thigh-highs previously purchased from Fredrick's of Hollywood years ago and I also had  ruffle bloomers from Hot Topic.

Peacock Mask How To:
I purchased the following supplies from Michael's: 
  • 1 peacock feather pick (not shown in picture)
  • 1 set of black masks (3 pack)
  • 1 spool black ribbon trim
  • 1 box of multi-colored and sized gems
  • 2 glitter glues (silver and black with green)
  • A bag of small black feathers
  • Glue Sticks for my glue gun
  1. I started off by drawing the outline for the shape of the mask I wanted and then cutting. You can't tell in the picture, but the eye holes were too far apart for my eyes so I also had to cut the holes wider and in the shape that I wanted. 
  2. I then glued the ribbon trim (you can use fancier trim if you want to pay extra) around the outer edge of the mask with my glue gun.
  3. I strategically placed and glued 6 white medium sized gems to the mask.
  4. I removed the elastic head wrap and used the ribbon trim instead because it was prettier and I could adjust the tightness. 
  5. With the silver glitter glue, I outlined the gems and drew wavy lines across the top and bottom of the mask. It was a little too silver so I then followed up with the black/green glitter glue over the silver but in a thinner coat. I also placed small consecutive glitter does on the actual ribbon trim to make it more glamorous. I set aside the mask to let it dry.
  6. The peacock feather pick I purchased was beautiful and already in perfect shape to be placed on the side of the mask. I embellished it with some additional (about 4) black feathers that I glued to the front and of the pick. I cut the extra wiring off and glued the pick to a barrette that I had. I wanted the peacock feather pick to also be a hair piece that could be removed from the mask and placed in my hair when I got sick of wearing the mask. I finally glued on large aqua blue gem to the bottom of the pick so you couldn't see the wire and to add a little more sparkle.
  7. When everything was dry I clipped the peacock barrette to my mask and voila!



Tutu How To:

Tutus are so EASY and fun to make! I just followed this simple tutu tutorial from the Idea Room. Spools of tulle and elastic can be purchased at Michael's or Joann's. I purchased 3 spools: black, black sparkly, and olive green organza (not tulle). 

Tail Feathers How To:
  1. Peacock feathers are easy to find at craft stores such as Joann's and Michael's. I purchased a set of 5 single feathers from one Michael's and then when I realized they were too sparse,  I went out to get more. I found an awesome bunch of  peacock feathers on a large pick at another Michael's, so I bought 2 of those bunches and 2 small green feather picks that matched but were not peacock style. 
  2. I used left over tulle on the spool and measured out enough that I could tie around my waist. I used a glue gun to glue the feathers in a fan-like shape onto the tulle so they would stay up and then I could wrap around my body. I glued the feather to the middle of the tulle so I could tie the loose ends together around my waist. Tip: If I could do it again, i would not fan them out as much because at the party, people were accidentally bending or breaking my feathers if they got to close. You can also add feathers to your corset or around the top of your corset for a more detailed look.


End Result:
Shake a tail feather!
Happy Halloween!


Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Vacation Inspired ~ Handmade Cards

This summer I had the privilege of vacationing in Europe with my husband for my birthday and our one year anniversary. We spent two and a half weeks visiting family in Romania and one AH-mazing week in Italy (Rome & Florence). On a side note: I absolutely LOVE Italia... I would love to move there for a year... it is incredibly romantic and rich in ancient history. 

I was your average tourist snapping away at EVERYTHING, and I am so glad that I didn't miss a shot! When I got home and went through my photos, I was blown away at how beautiful they turned out. I'm no expert at using my Canon Rebel EOS, but I'm learning slowly. I edited the photos via Picnik, a Picasa Web Albums software, and the pictures turned out so well that I decided to make handmade cards for friends and co-workers. They were so well received that I will be selling them soon on Etsy.com! I am so excited to share them with you...

This is an edit of the photo:
A street shot in Rome

Supplies: double sided tape, developed photos, and 4.5"x6.25" (A6) folded cards


A photo of my grandmother's house and flower from Tobolui, Romania


A few samples of my cards:


Wednesday, August 3, 2011

A Birthday Dinner Soiree

A few weeks ago I threw a little Birthday Dinner Soiree for my dear friend, Christina. I wanted to do something cute and simple that gave an aura of *happy*...  and I think it ended up being just that. Some pointers on how to create your own birthday soiree:



I got a little creative with Photoshop and added a little 'happy birthday' message. Also used tissue paper for the top, instead of a present bow.


How to: Mini Hamburger Sliders
I am no cook; have no love for it, and anyone who knows me can contest to that. However, since I love party planning and entertaining, it kinda comes with the territory. So like everything else, when I put my mind to it, I CAN do it! These sliders came out delicious by the way!!

