Refashioned T-Shirt Gauchos Tutorial
In Megan Nicolay’s newest book titled Generation T: Beyond Fashion: 120 New Ways to Transform a T-shirt
Here’s how DIY:
1. gather 3 tshirts (l or xl), chalk marker, ruler, scissors, pins, needle thread and Megan’s book.
2. Turn your shirts inside out and cut two of the shirts into 15″ wide rectangles that extend through the bottom seam.
3. lay all four pieces together and cut off the bottom seams.
4. separate into two pairs of rectangles and pin along one side of each to create the legs of the gauchos.
5. Lay the pinned legs together and draw a gentle arc on each side to form the crotch of the gauchos about a 1/4″ from the edge and extending about 2″ long. Cut along the chalk line to finish shaping legs.
6. Open the panels and place them design side together, matching the curved edges and lining up the seams. Pin and sew with at least a 1/4″ seam allowance.
7. Use the third shirt to cut 2″ wide tubes of fabric from the bottom, just above the seam to create the waistband ties.
8. pin to the tops of the pants with an even amount of fabric hanging off both sides of the pants and sew on.
9. Turn your pants inside right and rock out! To wear, start in the front or back and tie the first panel around your waist like an apron. Pull the other panel up and tie to overlap. Now go show everyone how awesome your new pants are.
If you don’t want to make these pants yourself, pick up a pair in my Etsy shop. If you don’t see the ones you want, just convo me with your measurements and color preferences I’ll make them to order.
Filed under DIY, Tutorial | Tags: DIY, eco-friendly, Etsy, recycle, refashion, thrifty, Tutorial | Comment (1)I look like a doily (and I love it)!
As many of you who have read my previous articles no doubt know, I gave up purchasing new clothes and have committed to doing so for one year with my new friends at TGAAD. While I do still enjoy swapping clothes that no longer fit properly or are generally unflattering, I do try to hold on to my modest selection of clothes that I really love. This could be because they are extremely comfortable, make me look hot or have some sentimental value. I haven’t purchased any truly expensive clothes in years, so in the old days it is very likely that if I ruined a shirt with bleach or benzoyl peroxide (both of which happen with alarming regularity) I would have either relegated them to cleaning or workout clothes, donated them to Goodwill, or used them for trash. I certainly could refashion them into something else where the stains aren’t visible, but for this shirt, it was so comfortable, and the fit flattering, and worse… I had just bought it! In fact, it was one of my very last purchases of new clothes before I started TGAAD, so I was determined to keep it as is. I began thinking of ways to cover the stains that appeared on the neckline and on the front of my shirt. Apparently I was washing my face with my benzoyl peroxide cleaner again, even though I know I am not supposed to, and dripped some down the front of my shirt. grumble. I was not giving this shirt up to cleaning or working out, how could I fix it? I could make a patch, but it’s so light weight that it would likely ruin the drape. I could do applique, but the stain was in some pretty strange spots for attaching individual designs. Then, I go the idea… what if I just bleach it some more so that it looks like I totally did it on purpose? Eureka! So, I looked up online how to do this, and then after reading a few other blogs cobbled together a few ideas and came up with the shirt you see above. I found a cool doily that my mom had just given me (well, I rummaged from her pile of donations destined for the Salvation Army actually) and I cut out some cardboard heart shapes to cover the stain on the neckline to match the doily. I then mixed a 50/50 solution of bleach and water, put it in an old spray bottle, and went to town. I think it turned out really cool, and you can really see the detail of the lace. It looks a little hippie and a little handmade, but you know what; I love it! So file this in your bag of tricks for the next time you accidentally destroy a perfectly good garment and lace it up!
Filed under DIY, Tutorial | Tags: DIY, refashion, repair, thrifty, Tutorial | Comment (1)DIY Sweater Boots Instructable
I adore this instructable so I had to post it. Grab yourself an old sweater and a pair of flats from the thrift store or a clothing swap and make some fashionable sweater boots.
