I Heart Hearts

I am always searching for new prints and patterns to include in my DIY projects, but I always tend to go for my favorite: the heart shape. Because who wouldn't love to have a heart on there sweater? Or a pillow in the shape of a heart? 

I recently made a heart tights project, and immediately wanted to integrate the loving shape in more projects. So while searching for inspiration, I stumbled upon some pretty items that I want to share with you!

 

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6

Button Rings DIY

My supplies of buttons just doesn't seem to get any smaller. After making the Bow button shirt, I still had loads left. And because I've seen some button ring DIY's on Pinterest and Craftgawker, I felt like making my own button rings!

Here's how:

1. Get your supplies: Buttons, adjustable sizes rings, super glue, pliers.

2. Take the pliers and remove the ring on the back of the button. (If this doesn't work, you can also get a hammer and try to make the back as flat as possible.)

3. Put some super glue on the part of the ring where you want the button to be.

4. Place the button on the ring and let it dry.

All done!

Autumn Wishlist

The leaves are falling and the rain has made it's way into my daily life, so it's time to dream about the good things that autumn has to bring! The only thing that I like about this season is dressing for the occasion: hip rain boots, pretty gloves and being able to snuggle up on the sofa in a cute sweater :)

The above items are on my autumn wish list, some are to pricey but they've also inspired me for some new DIY projects.

1. Gloves | 2. Sweater | 3. Dress | 4. Rain boots | 5. Vase | 6. Hat | 7. Jacket 

Printing Leather jewelry DIY

I already posted a sneak preview on my facebookpage about this tutorial and I finally got the chance to share it with you! I am very excited about this tutorial, because I think it's one of my favorites so far. I've made many DIY's for my blog and I have enjoyed doing each and every one of them, but this one is something that I designed myself and am actually proud of! It's hard not to be critical about something you've made or designed, but this is the first time that I'm very happy with the end result without any 'buts' :)

The tutorial shows you how to transfer your favorite image onto leather. I took a picture of my cats head and placed it on a picture from by boyfriend. This way, my cat is wearing his suit!

So here's the fantastic tutorial:

Supplies:

T-shirt transfer paper | Leather scraps | scissors | iron | baking paper | jewelry accessories | something to make a hole in the leather

1. Design your image and get it in the size you want. I put the head of one of my cats on the body of my boyfriend :)  

2. Print the image on t-shirt transfer paper. 

3. Cut the shapes out.

4. Place the images, face down, onto the suede side of the leather.

5. Place some baking paper over the leather and the images and place your iron on it. Make small circles with your iron for about 10 seconds. (I know the transferpaper package says to hold it on longer, but the suede will darken or shrink if it's exposed to heat for a long time).

6. Remove the toplayer of paper from the images after it cooled down. If the paper still sticks to the leather, place the iron on the image for a couple more seconds.

7. Cut the shapes out of the leather.

8. Make a hole in the leather.

9. Apply the earring accessories.

10. Apply the necklace accessories.

All done!

 Pictures by Lana

Inspirational Tuesday

I just found the picture above on Pinterest via Elsie Larson of abeautifulmess and was immediately interested because the text on the painted carpet is Dutch! I discovered that the image is from Sukha, an Amsterdam based concept store. And I was very surprised (and a bit embarrassed) that I've never heard of it before, because the store sounds amazing! 

At the Sukha store you will find fashion, books, accessories, presents and unique handmade products. They sell items from their own label, but they also offer beautiful crafted items from other designers.

I definitely know what I'll be doing next time I'm in Amsterdam!

It's Sunday! Have a cup of tea

Shrinky Dink Rings

About a year ago I visited the Saatchi gallery in London. Besides having some incredible art pieces, they also have a very impressive store. They sell the best art books you can find, and a lot of accessories from some pretty amazing designers. That shop is where I stumbled upon these rings from Soop. I immediately fell in love with the concept of the ring and decided to try to make a version of my own.

