Two of the best things about knowing how to make your own earrings, is that you can customize them any way you wish and you can save yourself money in the process. A great way to make new earrings is to create them from items you already have in your home. Since spring is coming, you can make a pair of flower shaped earrings to celebrate the season.

What you’ll need:

• Jump rings
• Earring hooks
• Cardboard
• Patterned paper
• Needle nose pliers
• Mod Podge
• Pen
• Small hole punch
• Marker
• Scissors

Step 1. Use Mod Podge to attach patterned paper onto a piece of cardboard. Flatten it out to eliminate the air bubbles, then give it ample time to dry before moving onto the next step.

Step 2. Draw two flowers onto the back of the cardboard, then use the scissors to cut them out.

Step 3. Use a small hole punch to make a hole on the edge of one petal.

Step 4. Choose any size jump rings you wish; I opted for the larger ones. To pry open the jump rings, use needle nose pliers.

Step 5. Hook the open jump ring through the hole in the petal. Before closing the ring, attach an earring hook to the jump ring, then use the pliers to choose the ring.

Step 6. Use any color marker you wish to color in the center of the flowers.

The mornings are crazy, everyone rushing around to get ready for the day.  These bracelets can help the kids remember things without mom nagging. A simple reminder on their wrist will help them bring the stinky bag of gym clothes home or return the library books before they are overdue.  The  new season brings new sports, it might be hard for the kids to remember when practice is. Also, a way to help with a change in schedule, like “Don’t ride the bus” because mom is picking the kids up after school.

Supplies:

• Letter Beads
• Beads
• Stretchy Bead String

Tools:

• Scissors

To start this project, pick the message the bracelet will have. Choose the letter beads and decorator beads. Next measure around the wrist of the child with the stretchy string, do not stretch it while measuring. Cut the piece just a little longer than needed. String the beads on making sure there is enough decorator beads to go all the way around the child’s wrist. I finish by tying the 2 ends together with a square knot, right over left, left over right. The first part of the knot – right over left – is where I pull the string just enough to stretch it a little. When done the bracelet should have to stretch a little to get over the child’s hand then be snug at the wrist. Trim the excess string off.

The goal for these bracelets are to not fall off while playing at recess, if that happens then the remembering part is gone as well as the bracelet.

A great project for the kids to help with over spring break. The end of the year is coming and all thoughts go to summer not schoolwork. An added bonus if you use really colorful beads others might notice the bracelet and ask about it, making it more effective, because the child will explain and remember, score!

My daughter is an Irish Step Dancer and March is a crazy month for us. We have two St. Patrick Day parades to partake in, so I needed something festive to wear. I love the mini top hats and thought I’d share this tutorial on how to make your own at home.

Mini Top hats are also popular for Steampunk costumes too, it’s all in how you decorate the basic shape.

Today, we are going Leprechaun!

Supplies:

Toilet paper or Paper Towel Roll
Cereal Box
Ribbon
Headband
Glitter
Felt
White Paint / Green Paint
Thread

Optional:

Stickers
Crystals
Other Decorations

Tools:

Pen
Craft Knife
Scissors
Brush
Glue
Hot Glue Gun
Needle

The first thing to do is cut open the cereal box to get a flat side. On the inside (non printed side) of the cereal box trace around the paper roll. This will make the center of the brim of the hat. Next measure 5/8″ all the way around and draw that circle. Cut out the outside circle, then using the craft knife cut the cross marks on the inside circle. This makes tabs to glue the brim to the tube.

Next trace the roll again, this time measure about 1/4″ and make another circle. Cut along the outside line, then cut tabs to fold. This makes the top of the hat, the tabs insert into the tube to hold the top on.

Now, determine how tall the Top Hat should be. This hat is 1 1/2″ tall, carefully use the craft knife to cut the tube so not to smash the roll.

Using the Hot Glue Gun, attach the brim by folding the tabs up and placing the tube over top. Glue the tabs in place. This can be done with craft glue but  then the tabs should be clipped until the glue dries. The Hot Glue makes the project go quicker without drying time. After the brim is in place, fold the tabs on the top of the hat and glue the it in place.  

