Make an adult-sized tutu!

Hi!

Until this year, I had never had a home-made Halloween costume. But, I decided with tight funds and free time between classes, I would craft my own disguise. Anyone who knows me knows that I adore Disney, and especially Mickey and Minnie Mouse, so Minnie Mouse was the clear choice. I looked around on the Internet for a while and decided to create my own adaption of the little kids' DIY tutus that seem to be everywhere. So, here goes...

Materials:

1. 9-10  yards of tulle in the color of your choice
2. Wide ribbon (color of your choice)
3. Elastic (measure waist- two inches)
4. Scissors
5. Thread (color of elastic)
6. A needle
7. Hot glue gun
8. Measuring tape
9. Optional: 2 rectangles of felt (I used sparkly white)

How to:

1. Plan how long you want your tutu to be and double that number in order to get the length that you need each strip of tulle to be.
2. Cut strips about 1 1/2 inches thick and of the length specified in step 1. Don't worry about making the width exact because it won't really be that noticeable in the finished product.
3. Once all of your tulle is cut (whew), figure out how much elastic you need for the waistband by measuring around your waist and then subtracting two inches so that it fits snugly.
4. Cut the elastic to the length specified in step 3 and sew the ends together to make a big circle.
5. Begin tying tulle onto the waistband in strips. This is done in a knot called a "Lark's Head". This site is for friendhsip bracelets, but the knot is the same concept.
6. Repeat step 5 until you've covered the entire waistband with tied tulle so that the knots of each strip are against one another.
7. When finished with all the strips, pull the ribbon off the spool and begin wrapping it around the elastic and between each knot. Leave excess ribbon at the start of this weaving and at the end so that you can tie it into a bow!
8. Dot the knot part of the bow with glue so that it stays put and wait for it to dry.
9. Cut off any unwanted extra length from the ends of the bow.
10. Optional: Make it Minnie Mouse!  Take the felt and cut circles in the size of your choice- mine were medium sized (about 1- 1 1/2 inches in diameter). Make these dots until you feel that you have enough to cover the areas of the skirt that you wish.
11. Optional: Glue these dots onto the skirt with a hot glue gun and wait for them to dry.

Also pictured, I used pre-made Minnie Mouse ears, black tights, a black long sleeved shirt, fake eyelashes, yellow ballet flats (not pictured) and a clown nose that I shaved down to a smaller size and colored with a Sharpie. (I don't recommend using a Sharpie because a month after coloring the nose, it still smelled terrible. By the end of the night, I was a little loopy from the fumes. I would recommend painting it with craft paint that doesn't smell very strong.)

Regardless of whether you use this craft idea for next Halloween, for a 5K race, or just for fun, enjoy your tutu! Dressing up isn't just for kids. 

Peace!

Kristen

Hanging Letter Decor

Hey there!

My next craft is the result of a boring summer day after all of my homework was done. I decided to head over to Walmart for entertainment and returned home with a craft idea and supplies. Consequently, it has been hanging above my bed at school ever since. The hanging letter decor that I created is extremely simple and fun. It's a great craft for a day when you just want to create mindless art.

Materials:

1. Wooden initial
2. Paint (I used 3 different colors)
3. Wood glue

4. Hot glue gun
5. Ribbon
6. Paint brush(es)
7. Wooden background sign

8. Optional: Clear glitter

How to:

1. Paint the background in any way you choose.
2. Paint the initial any way you want.
3. Optional: I sprinkled glitter all over my "K" while the paint was still wet,
4. Wait for the initial and background to dry.
5. Use the wood glue to adhere the initial to the background and allow it to dry.
6. Cut two long strips of ribbon and hot glue them to the back of the wood background.
7. When the glue has dried, tie the two strips together into a bow and use it to hang on the wall.

Peace out!

Kristen

Melted Crayon Crafts

Hello, hello!

The melted crayon craft was something that I stumbled upon on the internet, and I have since fallen in love with it. It hangs above my bed in my room at home, and I will eventually move it to my apartment. The coolest part, I think, is that no two works of art with melted crayon can look exactly the same, because the crayons create the design on their own. To some extent, they're pretty unpredictable.

