DIY items when you're too broke! PT 1

So I'm a totally junkie.

No, not that kind!

I love anything and everything cheap, clearance, sale, free!

I have recently been finding out that most items I indulge in, I can TOTALLY make them myself.

Painted wood pallet signs? EASY

Monogrammed wine glasses? I do these on a DAILY basis!

So I scoured the internet on ideas that I like to do, that have a little to no cost!

I will continue to do this post I guess in installments. Parts, whatever.

FIRST lesson:

Painted canvas signs for my daughters' bathroom.

INSPIRATION:

source

I LOVED these. Not my colors, but I knew that my colors I wanted were available through purchasing. Unfortunately, I didn't have money available to purchase these prints.

So I got down and dirty and made my own!!!

I went to Wal-Mart and purchased a 3 pack of canvas wrapped boards.

They were only $4.97!!

I also had nautical stencils from my mothers craft stash she just threw at me and said, "here, do something with these!"

I believe she purchased them at Hobby Lobby YEARS ago, but they are fairly simple to find on any search platform.

So, I got to planning. I know I wanted the LOVE with the O being the wheel. Boat is good, but screw it, lets put a crab up on there!

So I first, measured all the straight lines I needed for two of the canvas boards.

Painted them using cheap little Apple Barrel paints, also found at Wal-Mart.

Guys, they were $.50!

I apologize for no pictures, as this only took me like 30 minutes to do... Plus I have my army of kids, wanting to finger paint every surface of my house. So that concludes that I WAS RUSHING. Gotta love em'!

I only used TWO colors and I also did two coats.

After painting the stripes, I picked out the "LVE" letter stencils, the boat, crab, and wheel. All I did was line them up on the DRY boards. (Its craft paint, dried in the time it took me to find stencils, get them ready, steal them back from my curious kids, make them a sandwich, use the bathroom, and read them a book.... BUT if you had time to get right back at painting, I would let them dry for 20-30 minutes.)

Used the opposite color for the stencils. AND BAM! Cute little signs for my girls' bathroom THAT MATCH THE COLOR SCHEME!

In order to hang these signs up, I used SMALL 3M Command Strips.

In total this little DIY project cost me:

Canvas boards-  $4.97

Two bottles of craft paint- $1

Command Strips (already purchased before)- $5.47

Assuming you have paint brushes and stencils

=

around $12

REALLY?!? Now these I made for personal use, if I would've made them to sell, I probably would've spent a tad bit more time painting small little fixes, that when you look at it, you'd never tell, but someone who is spending their money on them would. Make sense?!

I appreciate you spending your lovely time with me today, and since I am recovering OK from my arm injury I will be posting as much as I can. Just don't get tired of me yet!!

Happy Stitchin'!!

Preppy Paper Bag Styled Dress Size 4T

I absolutely LOVEEEEE this dress!!

My baby ROCKS the hell out of it!

Alright, I am going to explain how I started out. I didn't take pictures of the supplies needed, but there is nothing that you shouldn't have already... Besides maybe elastic?

The fabric I chose for this dress, is a solid mint that was purchased at Joanns, as well as a light pink with white polka dots, also purchased there.

 

I let her choose her own fabric, and it was a cluster of all pinks, so I took it upon myself to throw in a solid color. I don't use solids as much as I should. Or hell, want to. LOL.

Start by pressing your fabric. I had to do this on the floor, as my lovely, handsome husband, hasn't built me a proper cutting table. Honey do list is getting quite long!!

This dress once finished will be 28" long. It will skim the her ankles. If you don't want it to the ankles, that's fine, just measure accordingly. Just remember there will be an added panel at bottom (light pink dots for my dress)

So, I laid out my fabric and cut, using pinking shears, 22" (selvage to selvage) by 36". Press your fabric once more.

 

I also cut out (of the pink polka dot fabric) 2- 6" x 22" strips. (selvage to selvage). Two strips for the bottom band. At the end you should have two long strips of 6" x about 45" pink polka dot fabric.
 

So you will end up with TWO (mint pieces) 36" WIDE x 22" LONG. Right sides together, sew up one side seam. Please remember that the side seam is the 22". Press open.