Once the hat is assembled paint the entire piece white or green. I painted mine white, then after the glitter I went in and painted the edge of the brim and bottom green. It wasn’t necessary, but I did not like the white edge. If the entire hat was painted green to start that would not be an issue, but the glitter will show up different with a dark background verses a white background. It’s up to the crafter to decide.

When the paint is dry, cover the hat with craft glue and sprinkle the glitter on. Let the hat dry completely, once dry tap off the extra glitter.

I decorated the hat by gluing a ribbon around the base of the hat. Then using stick vinyl, I cut 3 hearts out using a heart shaped punch. I stuck the hearts on the hat in the shape of a shamrock and glued a crystal in the center. I added another shamrock to the hat in the same way. This is where it can become any type of hat that you want.

Next,  cut a circle of felt and glued it to the bottom to make attaching it to the headband easier.

I made 2 ribbon bows and glued them together, then hot glued the hat on top of them. 

To attach the hat to the headband, first hot glue the ribbon/hat to the headband. Then make a couple of stitches around the headband making sure to catch the felt on the hat, secure the thread with a good knot.

Now - put the beautifully crafted hat on your head, drink some kind of ale and eat Bangers and Mash Or follow the rainbow to your pot of gold! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!!

Roses are one of my favorite flowers and there’s something truly beautiful about wearing them in your hair whether they’re real or fake. When you make your own rose clip, you can customize it in any color you wish – red, blue, yellow, purple – so you can have one in every color or pattern possible. It may look complicated, but it’s pretty easy to do, especially once you get the hang of it.

What you’ll need:

•  Red cardstock
•  Pen
•  Paper
•  Red tissue paper
•  Scissors
•  Mod Podge
•  Clip

Step 1. Cut out a small square from the red cardstock, then trim it so it creates four adjacent petals connected by a tiny square in the center.

Step 2. Cut a small triangle from the red cardstock, then trim it so it forms three petals in the shape of a triangle that are connected by a tiny circle in the center.

Step 3. Bend both pieces so the petals face upward, then use scissors to carefully curl the ends.

Step 4. Make the center of the rose by cutting a small rectangle from the red cardstock and rolling it tightly. Use the Mod Podge to hold it together.

Step 5. Glue the second piece inside the first, then the center piece directly in the middle.

Step 6. Make several singular petals from the red tissue paper. Use your fingers to slightly bend the edges.

Step 7. Dip the very tips of the tissue paper petals in Mod Podge, then carefully slide them in the flower to fill it out.

Step 8. After the flower dries, lightly pinch it in between your thumb and pointer finger to expand the flower a bit.

Step 9. Glue it to the edge of your clip, then let it dry thoroughly before moving it. 

*This project will work best with a serger, but you can use a zig-zag stitch on a regular machine. The seam intentionally is showing on this scarf so make sure to follow the instructions, making sure your seams are on the RIGHT SIDE!

I had a friend buy me a scarf like this for my birthday and I loved it so much! I had to make one myself. Part of the fun of this project is finding a new way to wear your old stuff. I had a t-shirt that was too big, one that was too small, some extra fabric from making a skirt, and a couple of Goodwill finds that I used to make this gem. You can use any stretchy fabric, which means you could even throw an old polo shirt into the mix to add some texture.

I used 5 different fabrics, but you could use as little as 3; it depends on how big your shirts are, how many patterns you want to play with, and how big you are making your scarf.

Here’s what you do:

1. Cut 28 rectangles measuring 7 ½”H x 6″W (this makes a reasonably long scarf)

2. Divide your rectangles into 2 equal piles of 14 each. One will be for the front of your scarf; one for the back. Choose what order you want to place your fabrics for each side & pin in a line WRONG SIDES TOGETHER.

3. One side at a time, serge or zig-zag the rectangles together straight across. The seam should be seen on the RIGHT SIDE OF YOUR FABRIC!!

4. Once each side of the scarf is complete, pin them WRONG SIDES together. The seam should be showing!

5. Serge or Zig-Zag stitch all the way around the scarf.

Ta-da! Awesome new scarf!

