Five Strand Woven or Braided T-shirt Bracelet.

I was excited to find a tutorial today on how to five strand braid. I took one look at the braid and took off doing it. Then I went back and read the tutorial. and realized it was pretty over complicated instructions. I just looked at the braid and came up with a WAY easier way to do it.

Super simple I promise!

If you know how to weave simple over and under, you can do this!!

Take your five strands of whatever... I used pulled T-shirt strips, and knot them or sew them at one end. Spread them out.

Then take the strand on the right side, this is how I did it anyway... and weave it over and under the other 4 strands until it is on the left side.

Then start again with the strand on the right and repeat... Weave the strand that is on the far right over to the far left side.. over, under the other four strands.

Hop to the right repeat again and again and again. :)

Easy Peasy!

I did really like the cute headbands they made with the over complicated five strand braid tutorial I found at Make it Love it, but headbands do not stay in my hair or my daughters, they always slide out.

No big deal I really wanted a T-shirt bracelet anyway so I made my own mini version.

But do head over to Make it love it. to see how she starts and finished her headbands because that is actually how I did my bracelet and she did do a really nice job of explaining that part of the project.

Totally my favorite color. The t-shirt I used to make it I got last year at a thrift store sale, not because it fit.. just because It was my favorite color. :)

So here is my finished bracelet. Way cooler color in person by the way.

I love doing projects. I like taking photos too, but when you are your own model it makes things difficult. You always want nice pics so people like the look of your projects but honestly sometimes you just feel plain silly snapping photos of things. For example

The mirror is my friend. Ha! Got to love the backwards lettering, and it is always cool to have the camera in the shot.

No makeup today so I will cover that up. Cause everyone puts on makeup and dresses nicely and does their hair when they are hanging at home cleaning and crafting.

 

Then there is who knows how many shots like this that you delete just trying to take a photo of yourself.

Almost got it!

Wow look at those veins. I guess I will never be a professional hand model. Sigh.

 

Oh well I have a new bracelet that I really like.

To that I say.. "Forget about the pics. Cool beans!"

Linking up here:

Buttons, Needle, and Thread, Sweater Refashions

Fall is coming!

Today was the first day of school.

Labor Day is just around the corner!!

This means a few things.

1. I needed to stay busy on the first day of school so I didn't miss my kiddo.

2. I needed to go through my fall clothes to see what will work for this fall.

3. I need to make a list of all the other things I can thrift this weekend at the big Savers Sale to complete my fall looks!

First thing you must do before you thrift shop is shop in your own closet. See what you have and what you can rework, and what you want to get rid of. So I did!

I had two other sweaters I just didn't wear much last year. They needed something. I wasn't sure what, but I was not ready to toss them either.

I decided to try some button makeovers!

Here is my button stash. Most of which came from my grandmother.

Sweater #1

It has a high neckline. It is not a sweater that can be worn without the buttons buttoned. Yet the neckline is so high that you can not really wear a necklace with it either.

 It is a cute length and a cute and interesting sleeve length and warm and cozy but boring!!

It needs some contrast and interest up top. The buttons, that blend in with the color of the sweater, HAD to go!

Just adding three different buttons makes it so much better!

I went with these little round woven leather buttons I found in my Grandma's stash.

Better? Yes! Now I just need some interesting bracelets, and a cup of hot chocolate to hold.

Never under-estimate the power of a button change!

Sweater #2

This next sweater didn't have buttons.

It tied on. It tied on the inside here.

And it used to tie on the outside here too with a string on the side.
 but the string broke off.

I got it on a thrift trip last winter.
I maybe had it on twice before that string broke, but I was not my favorite sweater last year anyway so I was not in a hurry to fix it.

But now I have the time, and a plan!

Instead of a string I added a button to close the front.

I did just take it out of  the sweater box so it does have a spot or two and wrinkles that need to come out, but that was not the only thing I thought it needed.

I liked it better already, but it just didn't look finished yet.

I cut off the ends of the tie on the inside. They were longer than they needed to be. I used them to make two more button loops.

And added two more buttons.

I think the three buttons give it a bit more interest, defines the waist of the sweater taking some attention off the chest area which was the focus before, which made me a bit uncomfortable at times.

The look of it reminds me more of a coat now, a bit more military in style without being overdone,  which was very popular last fall, and I am sure the style will still be around a bit this fall as well. I just happened to be wearing the aqua top today, but I think it would look better with a dark green or plum shirt under for fall. 

Amazing what buttons, a needle, and thread can do!

Linking up here:

Narnia Peter and Edmund Costume

Peter and Edmund dressed kind of alike in the Prince Caspian movie.

Image from Faithfilms.blogspot.com

The bottom of the costume is the only difference, Edmund has a squared off bottom and Peter's comes to a point at the bottom.

So really you could easily make either.

Here is the one you can buy, again for $25-50. I am thinking it does not come with that sword.

We went with the point for fun so I guess my youngest is Peter.

The vest is pretty simple. Just fold over some red fabric, we used some flannel I had. Cut it to the right length. I folded it again to make the neck hole and the point at the bottom. Finished and turned the edges. I also added some yellow gold colored bias tape at the bottom, since I have a stash of that from my grandmother.

To add the lion crest I knew I wanted to freezer paper stencil it.

Print off your lion, trace it onto the freezer paper and cut it out with a blade.

Iron the freezer paper down onto the vest so that it sticks.

I just happened to have gold fabric paint. Doesn't everyone???

And... drum roll please.....

Yep the costume looks great huh?
Well it helps a ton to have all this cuteness wearing it!

I will go Aslan!

Still working on that hood thing. I will figure it out before the big day.

I can be your hero baby!

Cheese!



While you are here check out the Lucy Costume and Prince Caspian Costume!
Thanks!

Prince Caspian Narnia Costume

Costume number 2 done! This one was so fun to make. I didn't think it would be as much fun as it was. Again I didn't have to buy anything. What did I use?

One old belt cut in two.
Kids black sweatpants we had.
Sister's black leather boots.
Box weave fabric, like long underwear material. I got two bolts of it for $2 each at Walmart Last year knowing I could use it for something.
Some scrap vinyl we got from Grandma Shirley's garage a couple weeks ago.
Some string elastic from Grandma Cookies stash.
Fabric paint
and some silver spray paint

Here a photo of Prince Caspian photo credit Beyond Hollywood.com

Here is a photo of the costume you can buy for $25-$50

I can assure you that it does not come with the boots!

I started with the vest, I cut up a pair of pants I got at a thrift store for myself, but they were too large and too short.

See here are the pants now.

I pieced together a vest from the pant legs and added some pray paint with a net over it to give it some texture, then painted some armor rectangles kind of like Caspian's, but simplified because one, I didn't want to sit and paint all day, and two I wanted my Caspian to look a bit more cute than the actual one.
I think I got the cuteness factor I was looking for.
What do you think?

And with his chain mail hood, I think that might still need some work, doesn't look quite the way I want it to, but works.

Ready to go on a quest for Aslan!

View from behind. Here you can tell where I did some piecing of the pants. I like the funky look of it to be honest. I just started draping, sewing, and piecing to make it work.

The cuffs are closed with elastic chord so that they are easy for him to put on and take off by himself.

 One Happy Prince!

While you are here, click over and check out my King Peter Costume and  Queen Lucy Costume!