 

Do the same with two of the polka dot pieces. Just on one side seam only.

 

Now open the dress part (mint for me) with the one sewn side seam in the middle. Right side up. Line up the pink polka dot band side seam, wrong side up, to the seam on the dress. Basically right sides together and side seams matching.

 

Now to the long ass part of sitting at your machine for a tad bit longer than usual. You are going to pin the hell out of the dress. Pinning the whole bottom band to the main part of the dress. Pin and pin, and keep pinning!

Head to the mean machine, and stitch all the way down. Connecting the two pieces. I used a straight stitch, but if you are more comfortable zigzagging, go ahead! Just don't forget to backstitch!!

 

 

Alrighty, you should have one long piece of mint and pink polka dot fabric. Time to stitch the second side seam.

 

Make sure to match up the band seam (pink polka dot) before stitching. Using a straight stitch and backstitching.

 

After pressing open the side seams, you should have a dress that will be about 70" AROUND.

 

Lets get to making the top of the dress, including the elastic casing.

 

Start by folding down 1/4" and pressing or go ahead and use your serger. Lucky you, but a serger is on my Christmas list!!! Please Santa, please!

 

After folding down and pressing (or serging), fold down another 2" and press.

 

Sew a straight stitch along the bottom of the 2" but make sure to leave a 1" opening in order to insert the elastic. We are creating a casing.

 

 

Now after we are done with another session of long ass sewing, we are going to sew a another straight stitch 1" from the first. BUT don't leave a 1" opening (like we did for the first line).

 

 

At the end, you should have a 1" casing for your elastic. Making the top of the dress the "paper bag style".

 

Lets create the straps!!

 

So, I cut two 6" x 11" strips of the polka dot fabric. I pressed them flat. Then right sides together, stitch a straight stitch all the way down the entire length of the strip. Leaving both ends open.

 

Turn straps and press with the seam open in the middle. This will be on the back side of the straps.

 

To attach the straps to the dress, we have to find the center of the dress.

 

 

Mark center with two pins. Now pin the straps at an angle 8" apart. Each strap should be 4" from the center of the dress.

 

 

Now using the casing stitch as a guideline, use a straight stitch to attach the strap to the dress. Stay on the same stitch line as the casing. This is why there is no need to stitch the ends of the straps together.

 

 

 

 

Alright, alright, alright! Time for the elastic, to make it look like a dress, and not some HUGE mumu, that would swallow your child whole.

 

Cut 3/4" elastic the size of the bust of the child the dress is for. Mine is 20"

 

Attach a safety pin to both ends, and start fishing it through the casing. Super difficult, as its a huge amount of fabric, but its works in the end.

HOLY CRAPAZOIDS!!!

 

That was intense!!!! Yet, it has an amazing turn out!

 

After connecting safety pin to safety pin, hurry and zigzag stitch like 6 times, to connect both ends of elastic. You do NOT want to lose a piece of elastic in the dress, and have to do that over again. OMG. Gag me. LOL.

 

Now time to close the casing up. DO NOT STITCH OVER THE ELASTIC WHEN DOING THIS.  I have done this on my dress, cause someone knocked on the front door, and scared the be-jeebies out of me and yeah. Really.

 

Sew over the original casing line, and start rearranging your ruffles. This is gonna be a pain in the you know what, but it will be worth it!!!

 

 

 

Turn up the hem at the bottom of the dress to the desired length, press, and stitch around this big dress one. last. time.

 

You can add a bow on top (I used a safety pin, for washing, but be careful with baby fingers who like messing with it) and TA-DA!!!!!!

 

 

Stand back and make your little one twirl and twirl away!

 

 

Thanks for lasting through another long tutorial, and please leave any comments/questions below!

 

Happy Stitchin'!

Yeah, totally busted!!

 

 

 

 

I am a complete klutz I tell ya!!

 

I injured my hand last week pretty badly, as that's why I haven't posted recently. So to say the least I am making this blog post just to assure everyone reading that I have big plans when I am able to return!