My daughter is to the age where she has a couple of friends that she wants to exchange presents with. We are making our own cards and as an alternative to sugary treats we made little charms to give to her friends. I was wandering through the craft store and came across the Shrinkable plastic. A blast from the past, I had to make 100 swaps for a scouting event out of shrinkable plastic. The thrill of watching the large plastic cutout shrink down to mini size was fun for me then, it should be fun for the kiddo now. I was right, she was amazed at the process and enjoyed making these zipper pulls.

Supplies:

• Shrinkable Plastic Material
• Permanent Markers
• Color Pencils
• Image to Trace
• Lobster Clasp
• Jump Rings

Tools:

• Scissors
• Hole Punch
• Pliers
• Cookie Sheet
• Oven

If the plastic you are using is clear plastic and you want to use colored pencils, I suggest ruffing up the surface with a scotch brite pad or fine sandpaper. This gives the plastic a texture that will hold the color of the pencils. If you are using a permanent marker, then you don’t have to ruff it up.

To begin this project you need an image to trace or if you want to free hand draw the image that’s fine too. The image will shrink about 42%, if you design or print an image it will have to be about 3″ x 3″ to shrink down to a 1″ x 1″ finished piece. If you are using an image to trace, print it out and place it behind the shrinkable plastic. I trace the image with a permanent marker to create the outline for the little one to color in.

We used colored pencils for some and permanent markers for others. The thing with the markers are that they turn out so dark, so if you want something brown, try and use a tan.

Next cut out the image, I leave an 1/8″ to 1/4″ boarder then at the top where I want the hole I leave more space. Once the image is cut out I punch a hole using a scrapbooking punch it’s 1/4″ hole.

Now we’re off to the oven. Preheat the oven according to the instructions on the package and place the cutouts on a piece of parchment paper on the cookie sheet. Place in the oven and keep an eye on them, this is the fun part! They will shrink down, they may curl up a little if that happens use a toothpick to make them flat. In the instructions of the plastic it will advise you on all troubleshooting.

Once the cutouts have cooled, take a pair of pliers open a jump ring and insert it into the hole of the cutout. Then into the hole of the lobster clasp. Close the jump ring and you’re done.

This is neat project that the little ones can help with, by coloring them. Then they get the enjoyment of watching them shrink up. A useful gift, instead of sugary treats, and they can be clipped to book bags, jackets or even shoelaces. Have fun creating yours!

You know what I just hate? Losing a favorite earring. I can never let the singleton that’s left go either, because, who knows? Maybe someday I’ll find the lost one.

But probably I won’t. Which is why I’m so happy to have a way to use those lonely left-alones, one that is simplicity itself. You’re just going to move your remaining favorite earring from your ear to your collar!

This is what you do:

Just poke the earring through your collar, near the point, and put the earring back on it to hold it. Now, you may notice there’s a second cap in the photo above, a little white one. That’s one of those rubber stoppers they put on earring wires to keep them from coming off earring cards, or slipping out of your ears. You can use one if the earring post sticks out too far, to keep it from poking you.

That’s it. What was once a favorite earring is now a favorite pin!

Not sure what it is, maybe it’s because Valentine’s Day is near, but we are loving all things wedding right now! Of course we love when brides incorporate DIY projects into their weddings, it makes things seem so personalized and special. We are just loving the idea of a fabric corsages! They are just as beautiful, if not more, than using real flowers. What a fashionable gift/keepsake to give your bridesmaids or flowergirl! If you are not a corsage person, wear it as a bracelet!

Here’s a tutorial to make your own Fabric Corsage!

I love all the embellishments for clothing, bags, and other items being made from zippers these days, don’t you? Exposed zippers are a hot trend right now and this look is very easy to get. This is a simple flower pin to make, using just three things, plus a needle & thread:

• A brass zipper about 21 inches long; metal is best (I cut mine from a jacket I no longer wear) OR ZipR Trim
• A pin back or small circle of non-fraying material
• A “silk” leaf
• Needle & thread

Begin by separating the zipper into its two halves—simply unzip all the way, if it’s one that comes completely apart, or cut the stopper off at the bottom and then unzip it. Remove the zip-up thingy, which you won’t need. If you want, you can cut off the long straight piece at the bottom. If you leave it on, use that end to begin your flower.

