Hello beautiful, and welcome to How To Own It, where store-bought fashion meets DIY crafts.
So far every week for this column I’ve been focusing in on one look or trend, when really if you could see inside my heart you would find a very long and disorganized list of styles that I’m currently obsessing over and projects that I’m itching to try. I thought that today I would tell you about a few of these things, before I explode from holding it all in. Maybe one of these will end up on your to-do list as well!
My To Do List
+DIY Pressed Flower Iphone Case, on The Etsy Blog
Photo by Clare McGibbon on The Etsy Blog
Um, hello, I don’t know why I didn’t think of this but it’s one of the most perfect things I’ve ever seen. I’m also really bad at keeping my tech clean, for example my computer looks like I work at a construction site and my phone screen chronically has foundation smudged on it, so I feel like making my own case would really motivate me to get my shit together.
+DIY Stone Cap Ring, from Studs and Pearls
This ring is secretly a compression cap filled with pretty rocks. How cool is that? It opens up a million possibilities. I think if I do this I will probably take tiny pebbles from my yard and paint them fun colors. You could also fill it with beads! Or you could glue a silk flower in there! Basically, the world is your compression cap.
+DIY Striped Pants
via chictopia
You guys don’t need me to tell you how to paint white stripes on black pants (or vice versa) which is why I haven’t done a post about this, but that doesn’t mean I’m not obsessed with how it looks. This trend makes for a perfect DIY because it probably won’t last very long, so I don’t want to spend a lot of money getting something new, but it’s a great way to put some life back into neglected pants.
+DIY Wire Fabric Headband
via modcloth.com
A couple of months ago I got a free wire fabric headband from Modcloth and while I love the idea of it, the red and white polka dot fabric is a little too Rosie the Riveter for me. I’ve been meaning to make one out of a less noisy pattern. There are plenty of great tutorials that already exist for this, and the only thing stopping me is that I kind of hate sewing. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, Modcloth also has a handy tutorial for how to style these bendy little guys.
+Revisit Brooklyn Charm Shop
brooklyn charm via insidenewyork.com
So, Brooklyn Charm Shop is this special magical store in Williamsburg where they sell everything you could ever want to put on a necklace for way cheaper than it would be if you bought any of it on an actual necklace. I keep accidentally calling it “Brooklyn Sparkles Farm” but it’s definitely not called that. Anyway, you know those crystal necklaces on Etsy that are like $60? You can buy those crystals for only a few dollars. Also, golden arrows, vintage treasures, all the gem stones, chains of all kinds, and basically everything else in the universe. I have only been once and was so overwhelmed that I spent an hour touching everything and then left without buying a single item, so going here and buying things to make other things is a really important goal of mine. And I recommend you all check it out.
What’s on your crafty to-do list?
Want to know how to own a look? Email gabrielle@autostraddle.com or tweet to @Gabrielle_Korn.
Header by Rosa Middleton
Brooklyn Charm Shop sounds like heaven.
we’re going to brooklyn charm shop as soon as you’re free and then we’re gonna pick flowers and then we’re gonna make pressed flower iphone cases together. okay see you soon.
May I crash that party? Brooklyn Sparkles Farm sounds like a fun time. :0)
i want to go to a sparkles farm and harvest glitter
omg we’re making it a brooklyn autostraddle meetup
stand by, this is happening
should i copyright the name “sparkles farm” for the commune?
Thanks for this. I’m definitely passing this along to my crafty partner!
I would need a tutorial on how to paint STRAIGHT stripes on my pants because I don’t do straight. (ohhhh!!!)
But also, that iPhone case looks like a tea that I would drink.
oh those striped pantssssss. i wish i didn’t hate skinny jeans bc those are so cute and i don’t think the stripe motif would work on flowy wide leg pants. i’d look like a circus tent.
it concerns me that you hate skinny jeans
because i love skinny jeans
and i aspire to be you
so basically i’m panicking right now
maybe you could do it with shorts? or a body con/pencil skirt?
idk if those are things that you wear but i’m sure there’s a way that you can get striped things into your life somehow :)
i think if anyone could pull off flowy striped pants it would be you though
what about these?? http://www.etsy.com/listing/122796822/vtg-80s-mod-striped-crop-pants-black-and?ref=v1_other_1
Um I just love everything here.
I love the phone case! If only had a cellphone to go along with it…
Is THAT what that red thing Modcloth sent me was? Hmm, I was seriously perplexed by it for a minute there(and then I completely forgot about it till now).
It took me a really long time to figure out what it was.
I didn’t know anything about wire headbands until just now, but I’m totally gonna make some. I already like to make headbands out of fabric ribbon, I think this might work with those, too. :) Then they (hopefully) won’t scoot back on my head and make my hair look funny like my elasticized ones.
my to-do list:
1. figure out what to do with all of my pre-existing sparkles
2. finish my wurm hat (andro free ravelry pattern) before summer
3. somehow create a lint-proof container for my sex toys
(i’m thinking witchcraft may be necessary)
Love this!!