Upcycled Sweater Boots – More DIY How To Projects
Rethinking the Cotton Round
Photo: Sproutzstore.blogspot.com
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, the production of cotton uses a lot of water which is a valuable and dwindling resource. Shortages of fresh water worldwide lead to famine and starvation, war and terrorism, poverty and disease. In thinking about how I can do my part to help eliminate the unnecessary use of this precious resource globally I have been looking to reduce consumption of disposable products that I can replace with reuseable options. The first and easist switch for me was to stop purchasing new clothes and reuse fabric that I have available locally. Next, I began to investigate other household items that I could replace and while I was washing my face last night it dawned on me; cotton facial rounds! These little cotton pads are great for removing eye make-up and cleansing, but I use several of them each and every day. I thought,”surely, there must be some way to buy or make my own reuseable pads”. This morning I began to look for alternatives and was pleased to find that I can both buy and make my own easily and inexpensively. There are packs of Organic Reusable Cotton Face Rounds
Blown MTB Tube = New Wallet
bike innertube wallet – More DIY How To Projects
Love Your Swiffer Mop but Hate the Waste?
Ah, the new year. I enjoyed celebrating the coming of 2010 with friends and family in my home with lots of snacks and libations. Unfortunately I now have to begin the dreaded clean-up. Fortunately, I purchased my Swiffer Wet Jet many moons ago and use it weekly. I love my Swiffer because it is easy to use and I don’t have to fill or empty buckets of water and cleaning solution to use it for spills, etc. For a really thorough cleaning I still go with the old school brush and bucket method, but for a quick kitchen clean-up and those high traffic areas of wood floor in my home you can’t beat it. However, the refills are both expensive and wasteful. They don’t make compostable Wet Jet pads and they are made mostly of plastic, which means that they will be sitting in a landfill sometime for just about ever. On Instructables they have great tutorials on how to remove that pesky cap on top of the solution bottle so that you can refill it with your own inexpensive and environmentally-friendly cleaning solution like this one:
Lemony Eco-Friendly Floor Cleaner Recipe
1 gallon water
3/4 cups olive oil
1/2 cup rubbing alcohol
1/2 cup lemon juice
or if you would still prefer to pay more to purchase floor cleaner, but choose one that is environmentally-friendly you can go with any of the products listed at the end. The second tutorial from Instructables shows you how to make your own Wet Jet replacement pads from recycled tshirts. Finally, at the end there are links to the Wet Jet starter kit, if you haven’t yet purchased one, as well as links to green cleaning products that you can buy to refill the solution bottle. Happy Cleaning!
How to remove the cap on a Swiffer Wet-Jet cleaner bottle. – More DIY How To Projects
Swiffer Mop Pad (a reusable one!) – More DIY How To Projects
Products to Buy:
Recycled Tshirt Bracelet from Instructables
Recycled T-shirt Bracelet – More DIY How To Projects
DIY Christmas Card Recycling
Every year I get and save my Christmas cards so that i can reuse them for packaging and tagging gifts. This year I found a handy gadget for quickly making tag-shaped tags here Uchida LV-SJCP74 Clever Lever Super Jumbo Craft Punch, Merchandise Tag
How to Make a Gift Box out of a Greeting Card
from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit
This is a great way to recycle old greeting cards and make little boxes for small gifts (or for storing small objects). This box is different from an origami box because it includes a top and a bottom. It requires only a few simple tools and supplies, and the result is charming and eco-friendly. Click any image to enlarge it.
Steps
- Gather your supplies and tools, listed below.
- Cut the card in half along the fold. The easiest way to make the top fit over the bottom is to make sure both halves of the card are the same size, so you may have to trim a little. You will use the colorful front of the card as the box lid.
- Decide how tall you want your box to be. This may depend on the design on the front of the card, or on how big the item is that you want to enclose. This demonstration uses 1 inch (25mm) for the top, and 1 and 1/16 (27mm) for the bottom. Add a little to the measurement for the bottom, so the top will fit over it.
- Draw a square in each corner of the top and bottom of the card, the size of your measurements. You can mark just the corners, making a square so you can see where to cut.
- Score the card all the way along all four sides, using the squares to give you the distance from the edge.
- Cut along the score line from the edge to the next, perpendicular score line in each corner, but do so for only one side of the square you drew. Leave one side of the box uncut to make a tab. Do this for all four corners of the card.
- Fold the sides up, and fold the tabs in.
- Glue each tab and paper clip it into place until it dries.
- Repeat the marking and scoring for the other half of the box.
- When your box is dry, place your gift or other small objects inside.
Tips
- It is important to add a little to the measurement for the bottom, so the top will fit over it.
- To score the card, take your dead pen or other instrument and draw along the ruler from edge to edge on the paper, pressing down hard enough to mark the paper but not hard enough to cut through.