Before you start working with the zipper, take your silk leaf, stripped off any supporting plastic veins, and stitch it to the pin back’s pierced disk or circle of fabric. You just need to do a couple of stitches in the center, as the stitching to attach the flower will add more stitches to it, too.

My flower has five petals, and I found that about 3″ of the zipper was needed for each one, so I put a dot every three inches, and then just “stacked” the dots. Begin like this:

Then just continue looping. It’s very like making a bow for a package:

Every so often, stitch down through the stack and pin disk to fasten the petals in place. That way they won’t get away from you.

When you have about 6″ of zipper left, start rolling the center of your flower, beginning at the free end of the zipper.

As you roll, take stitches to keep everything in place. When the zipper’s completely rolled up down to the petals, stitch it to the center of the flower, going through the pin disk or fabric circle as you work. Fasten off the thread and cut, and attach the pin’s back piece to the pierced front part. If you’ve used a fabric circle, you can sew a safety pin on the back now; make sure the pin is off-center, near the top edge of the circle, so that the pin doesn’t droop forward.

You’re done! What will you wear your pin on?

I was left with a small piece of scrapbook paper after using the majority of it, and loved it so much I wanted to immediately use it for something else. I got a wooden bracelet and combined the two, which allowed me to reuse excess materials and wear something that looks unusual. The mix of bright and dark colors works with a variety of outfits and makes the accessory stand out.

What you’ll need:

• Wooden bracelet
• Mod Podge Hard Coat
• Scrapbook paper
• Scissors

Step 1. Cut the scrapbook paper into thin strips. The length depends on how wide the bracelet is. Measure it by wrapping a test strip from around the outside of the bracelet to the inside where they’ll overlap; trim the excess. As far as the width, the pieces are going to overlap, so factor in that only half of the width of the strip is going to show. If you want more of each strip to show, cut wider strips; cut them thin for less to show.

Step 2. Apply Mod Podge to the outside of the bracelet and only on an inch at a time. Put each paper strip down overlapping over half of the piece you applied before it. To avoid creating bumps or creases, pull each strip taut, then place it down with the ends hanging over either side of the bracelet. Do this around the entire bracelet until you’re back at the beginning piece.

Step 3. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on the inside of the bracelet. Use your finger to apply Mod Podge onto the ends of the strips and press them to the inside of the bracelet. Work your way around the entire bracelet, then do the same for the ends on the other side; overlap the two ends on the inside of the bracelet. Let it dry thoroughly before continuing.

Step 4. Place the bracelet over your four fingers to keep it steady while you work on it. Apply a layer of Mod Podge onto the outside of the bracelet, smoothing down all the pieces as you go along. When the bracelet is completely covered, hang the bracelet on something straight to let it dry. I hung mine on a single chopstick and put either end of the chopstick on two containers leaving space in between so the bracelet can hang freely without knocking into anything. After it dries, apply another coat of Mod Podge.

Step 5. Before moving the bracelet, test it with you finger to make sure it’s completely dry and doesn’t feel tacky. Give it plenty of time to dry thoroughly before wearing it.

I usually only wear my wedding ring but it’s nice, at times, to have something pretty for my other fingers and this initial ring is just the thing.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 12 gauge wire
• Wire cutters and shapers
• Scrap paper and pen
• Pen or marker about as big around as your finger

1. On the scrap of paper, write the letter you want in cursive.

2. Cut a 5 inch piece of wire.

3. Using your wire shaper, bend the wire to follow the shape of the letter.

4. Center the letter on the pen and wrap the ends around so that they overlap by 1/2 inch. Trim off the excess and smooth the ends.

5. Crimp at the places where the wire crosses to accentuate the letter.

6. Slide on your finger to adjust the size.

Rexlace bracelets are not just fashionable, but also incredibly functional for those who are often outdoors, and even those who often are not. Rexlace can be unraveled from the bracelet in case of an emergency to fish, create an outdoors shelter, use as shoelaces, or even temporarily fix a fan belt. The bracelets are simple and inexpensive to make. Additionally, the Rexlace can be used to make key chains, dog collars, or belts.