 

Many more tutorials, recipes I've learned, and many DIYs!

 

I appreciate your patience and seriously cannot wait to sew my ass off!!

 

Happy Stitchin! (so jealous!)

 

 

 

 

Long Sleeve Peasant Style Dress Sewing Tutorial Size 4T

 

 

I LOVEEEEE this dress!!

 

This is for a size 4T dress, but if I would've made the sleeves a tad longer, it would fit my 7 year old as a shirt. But it is a 3/4 length sleeve in her, but she doesn't feel comfortable wearing it without longer sleeves. Tomboy I tell ya!!

 

So I started out with a previous fabric I've used. Navy blue chevron purchased locally.

 

I cut out, using pinking shears, 2 rectangles 18" wide and 23" long for a front body piece and a back body piece.

 

 



 

During that process, my little lovey wanted her picture taken with her chocolate. This girl has my whole heart, forever and ever!!!

 

 

Put both body pieces, right sides or wrong sides together. Since we are just cutting the sleeve holes out.

 

I use my sleeve pattern from previous posts to cut the holes out.

 

 

 

Put those two body pieces aside and you can use either a different fabric, or the same, for the sleeves. I've seen many different dresses, with corresponding fabric, but for this one I chose to use the same.

 

So I start with cutting 2 rectangles 10.5" wide by 20.5" long.

 

 

 I left the length with raw edges, as it will be hemmed later on.

 

Put right sides together, with the raw edges at the bottom, use the same sleeve pattern, from the body of the dress, to cut two more sleeve holes FROM THE SLEEVE FABRIC.

 

 

You will then end up with two sleeves, and two body pieces, with the same sleeve holes cut.

 

Now, lets grab ONE sleeve and connect it to ONE body piece. With right sides together.

 

I sewed this using a straight stitch and backstitching on both ends.

 

 

Repeat for the other sleeve, with right sides together.

 

Looks kinda funky, but it will be totally kick ass after we are done!

 

Repeat for the backside. Its a little weird, but its easily done.

 

 

Sew using the same straight stitch and backstitching on both ends for each sleeve.

 

Now lets starting pinning!! And no, I don't mean quit reading and head to Pinterest, even though I'm a completely obsessed Pinner!

 

We are pinning from sleeve opening to bottom of dress.

 

 





 

 

 

Sew, sew and sew!! I used a straight stitch, and backstitched each end.

Repeat with the other side.

 

 

 

 

Now to create a casing for our elastic. I left about a 1.5" inch opening on the "back" of the dress. Marked by pins for easier sewing for me.

 

 

 

I folded down about half an inch, pressed, and then folded down once more. I pressed once more. Since this is going around the whole neck piece, even going over the sleeve seams, I pinned my casing down for easier sewing. I didn't want wonky edges. If you are comfortable, with your pressing, go for it!

 

 

 

I sewed around with a straight stitch and backstitching each end. Make sure not to go over your casing opening of course.

 

I used 3/4" elastic. I measured the neck piece (from one shoulder to the other) and took off about two inches. Cut your elastic to the size needed, and get your trusty safety pin.

 

Fish the elastic through the casing and pull towards the other end of the casing.

When you get the end of the elastic (without the safety pin) at the opening of the casing, secure it to the dress with another safety pin, so it does not end up getting lost in the dress.

 

Finish fishing it through the dress, making it scrunch, until you get through the other side.

 

Take both ends of the elastic, and secure only the ends of the elastic together. I straight stitch and backstitch over my elastic pieces about 4-5 times. Some zig zag, but do whatever floats your boat.

 

Push the elastic into the casing, and sew up your casing. Make sure NOT to go over the elastic. Just sew up the 1.5" opening on the same line. I know that's pretty DUH, but I gotta add it!

 

 

Turn your dress right side out... hem the bottom to your preferred length, as well as both sleeves. I just folded up .5" pressed, and then another .5" for both.

 

Now, flip your dress right side out, add a bow, and TA-DA!!!!!

 

BEAUUUUUUTIFUL!!!!

 

 

Thanks for reading and HAPPY STITCHIN'!!!!