Tuesday, June 15, 2010

The Hair "Bow"

A couple of my dear, daughter-raising friends were looking for a cute DIY flower "bow" to kick their creativity in gear for the season. Here is what we came up in fifteen minutes with a hot glue gun and some quick thinking.

What you need:
a cute, silk flower (or paper or fabric or whatever inspires you)
a barrette and/or piece of elastic (I used some foldover elastic I had on hand)
a hot glue gun (or, if you're patient, some "snail-dry" glue)


1. Look around your house for a cute jar of pretend flowers from which you might not notice if one went missing.

2. Pop the flower off the stem and remove all center plastic pieces that hold it together.

3. Stack the flower forms on top of each other. I used two different colors of flowers and alternately layered them. Glue each piece on top of the next.


4. Look through your craft stash and select the most perfect and inspiring centerpiece. I ended up choosing buttons for my orange "bow" but for my red flower I put blings in the center. Glue them on.

5. Measure your recipient's head and cut your elastic accordingly. Overlap the ends and glue together. Glue the band to the flower as shown.


6. And then, I got a better idea. What about making a headband with interchangeable flowers? Just glue the completed flower onto a barrette and snap it onto the headband. Now you have one for each outfit. Neat huh?

By the way, I admit that I made the red one for myself. It's not just for little girls!

Friday, June 11, 2010

Made: Jalie Blouse

Part of the reason I started a blog was to track and record my projects. When I complete a project, whether it be one that has been in the works for awhile or a completely whimsical day project, I get pumped. Not only do I get pumped because it is finished and I get to use or wear something new but also because somewhere along the way I became inspired to make something else. And then, in the midst of daily activity and too many projects to keep track of I often get so eager to begin the next inspiration that I forget to stop and appreciate what I just accomplished.

So, I've created a new category for my blog called "Made". Here I will post pictures of items that I've made just for the sake of keeping track of them. If you find one that inspires you and would like to know how it was made just drop a comment.


Here is an experiment in working with lycra jersey. It was made using the Jalie Pattern 2449. The pattern was very simple, a great fit and came with excellent instructions.