Begin by purchasing Rexlace. Generally, at least eight feet of Rexlace is needed for a bracelet. It is often sold by the yard or in a bundle; buying a bundle tends to be more cost effective and leaves room for mistakes or extra projects. Also, purchase clasps to use to close the bracelet. Two tiny carabiners or a set of side release buckles is ideal.

To start:

1. Measure the length of the wrist. This will determine how many feet of Rexlace to cut. If the wrist is eight inches, cut eight feet of Rexlace.

2. Fold the Rexlace in half. Attach one of the clasps to the fold by taking the looped/folded end through the clasp. Take the non-looped ends and thread them through the loop. This should create a snug knot to secure the clasp.

3. Take the second clasp piece and thread it onto the loose ends. If the wrist is eight inches, the buckle should rest about nine inches from the other clasp. (It’s good to leave room for slack). Do not tie this clasp down.

4. Now hold the clasp that is not secured firmly. This will be the end that the knotting will begin. Essentially, there should a straight length of cord from clasp to clasp, and then two lose ends that are threaded through the second clasp.

5. Take the left loose cord (cord 1) and cross it below the two straight cords (cords 3/4) at a bit of a right angle. This will create an opening on the left side. Take the right cord (cord 2) straight underneath cord 1 and then cross it over cords 3/4 into the cord1 loop that was created on the left side. Pull both cord 1 and cord 2 snug. This creates the first knot.

6. Repeat this now on the other side by taking cord 2 underneath cords 3/4 at a right angle. Cord 1 will go underneath cord two, then up and over into the loop.

7. Alternate sides until there is no more cord left.

8. Cut one side of any excess loose cord and use a lighter to melt it. This will seal the cord down and prevent the knots from coming lose. Repeat on the other side. Be very careful, as the cord will be hot. Use the scissors or a knife to hold the cord down if needed to ensure it seals to the bracelet.

For other projects, simply measure the inches needed and convert this into feet. Be creative and use different colors of cord and clasps.

A window and a piece of cardboard is all you’ll need to take pictures of silver jewelry with brilliant, even tones.

Move a table as close to a window as you can.

Make sure that the top of the table is a higher than the window sill.

Tape a piece of tracing paper to the window. Sunny or cloudy skies, the paper will make light coming in to be even and soft. Hang the paper so it goes down below the table.

When using white paper as a background put something white underneath to avoid the table coming through making it look dark.

I used a 2′ x 2′ piece of foam board to bounce back light from the window, you can use anything that stands upright without bending. A piece of cardboard covered with sheets of white paper will work great.

Light will reflect from the white card and from the white surface as well.

Silver is like a mirror, it shows whatever is around. The light and white paper will reflect on the metal making it look light and shiny. Pendant, a courtesy of Roxy’s Jewelry.

If you pull the white card away from the window it will create a dark area that will also reflect on the jewelry.

Different tones of silver make a picture have more depth. You may like the way it looks, or you may not. If you prefer the silver to have even tones make sure that the card is flashed against the window.

However, if you do want your background to have a gradation of tones try replacing the white card with a black one. Blocking the light will create a shadow with a clear edge.

Then you can play placing your jewelry where the background shifts from light to dark to see what happens.

Every other week we post a new product photography tutorial showing how to take at home the pictures we create at the Via U! studio.

Playing with clay was one of my favorite activities as a kid. I could make a dinosaur, dog, palm tree, whatever my little heart desired. Now as an adult I have a little more dexterity, and I want to work with polymer clay. I love the intricate details you can add with polymer clay.

Since I was trying a new skill, I went to YouTube to find some video instructions. I started with polymer clay bead tutorials because I love beads! I wanted to learn some basic techniques for rolling, cutting and adding details to the beads.

This first video shows how to mix and roll clay to make marbleized clay beads.

I need to get a clay pasta machine! This video shows how to shape, add embellishment and add the beading hole to your clay.