- Alternate the way the tabs fold on the top and bottom, so they fit together a little better.
- If you have trouble getting glue to stick to the glossy surface of a greeting card, help it out with a little tape on the inside. Or use an emery board or small piece of fine sanding paper to very lightly rough up the paper to take the glue better.
- Greeting cards are available for all sorts of occasions. Use a greeting card that suits your occasion.
- Reuse is a great way to recycle.
Warnings
- Be careful with the compass, if you’re using an old metal version with a sharp point.
- Use scissors and other cutters with care.
Things You’ll Need
- a greeting card
- a ruler
- a pencil
- a pair of scissors
- something to “score” the card stock (the point of a compass, an old ballpoint pen that is out of ink works perfectly, as does the tine of a fork, a butter knife, or a small-gauge knitting needle)
- glue
- paper clips
Related wikiHows
- How to Make Placemats from Greeting Cards
- How to Fold a Paper Box
- How to Make a Greeting Card Envelope
- How to Make a Word Search Greeting Card
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make a Gift Box out of a Greeting Card. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Filed under DIY, Tutorial | Tags: Christmas Cards, crafts, DIY, eco-friendly, natural, recycle, thrifty, Tutorial | Comment (0)DIY Green Cleaning Products
I recently read a great article from WebMD titled, “The Best Non-toxic Ways to Clean Your Home” which talks about the rise of green cleaning products and the cheap, old-fashioned green cleaning products that were used by generations before. I was familiar with some of these already, but some are new to me and I wanted to share these with you:
| Household Cleaner | Instructions |
| All-Purpose Disinfecting Cleaner | 2 cups water (preferably distilled water)1 1/2 to 3 tsp. liquid castille soap1 tsp. tea tree oilMix ingredients above to store and keep. Add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to give it a pleasing scent. |
| Toilet Bowl Cleaner | 1 cup boraxPour into toilet bowl before going to bed. In the morning, scrub and flush. |
| Rust Remover | 1 limeSaltSprinkle a little salt on the rust. Squeeze a lime over the salt until it is well soaked. Let the mixture set for two to three hours. Use the leftover rind to scrub the residue. |
| Glass Cleaner | 1/4 cup white distilled vinegar1 quart warm waterMix ingredients above. Pour into a spray bottle or apply with a sponge. For lint-free results, wipe dry with crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels. Buff to a shine. |
For more great tips and advice on how to clean in an inexpensive and environmentally-friendly way, pick-up Clean: The Humble Art of Zen-Cleansing
Home-made Gifts: Bath Salts
My family knows that each year I’m good for home-made gifts. I’m not sure if everyone appreciates them, but too freaking bad if they don’t. My daughter and I really enjoy spending time together making crafty Christmas presents for friends and family and its less expensive, more eco-friendly and we really put a lot of love into it. Last year we made soap and cookies, which we cycle through every few years. This year I’d like to make some other bath and beauty products using natural ingredients for our friends and family to use. I really love bath and body products, but unless the budget has a lot of space I often don’t splurge on these types of presents for myself. So, here is the first recipe that I have found for bath salts. I plan to try this out in the next few weeks so that the essential oils really have time to soak into the salts. I’m planning on saving the glass jars that my favorite peaches come in to re-purpose for the packaging. I think doing a multi-layer colored bath salts might be fun too, just to give the clear glass packaging some interest. I’ll take pictures and post once I’ve got a few finished. Essential oils are easily purchased online or at most craft stores fairly inexpensively. Fortunately in Baltimore City there are lots of great shops where I can visit to test before I buy and there are many organic, all-natural options as well. So, get ready to start crafting for the holidays. Here are a few recipes that I found online so you can DIY:
My favorite is actually a link to another blog that shows you how to make lots of homemade bath and body recipes and I’m really looking forward to trying these:
Bath Recipes (Pioneer Thinking)
- Great ideas on creating natural scents including using Dr. Bronner’s soap
and beet juice for coloring.