I added the quote "Life's not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning to dance in the rain." because I need to be reminded often that life isn't about having everything work out perfectly. Instead, beauty can be found in disorder- just like the chaos of the crayons that create such an interesting picture.

Materials:

1. Crayons- lots of them!
2. Hair dryer
3. Hot glue gun
4. Sharpies (especially black)
5. Something with which to cover your work surface that can be trashed when you're finished (I used newspaper)
6. A canvas 
7. 2 Saw tooth hangers

How to:

1. First, you need to cover your work space unless you want your parent/spouse/roommate to be very upset with you for the mess. I used newspapers spread out across my kitchen table for this step. Unfortunately, I didn't discover the need for this step until after I'd already gotten crayon all over my parents' kitchen table...
2. Next, find and organize your crayons in the order that you want them to be glued on your canvas. I did mine in rainbow order, but there are all sorts of creative ways to do it.
3. Glue the crayons to the top of the canvas in a row using the hot glue gun.
4. Wait for the glue to dry and then draw your desired picture on your canvas. I drew an umbrella, but I've seen a variety of other cool ideas. A short stop on Pinterest should be enough inspiration.
5. Use the hair dryer to heat the tips of the crayons. It may take a bit for this to work, but when the crayons start to melt, they really melt! Try to angle the hair dryer in a way that encourages the melted crayon to drip down the canvas. This really works best when you can work on the project with another person. One person can hold the canvas at the needed angle, while the other uses the hair dryer.
6. When your canvas looks the way that you want, allow the crayons to dry for a bit before you attach the hangers to the back.

7. After attaching the hangers to the back of the canvas, your melted crayon art is ready to be the highlight of any room.

Peace out!

Kristen

Tissue Paper Flower Lights

Hey everybody! 

Today's project is seriously the coolest thing I've ever made! This craft is a small homey lamp that is made out of tissue paper and a stem with LED lights. It's the highlight of my dorm room, and I think I may even make more as centerpieces for my wedding.

Here's how you can make your own...
Materials:

1. Tissue paper (Preferably 2 colors)
2. Green or brown floral tape (One roll of this was more than enough)
3. Stem with LED lights
4. Scissors
5. A vase that's tall enough to hold your flowers (these are cheap at the Dollar Tree or Walmart)
6. Vase gems
7. Batteries
8. Craft glue (tacky glue works really well)
9. Clear tape

How to:

1. Wrap the flower tape around the stems to make it look more natural.

2. Tear or cut off the wrap when finished.
3. Cut the tissue paper into 2X2 inch  squares with two layers of each color per square.

4. Cut rounded edges in big waves along the upper edge of each square so that it looks more flower-like.
5. Glue the edges of each layer together on top of one another and let dry so that they are all connected.
6. Fold each rounded square of four layers into a cone flower bud around each light on the stems.
7. Glue in place and let dry.
8. Repeat steps 2-7 until you have a bud on each light.
9. Allow to dry for a few hours (I left mine over night).
10. Put batteries into the batter pack and then use the clear tape to adhere them to the stem of the flowers. This should be done so that the switch on the battery pack is facing up and will be barely covered by the beads that you will put in the vase.
11. Place the stem in the vase and fill around the stem with stones/beads until you've hidden the battery pack.
12. Flip the switch and you have a very cozy light!

It should also be noted that there is a way to wrap a string of LED lights onto a small tree branch if you can't find a pre-made stem like mine. All you have to do is collect a small tree limb in the shape of your choosing and wrap LED lights around it. Then, wrap the floral tape around both the string of lights and the stem without covering the light bulbs so that they hold together. After that, proceed as described in the above instructions.

Enjoy your lights! They're bound to grab the attention and admiration of anyone who sees them. Plus, their soft glow is calming during stressful times like finals week. I'm getting good use out of mine with all of the time I'm spending studying!

Until next time, peace out!
Kristen