Art materials really are “where you find them”, and that sometimes includes the makings for some really cool jewelry. Take the bag of goodies above, for example. Can you identify all those little rings? If you can, you get top prize for Geekdom today—they’re parts from defunct computer hard drives! If you’ve got dead hard drives lying around, these are reason enough to disassemble them. If not, look for a place like our own Free Geeks, here in Portland, Oregon, where you can buy them by the pound.

I’ve had them sitting on my desk for nearly a year, waiting for inspiration to strike, and it finally did. Below are instructions for making two necklace pendants and a pair of earrings.

For the first necklace, you’ll need:

• Two perforated hard drive rings, matching or not
• Silver wire, 18-20 gauge
• A few beads in the color of your choice
• Jewelry-making tools

Take the rings you’ve chosen and measure the width from the outer rim to the hole you’ll use to create the pendant. I do this by laying my round nose pliers on the ring to see where the jaw is the same or a little larger than that distance.

Take a length of wire about four inches long and begin a wrapped loop, slip the wire through a hole in the ring, and finish the wrapped loop. (For this entry, I’ll assume you know basic wire wrap techniques.) Slip on a bead, and make another wrapped loop, slipping the other ring on as you work. You’ve now connected the two rings.

Now take a length of wire two to three inches long, and begin another wrapped loop, slipping the wire through the topmost hole of the connected rings. Slide a bead on, and make a wrapped loop above it. That loop should be large enough that you can slide the pendant over a chain or ribbon for wearing.

Here’s the necklace:

And right beside the necklace is a pair of earrings. To make them, and the second necklace, you’ll need:

• Four simple hard drive rings
• Two beads in your choice of color
• One pair earring wires
• Silver wire, 18-20 gauge
• Two good-sized chain links (mine were from a broken belt)
• Jewelry-making tools

Begin by making a wrapped loop, slipping one of the hard drive rings on while working it.

Slide on a bead, make another wrapped loop, and attach to one of the earring wires. Repeat.

That was so easy, let’s just go ahead and make that other necklace.

Using two pairs of pliers, open out the first chain link, slip one of the hard drive rings through the opening, and close back up. Open the second link, slip in the other hard drive ring, and close the link back up. (If your links weren’t connected to begin with, be sure you connect them while you’re working those steps.)

You now have a pendant you can use in two different ways, either by slipping a chain or ribbon through one of the rings, or by sliding it through one of the chain links, which will “fold” the pendant, giving it a layered look.

It’s an easy 20 minute project that allows you to use up the ever-growing scrap pile (and don’t tell anyone: you don’t have to sew a stitch!)

You need:

• Scrap fabric: doesn’t have to match, but you need to be able to have some longer pieces
• 1 square of felt
• Hot glue gun
• Scissors
• Headband

First, Tear a few long strips of scrap fabric. The best pieces are about 1.5″ x 12″, although I used different widths and lengths. You can cut it if you prefer, but tearing it gives it the look I want!

For The “Flowers”:

1. Heat up your glue gun.

2. Beginning with one stip of fabric, begin to twist the fabric while rolling it up. I suggest using a dot of glue in the middle and then about once every roll.

3. Repeat making 3 “flowers”.

4. With a piece of coordinating felt, cut 3 circles the same size as your flowers.

5. Glue your flowers to the felt pieces. This will help keep them together and secure when you put them on the headband.

For the Headband:

1. Take a regular headband & a long strip of your fabric. Starting at the end, start twisting your fabric around the headband, gluing it conservatively. Make sure you tack both ends with glue.

2. Arrange the flowers on the on the headband & glue them in place.

Headbands are one of those accessories that are practical as well as pretty! A win-win as a craft project if you ask me. Simplicity’s line of headband décor has over 65 different decorations to add to your headband. From flowers, bows, feathers, and rhinestones in every color, you will have a custom headpiece to match your outfit!

Start by picking out a headband. They come in a variety of sizes and each one is covered with colorful satins.

Next you select which accents you like. Some are interchangeable so you can slide them on and off, or add as many as you’d like. The other accents can be glued or sewn on. Also you can decide where on your headband you want your décor, lower or higher, top or bottom. 