Bath Salts (from Sherri Osborn on About.com)
- I have some reservations about the mess in my tub that the food coloring might make…I’ll be sure to do a test run before gifting…
Homemade Bath Salts and Decorative Jars (Jane Lake)
- Very thorough with free labels for decorating your jars
General Instructions:
1. Collect your jars, remove labels, then wash and dry thoroughly.
2. For most bath salts recipes you can use your choice of epsom salts or sea salt, with baking soda, if desired, or a combination of all three. One good mix is one cup of epsom salts, with 1/4 cup of sea salt, and two or three tablespoons of baking soda. A little more or less of each ingredient is fine for most bath salts. Epsom salts and sea salt are soothing for tired muscles, while both will gently soften the water for a luxurious bath experience. You could also add a tablespoon or two of finely ground regular oatmeal (not quick cooking) for silky, skin-softening water.
3. Fill each jar to the top with the combination of bath salts that you plan to use. Empty the salts into a mixing jar and add a drop or two of glycerin, if using. Add your choice of essential oil – how many drops you use is a personal preference, but start with two or three drops and see if you like the fragrance. The same goes for the liquid food coloring; sometimes I use quite a few drops of food color to get the strong hue that I like, but so far it hasn’t stained the bath tub or anyone’s skin. Remember that the color and fragrance will be much diluted in the bath water. Stir the salts vigorously until all ingredients are thoroughly combined.
For specific aromatherapy bath salts recipes, and how to decorate each jar, please see the individual instructions that follow:
I used a small canning jar for this project, with a screw top one piece lid. I also used only epsom salts, adding about six drops of mandarin essential oil and about six drops of orange food color. The lid is decorated with 1/2″ orange ribbon, cut in strips to cover the top. Coat the lid with tacky glue and lay the first strip going across the middle of the lid and extending over the rim just a little on both sides. Add ribbon strips on either side, each one overlapping just a little, until the top of the lid is covered. Take another strip and glue it around the lid rim, covering the edges of the top ribbons. Overlap the ends of the lid rim strip and glue down firmly. Cover these ends by making a small bow, then gluing it in place.
Screw the ribbon lid in place securely. Print out our free Mandarin Orange Bath Salts Labels and glue the front label centered beneath the ribbon bow, with the other label being glued to the back of the jar.
I used 1 cup of epsom salts, half a cup of sea salt, and a few tablespoons of baking soda for this recipe, adding 8 drops of lavender. (This one was for me, and I adore lavender – it made the bathroom smell heavenly!) Adjust the fragrance, just adding one or two drops at a time until you’re happy with it. Lavender is a difficult color to achieve with food coloring, I found, but I managed to get a lavender color that I liked by using far more red than blue.
To decorate the jar, thread lavender ribbon through the openings in an ecru doily, tie in place and make a bow. If this isn’t possible, use a rubber band to secure the doily in place, then tie the ribbon over it. Print and cut out our free Lavender Bath Salts Labels then glue in place to finish the jar.
Use only sea salt – either fine or coarse, or a combination of both, for this recipe. Add an essential oil that reminds you of the sea – I used sandlewood. A drop of eucalyptus might enhance this mixture. Jasmine would also work well. Add drops of blue food coloring, if desired, either to all the mixture, or just half, so you can funnel white and blue layers into the jar.
For the nautical rope decoration, take 3 lengths of household twine, each about 3 feet long and braid them together. Coat the jar lid with tacky glue and, in the middle of the lid, start twisting the braid around itself in a spiral, pushing the flat side of the braid firmly into the glue. Go right over the lid edge and around the rim, adding extra glue to secure the end. Make another braid to decorate the bottom of the jar in similar fashion. Take this braid up the jar about an inch or so, then secure the end at the back of the jar.
Print out our Bath Salts from the Sea Gift Jar Labels, coat with glue and stick firmly to the front and back of the bottle. Take a single strand of twine and glue it around the front label. Tie another single strand of twine in a bow around the neck of the bottle.
Patchouli oil has a sensual woodsy aroma, valued for its tranquil calming effect and long-lasting intense fragrance. Add sparingly to epsom salts, sea salt, or a combination of both. Color the bath salts green with food coloring, add glycerin, if using, and bottle.
The rope decoration is simple. Just coat the jar lid with tacky glue and begin to spiral a single strand of household twine around the top and down the sides of the lid. Do the same at the bottom of the jar, bringing the twine up the jar to a depth of about an inch. You can use extra glue on top of the twine if it is necessary to make it secure; the twine absorbs the glue, which then dries clear. Fashion the handle by tying a double strand of twine tightly around the neck of the jar, then twist the strands loosely together, looping them over the lid top, and back to the other side to knot in place. Print our Patchouli Bath Salts Gift Jar Label and glue to front and back of the jar to finish.