I decided to make the rings out of shrinky dink plastic, because it's affordable and I don't really know any other way to make them :)

Here's how:

1. Print the free printable stencil. And cut out the ring out of cardboard like in image 1.

2. Design a shape that you want on top of your ring and cut that out of cardboard.

3. Trace the shapes onto the shrinky dink plastic.

4. Cut the shapes out of the shrinky dink plastic. Place the shrinky dink in the oven and follow the instructions on the shrinky dink package.

** Extra tip: My rings sometimes rolled op to much in the oven and would stick together. To prevent this, I wrapped baking paper around the ring before I placed it in the oven, this will put a little weight on the ring and makes it curl less.

I love fridays: DIY Roundup

It's Friday! And that means that I can spend the upcoming days starting new fun projects to spoil you next week with some new DIY's!

In case you also feel like crafting. You can check out my Tutorial archive, or follow some of the DIY's below from my fellow bloggers.

Bike Makeover by A Beautifull Mess | Friendship Ear Buds by crownhilldaybyday | Restyled Chair by designformankind | Cat Nails by transientexpression | Giant Paper Flowers by Ruche for designsponge

Painted Tights DIY

I recently made the amazing discovery that you can use textile paint on tights. I was so enthusiastic that I immediately started thinking of all the fun things that I could paint on them. I decided to go with the classic heart shape, because who doesn't like hearts right?!

Here's how:

1. draw a shape you like and cut the shape out of cardboard.

2. Put the tights on. Now place the stencil on your tights and fill it with a thick layer of textile paint.

3. When you paint the tights, be careful not to move your legs to much.

4. Let the paint dry. If you're as inpatient as me, you can use a blow dryer but be careful not to keep it to close. After the paint dries, gently take of the tights by peeling the heart parts of your leg. If there's paint on the part where you're peeling, then stop! It's not dry enough yet! Just let it dry a while longer and repeat the peeling process.

All done!

Inspirational Tuesday

                    

Scary Beautiful (Leanie van der Vyver) from Lyall Coburn on Vimeo.

As I probably mentioned before, I study theater design at the Utrecht School of the Arts. I am in my third year and I just started a new project with my class. 

I am very excited about this project, because we (me and my fellow classmates) have to make a theater play together. We have to do every aspect of it by ourselves, we are the producers, designers, directors, etc. It's pretty hard to make decisions when you're with 9 people and everyone has there own opinion. But one thing that we all decided on was to make our own shoes!

So I have been doing some research on what kind of shoes I would want to make and what effect that can have on the shape of your body. I found the video above when I was doing my research and I was fascinated by how much here entire shape and posture changes when she puts on those shoes. Not to mention how beautiful the shoes are.

I was very inspired and me and my classmates have made a shoe design based on our research, so tomorrow we are going to work on our shoes, how fun!

30 BEFORE 30: Go Paintballing

I guess I can say that I'm doing pretty well with my 30 before 30 list, because this is the third time in less then two weeks that I accomplished yet another goal!

I am proud to say that I can cross of number 6: Go paint balling

I went paint balling last weekend and it was a lot of fun! I am not very good at it and I was pretty scared, but I liked it anyway! It was like playing a very realistic game, which makes your whole body very aware of everything around you and gives you so much energy. I was completely exhausted afterwards :)

Here's me crossing it of the list:

Dress Shoe Restyle

I bought these shoes a couple of years ago for about 2 euros. I tried to spray paint them, but it failed miserably and I completely forgot that I had them, until I was cleaning out a closed.

I decided that I could easily restyle them with the help of some mod podge and nail polish. And this time the restyling project turned out great!

Here's how I restyled them:

1. Take the old shoes.

2. Clean them. I used acetone.

3. Place your shoe on a piece of fabric and cut around the shoe, give it a wide margin.

4. Cover your shoe with mod podge.

5. Place the fabric on the inside of the shoe.

6. Let the shoe dry.

7. Apply a second coat of mod podge and let it dry again.

8. Repeat the same process with the toppart of your shoe.

9.After everything dried, cut all the excessive fabric with a tiny knife.

10. Now get your nail polish ready.

11. Apply the lightest color of nail polish first. Let it dry and apply as many layers as needed.

12. Apply the second color and let it dry. 

All done!