To add the slide-on accents, you just weave your headband through the back. The photo below shows the front and back of my headband accents.

These headbands are my favorite!

What are your favorite things?

As I’ve mentioned before, I love earrings! Earrings are fun to make; you can customize them to match any outfit and occasion. The more I get into jewelry making, the more I learn about the cool products that are out there. Recently I’ve become a collector of earring findings. There are so many pre-made earring finding: hoops, posts, chandelier, fish hook and ear wires in round, kidney, oval and square shapes. And they come in every finish! Silver, gold, bright silver, crystal, antique silver and gold!

I recently got some hoop earring findings in silver. I made 8 different pairs in one crafting session! These findings have a loop at the top where I strung flexible wire through to add beads in some of my designs.  I used plenty of crimp beads to hold them in place. For some other designs, I bent the loop up and added beads to the bottom of the hoop.

My other favorite is the kidney ear wires. The rounded top and the longer dangle of the earring make them look dressier than the regular ear wires. This is my favorite pair!

Something I like to keep on hand is extra earring backs. Not all earrings come with them and not all earrings need them. I like to add them, just in case.

What are your favorite things?

One of my favorite things to do is look through runway shots and magazine editorials to pick out designer trends that are DIY-able. Right now I’m seeing tassels everywhere, and this trend has all the makings of a perfect DIY.

On the runway designer Sonia Rykiel showed tassel belts and added large statement tassels to hangbags. You can craft your own tassels from leather, pleather and other materials or buy premade tassels (often used for interior decorating) and just tie them on. 

Tassel earrings, like these from Erickson Beamon, ASOS and Ann Taylor are great DIY inspiration – grab some chain, jump rings and earring findings and get started!

For more tassel DIY inspiration check out these projects that my favorite bloggers have posted!

Grace from Stripes and Sequins and Jenni from I Spy DIY and InStyle both made tassel earrings.

For tassel belt projects, check out Honestly WTF and P.S. I Made This!

Lately I’ve been really interested in leather. Like wearing black, it’s a fashion staple that never goes out of style. And it goes perfectly with my other favorite thing – hardware. I combined the two in this simple but stylish bracelet that makes a big statement.

If you’ve never worked with leather before it might seem intimidating due to all the different types and specialty tools. Don’t be afraid to start with a simple project like this and work your way up.

SUPPLIES

Leather – a piece of suede trim or tooling leather will work
Clasp – I purchased mine from Tandy Leather
Rivets & Setter – an assorted kit will have what you need
Punch – an XACTO knife will work in a pinch
Scissors or Utility Knife – must be sharp
Hammer or Mallet – for setting the rivets
Leather Cement – optional
Varnish – water-based, optional

1. Cut your leather strip. Measure your wrist and add 2 inches to determine the length. The width may depend on your clasp- I made mine a little over 2 inches wide. You can use a sharp pair of scissors or a utility knife to cut the leather.

2. Fold under 1 inch on each end of the strip. (My strip was longer so I folded more than an inch.) You can secure it with leather cement, but it’s not necessary.

3. Wrap the leather around your wrist and hold the clasp over where the ends meet. Use a pen to make a small mark where you need to punch holes for the rivets.

4. Use a leather punch set to make a hole where the rivets will go to secure the clasp. In a pinch you can make the holes with an XACTO knife, but a punch will do a better job.

5. Choose your rivets carefully – you want to choose a size that will pass through two layers leather and your clasp but not more than an 1/8” further. This will ensure a nice, secure fit. (I used the smallest size.) Insert the post of the rivet from the base and snap the cap on top. Use a mallet and the rivet setting tool to secure the setting by giving it a sharp strike. Tandy Leather has a great illustration of the process.

6. Repeat the process on the other half of the clasp. (I recommend double-checking the alignment of the clasp before punching the holes and riveting the second half.)

7. Depending on the leather you use the edges may look great as-is, or they might be a little rough. I used a tiny amount of water-based varnish along the very edges to seal them and give a cleaner look.

8. Show it off!