 Recipe for Sliders (makes 24 sliders):

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds ground beef (or get 3 packs of 8 piece mini beef patties from Trader Joe's)
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/2 cup horse radish sauce
  • 1/2 cup spicy brown mustard
  • 6-7 slices of Havarti Cheese
  • 24 dinner rolls, split (or get 3 packs of 8 piece mini hamburger buns from Trader Joe's)
  • 1/2 cup sliced pickles (optional)
  • I bag of spinach (with a vinaigrette dressing)
  • 24 olives and toothpicks (for garnish)

Directions

1) Set patties in frying pan on medium heat. Sprinkle lightly with pepper and salt.* Fry 3-5 minutes on each side (timing depends on cooked meat preferences). If you do not have mini slider patties, you can section the meat off and then use cupcake liners to make it round. Flatten so they are 1 inch thick. 
*You may add seasoning to patties, garlic, onions, cheese, etc..
2) Cut Havarti cheese slices into 4 mini squares.When patties are almost done, place a cheese square on top of the patty to melt.
3) You may toast the bun if desired.
4) To make special sauce: mix mayo, ketchup, mustard and horse radish sauce in a small bowl. Add a spoon of special sauce to one side of the bun.
5) Place patty with cheese on bun. Add a few spinach leaves to the top (the spinach with dressing is yummier).
6) After slider is set in place, add olive at the top with toothpick through the top bun. 
7) For sides: sea salt & pepper potato chips (Trader Joe's) and spinach salad with a vinaigrette dressing.
The *happy* birthday girl
The cakes: courtesy of Mirela & Camelia
How to: Table settings
I purchased 7 scrapbook 12x12 printed sheets to use 6 as place mats. You can laminate these to have permanently but I did not have the time. With the last sheet, I used it to cut 1" strips and then I cut the strip in 1/2 in the middle and rolled the strips around the napkins with forks. A cute matching table setting idea for cheap :)

Monday, July 18, 2011

Free Cards & Invitations Downloads!

I really like receiving cards and LOVE giving them out... i.e. birthday, thank you, or just because. And equally love making & sending invitations. I know most people get these paper goods and may toss them, but I usually save mine {the cuter ones}. But let's face it: stationary is expensive! $3.99 for a birthday card?! You've got to be kidding me; with this recession and knowing that 80% of my friends toss my thoughtful cards and invites, I had to come up with a more cost effective solution. I searched blogs (mostly the How About Orange blog) and have compiled some FREE cards and invites for you to download! 

All you need is: a color printer and a ream of card stock white paper (avg. $15 for 250 sheets can be purchased at any office supply store, Target, or Walmart)

INVITATIONS
HGTV just posted some free downloads on their site. There are several designs but here are just a few of my favs. Save the PDFs onto your computer, add text via Photoshop or hand write, print & cut out!

THANK YOU CARDS
These have got to be the cutest DIY {Thank You} cards I've seen by Do-It-Yourself Invitations Blog. For these you'll need double sided tape or any glue. If you are savvy at Photoshop, you can replace the 'Thank You' text with 'Happy Birthday' !
My card! Easy as 1-2-3!
Cottage Industrialist Blog Card


BIRTHDAY CARDS
 GreetingIsland.com allows for you to enter the text and print out the greeting cards.

 Hey Susy Blog Printable Card:
 MISC CARDS
 Umm... how cute is this stationary? From: Eat Drink Chic Blog

Note Card from: MUFN Inc

Invite or Misc Card from: ISLY Blog


WEDDING INVITES, SAVE-THE-DATE, LABELS, ETC
The Wedding Chicks Blog has lots of freebies and I thought I would throw in this site for anyone who is getting married because it is AWESOME! They have an online template where you just plug in your info, pick your colors and... voila! You get a custom stationary template! I would save the file and take it to a professional printing location such as Kinko's for printing.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Father's Day {last minute} Gift Ideas

Every year I have to rack my brain to think of something sweet and meaningful besides the usual card. Here are some fun and creative ideas from MarthaStewart.com...
  
Cut a piece of 2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon 3 inches longer than twice the height of the book; snip a point at each end to prevent fraying. Sew a 1 1/2-inch-by-2-inch photograph to the ribbon by hand-stitching each corner. You might offer the bookmark with a new novel, wrapping the book with colored tissue paper and tucking the bookmark between two pages. Finish the gift with a simple ribbon or string.

    
 



Supplies:
  • Maps
  • Cutting mat
  • Round cork coasters
  • Craft knife
  • Foam paintbrush
  • Glue sealant, such as Mod Podge
Steps:
  1. Use brush to apply glue sealant to one side of coaster, covering completely. Adhere back of map circle to coaster, smoothing to remove bubbles.
  2. Brush top and sides of coaster with a thin layer of glue sealant, and let dry. Repeat to make a set.

      
My friend Kristin, who recently posted about a free vintage artwork website on her blog, gave me the idea of printing out a vintage picture of my dad's favorite animal: the horse. I will be framing it for his desk.  I found this one and think she's sexy and the perfect fit for my dad. He had one just like her named Doina, back in Romania.


I had a little time on my hands so I got my dad something he needed for his business. And I will be buying him a book and making a photo bookmark of Leo, my dog.

Executive© Personalized Business Card Holder $19.95 on sale Personalizationmall.com