DIY : Floral Headband / Flower Crown

As you know, come Spring, I've taken a liking to floral headbands that seem to be everywhere. Now that I've finally come up with one that may be worn without looking too much out of place here. I absolutely fell in love with the River Island one and decided to do one much like it, except with grey pearls. Check it out!

Here's what you'll need:

• A strip of leather or PU (called Rexine in India)
• Elastic cord
• A few pearl beads - I used grey
• Old eyeliner that's not black!
• A needle and black thread
• Fabric Glue

Step 1: Trace out rough outlines of your flowers onto the back of the leather fabric with the eyeliner. I used two flower shapes.

Step 2: Cut out the shapes with a sharp scissors. You'll need around 10 flowers in all.

Step 3: Cut out a length of cord about the circumference of your head by stretching it around your head. Leave about an inch extra on each side.

Step 4: Super impose the flowers one upon the other and stitching together the flowers, pearls and the cord.

Step 5: Seal the stitched flowers with a dab of fabric glue.

Step 6: Continue stitching the flowers to the pearls and the cord.

Step 7: Now place the last inch of each cord end into an inch-long rectangular piece of PU. Add glue, fold over the PU and stitch away.

And there it is - the floral headband! Don't worry about the silvery stuff, it'll fall off. Sorry for the bad photos guys! As you can see, I'm desperately in need of a new camera :-/

Try  to overlook the freaky factor in the above picture! :)

Curiosities Around the Town

I have a couple of big projects in the brewery at the moment. Add that to the seasonal allergies and I'm left without a moment to craft. It doesn't help that I'm moving soon and I'm just bursting with ideas for the new place!

Meanwhile, I though I'd share a few things I found in and about that caught my eye.

The tattooed fish I was talking about here

The most perfect little cupcake I've had in a while

Beautiful mirrored garland on a patterned cement wall - DIY Inspiration

Delicious Biryani

Flower Rangoli at a random floor of my work building

A friggin'  lone horse near my street :O

A special celebration for a completed life goal :)

- Cheers!

DIY : Jewelry Recycle Series Part 4 - Anthropologie Double Pearl Collar Necklace

I've been feeling under the weather lately. Coming down with a cold and flu in the middle of tropical summer in all its glory makes one question their immunity and randomly curse things. Which is why I'm not going to say much today, except that this song has been playing in my head non-stop.

Since you have seen how I've been going nuts over pearls lately,I'm going to jump directly to this recycled DIY Anthro Double Pearl Necklace! This is the one that had me going:

Anthropologie Double Pearl Necklace

Here's what you'll need:

• An old choker necklace without its slide or pendant.
• 2 large reclaimed pearl beads
• Jewelry cutter and plier
• Super glue (or E6000)

Step 1: Remove the end clasp and chain from the collar wire with the plier

Step 2: Cut off the ends with a heavy duty wire cutter or jewelry cutter

Step 3: Put a drop of glue at the exposed end and spread in a line, about the size of the pearl, with a toothpick

Step 4: Push the pearl through the end of the collar up till the end is just seen through the other side of the bead.

Step 5: Do the same for the other end and there you have it!

On the bright side, for once, I can see as many movies as I want!

-Cheers!

DIY : House of Harlow Inspired Safety Pin Necklace

I've seen a lot of safety pin art jewelry off late, and frankly, that's inspiring for a recycle-ista like me - Another source of getting close to the latest fashion and beautiful art easily and economically :) While I've come across many a high-end designs involving intricate, gold-plated work, I decided to start simple with the unique and beautiful inspiration below.

Check out this gorgeous delicate safety pin necklace by House of Harlow:

Here's what you'll need to make your own, albeit customized, version of it:

• A safety pin, any size
• Length of chain
• Jump rings, 3mm and 6mm
• Chain clasp
• Tiny Swarovski rhinestones (I used Ocean Blue)
• Instant super glue (or E6000)

Here's how:

Step 1: Put a drop of glue with a toothpick on any side of the safety pin head. Start placing the rhinestones on it carefully.

Step 2: After you reach about halfway, put a drop of glue on the other half of the safety pin. Spread with a toothpick.

Step 3: Once the top of the safety pin has been covered, cover the sides with rhinestones. Allow sufficient time to dry.

Step 4: Attach the smaller jump ring to a chain end and attach this to the safety pin loop.

Step 5: You'll have to follow a slightly different approach for the pin head. Attach a jump ring to the other chain end and insert over the open pin as shown.

Step 6: Close the pin, twist the jump ring under the pin head. Seal with a drop of glue.

Step 7: Cut the chain in the middle and attach the clasp and larger jump rings.

And there we have it!

Layer with other delicate jewelry for interesting effects.

--Cheers! 

Inspiration : Floral Headbands

I have been busting my butt lately doing a ton of those things in life that one just can't avoid. You know the kind - spring cleaning, formal visitations, moving and so on. If only I could put myself in cycles of crafting, eating and sleeping - Oh! The glory!

In the midst of all the work that I appear to be doing, I do have a couple of sneak-peaks and Pinterest and Google and I'm beginning to notice a whole bunch of pictures and posts about floral headbands. Granted they have been around a while, but I never pictured myself as a flower-y girl, let alone put a bunch of them on my head.

They took their time to grow on me, but when they did - OMG! Now all I can think about is crowns and headbands and mostly, how to wear them here in India without getting the Zoo Animal stare that one gets in *certain* places when one deviates from certain dress norms *just a little bit*.

Anyhow, while I figure that out, check out these floral beauties:

- Cheers!

DIY Jewelry Recycle Series : Part 3 - Studded Garland Necklace

As you probably know, I started this year with a promise to myself to reduce material wastage. DIY Jewelry Recycle Series has been created for precisely this - to inspire myself (and hopefully you) to make best use of items I have at hand (and do something better with the extra cash? We'll talk about the "better" later!)

The third (See first and second here) in line for this series is keeping well with my growing obsession with anything involving studs, rivets, spikes, pyramids of any sort and of course, garlands. 

Check out how you can make your very own version of this studded garland necklace recycled from an unused bracelet.

Here's what you'll need

• Studs (from other jewelry, clothing, shoes - anything you find a tad too embellished)
• Basic flat nosed pliers and crimping tool
• Jump rings (4 or 6 mm)
• Jewelry chain
• Lobster clasp

Step 1: Pry apart the studs from your item like there's no tomorrow. Or in this case, just snip the bracelet cord. Sew-on studs work the best for this.

Step 2: Arrange the studs as you want them on your necklace (I took 7 of them) and cut about six 1 inch pieces of delicate jewelry chain.

Step 3: Start attaching the studs to the chain bits with tiny jump rings

Step 4: Continue until all studs are attached

Step 5: Add in desired chain lengths on either side, with lobster clasp and you're done!

I was so psyched by this that I ended up making another version in silver!

-Cheers

Supplies used: