Thankfully, I am unable to grow a mustache of my own. But I can support Movember in other ways... I just made a donation and now I'm spreading the word! I hope you'll consider making a donation as well. Here's a peek at what Movember is all about:
During Movember, men (called "Mo Bros") grow mustaches for the month of November to raise money and awareness for men's health - very serious but generally un-talked-about issues such as prostate and testicular cancer. Read more about Movember here. You can sponsor a particular Mo Bro and his 'stache, or you can make a general donation to the cause.
For September, the secret "Iron Craft" ingredient was plastic bottles, and I just happen to keep and reuse a lot of water bottles already. (Oh, what's that you're surprised?!? Surely not :)
My favorites to use are Vitamin Water bottles, because I like the way they add their flavor to the water when you fill them up! I also happened to notice that they have a pretty cool embossed pattern on them, under the label. Have you ever noticed? Take a look ⤵
Pretty neat, huh? And the larger bottles have a slightly different pattern, which is also kinda cool. I have my eye on those for my next planter pots.
Are you ready for another fun tutorial? Let me show you how I made these cute "Honeydew List" or grocery list holder fridge magnets from popsicle sticks and baby clothespins!
This month's Etsy Fort Worth Upcycle THIS! Craft Challenge 'secret ingredient' is popsicle sticks. I have been making popsicles like crazy (and eating them like crazy) so I could use the sticks for this project...you know, so they would be officially 'upcycled'.
I'm really excited about the way these cute little bracelets turned out, and I can't wait to show you how I made them!
TOOLS & SUPPLIES:
• popsicle sticks (1 stick will make 2 bracelets)
• craft knife
• ruler
• power drill with 1/32" drill bit
• fine sandpaper (120-240 grit)
• round needle file (optional)
• container with water
• wide rubber bands
• cylindrical drinking glass (around 3" in diameter)
• paintbrush
• toothpick
•Krylon Crystal Clear gloss finish spray (optional)
• 32" 1mm leather or cord (cut into 2 16 inch pieces)
• acrylic paints
• *scrapbook paper (small scraps, at least 3/4" x 2 3/4")
• *Mod Podge
* You can either paint the wood with your own special design, or decoupage using the scrapbook paper and Mod Podge. If you choose the second option, we will still be using the acrylic paint to finish the back of the wooden pieces.
INSTRUCTIONS:
First, if you are using used popsicle sticks, wash them well and make sure they are completely dry.
Use the ruler to find the center of the stick. Mine was at 2.25". Use the craft knife to cut the wood in half. You will have to go over your cut several times. Do yourself a favor and make sure your blade is new and it will be a lot easier :) When you're about halfway through, you can flip it over and continue cutting from the other side, but whatever you do, don't be tempted to snap it when it's almost done, or it will splinter and you'll swear and throw things across the room.
I'm not saying I did that or anything... but I could imagine that somebody might..
Next, use the drill to make holes in the middle of each end, about 1/8 of an inch in. Run the drill as slowly as possible to avoid splitting the wood, which may or may not have happened to me. Twice. Again, a less ladylike and well composed woman than myself might be tempted to shout profanities and begin tossing things about, but I can assure you that I held my composure...especially since there are no living witnesses to tell you otherwise.
(NOTE: this is why I drill the wood before rounding off the end...)
Use the knife to round off the cut end of the popsicle stick. You may want to use another rounded end and trace it with a pencil for guidance. Don't try to take the whole curve in one swoop; shave off small bits at a time and you'll have better control of the curve.
Smooth the freshly shaped end with the sandpaper to take care of any bumps or splinters. I sanded the other end as well, so they both matched as closely as possible. Try to take care of the splinters around the drill hole as much as possible too, and if you happen to have a round needle file, this would be an excellently awesome time to use it!
When you are satisfied with the shape and smoothness of your wooden pieces, it's time to let them soak! I filled a plastic container about an inch high with warm water and let the wood soak overnight. If you are in a hurry, you can toss them in a pan with water and let them boil for 10-15 minutes, then let them soak for another hour or two in the warm water after you turn off the heat.
We are soaking the wood to make the pieces pliable, so we can give them a nice curve to fit on a wrist better. This step is optional, especially if you want to make your wooden centerpiece shorter...or if you want to make earrings or a pendant.
After the wood has soaked enough to make it easy to bend slightly with your fingers, use the widest rubber bands you can find to strap them tightly to a (cylindrical object about 2.75 - 3" in diameter). Use your thumbs to press the ends around the glass and encourage the curve, and leave them to dry for a few hours. Using a hair dryer will speed up this process, but make sure they are completely dry before moving on to the next step.
Now that your popsicle stick pieces are nicely curved and dry, you can either paint them with the acrylic paints, or decoupage them with Mod Podge and scrapbook paper. I'll show you the latter.
First, paint the back of the wooden pieces with the color of your choice and let it dry. You'll notice from the first photo below that I didn't do it in this order the first time, but it's much easier to paint the back and sides before the paper is in place so you don't have to worry about overpainting. Again...just saving you some headaches.
When the paint is dry, paint some Mod Podge on the top of your bracelet piece, then turn it over and lay it on the back of the piece of scrapbook paper you have chosen. Press the paper to fit the curve of the wood and let it dry before cutting the excess off with the craft knife.
Use the toothpick to gently poke through the paper from the back of the centerpiece, just slightly so you can see where the hole is. Then push the toothpick through the hole from the front of the piece, and twist it and push it all the way through the hole so it tucks the edges of the paper inside the hole nicely. Repeat for the other end.
Paint another one to two coats of Mod Podge over the top and sides (make sure you get the edges of the paper where it meets the wood), letting the piece dry between coats.
OPTIONAL: Spray the front of the finished piece with 2 coats of Krylon Crystal Clear gloss coat, allowing to dry between coats and according to the instructions on the can. I always finish my decoupage pieces this way, to give them a nice glossy shine and seal them well. I do the same for the painted pieces.
When everything has dried completely (and I mean completely - don't even think about touching this thing if it ain't dry or you'll ruin it with fingerprints, and don't come crying to me for sympathy), grab a 16" section of cord and thread it through one of the holes. Tie a knot using both strands together and secure it firmly near the edge of the wood. Repeat for the other end with the other piece of cord or leather.
Cross the ends in the middle, then loop one end around the other side of the cord and tie a knot around it. Pull it as tightly as you can to secure it well but so that it will still slide up and down on the other piece of leather for an adjustable closure. Repeat on the other side, knotting the other end of the cord around the opposite side of the cord. Trim the excess cord, leaving about 1/4" of the ends sticking out. You can snip these closer if you want to glue the knots, just be careful to glue only the outside of the knot so it will still slide well enough to work; you don't want to glue it in place. (If you glue, use hypocement or superglue).
That's it! You're all done, wasn't that awesome?? I had so much fun with this project I made three different bracelets, and next I'm going to make a pendant for a necklace.
I'd love to see your projects, please feel free to leave links to your own upcycled popsicle stick creations in the comments below, and of course I wouldbe honored if you'd like to link back to this tutorial on your own blog, especially if it has inspired you to post one of your own! However, if you'd like to include a photo, please only use the photos of the finished bracelets, not any of the step-by-step or in-progress shots without asking first. If you have any questions at all, please ask - I don't bite (too hard) :)
First, wrap the tie around your waist at the point you want to wear the belt. I actually tried mine on with my favorite pair of jeans to see exactly how long it would need to be to wear with those, figuring that would be the lowest I would wear it and therefore the longest measurement. I measured mine to overlap by about 6 inches at this longest length; I planned to place the hook 1" from the large end and the first eye 4" from the small end, plus I gave myself another inch to sew the end into a point.
So, mark your tie to cut where you like how much it overlaps and remember to give yourself an extra inch at least for finishing the cut end.
Using a ruler and this Rotary Cutter on a cutting board, I cut off the extra fabric in a nice straight line, and set the extra piece aside for another project (that I'll share with you later!)
Now, fold back the outer layer of fabric about 1.5" and snip any stitches that are connecting it to the lining inside. Cut the lining into a nice point, using the other end of the tie as a guide for the angle if you like. I used sharp fabric scissors here.
Unfold the outer layer of fabric and make sure you have a nice amount overlapping the point so you can fold it in and cover all the lining.
Working with the seam facing upward, cut the top part of the fabric into a point as shown above, keeping the same amount of fabric overlapping as before. That is to say, the lining and the outer layer follow the same angle but the lining is about an inch shorter than the outer layer.
I made some strange cuts (above) to the bottom of the fabric, just to get rid of some extra that would make it too bulky when tucked inside. This part is optional if you can manage to tuck the ends all in nicely without making it lumpy.
Still working with the seam upward, tuck the top pointed ends of the outer fabric inside the end of the tie, staying on top of the lining layer. The bottom layer comes up and over the lining and tucks inside as well. We are trying to mimic the finished end of the tie as much as possible (above). Use a pencil to help you tuck all the fabric as far in as it will go and as flat as you can make it.
With the needle and thread, stitch the ends into place without passing the needle all the way through to the other side of the tie, as this will be the front of the belt. You do want the thread to pass through part of the lining to hold it in place inside the silk.
I'm sure if you have even 2 minutes more experience sewing than me that you can do a much better job. I'm obviously a little out of my element here, but I do take great comfort in the fact that this is the underside of the belt that won't be exposed to critical eyes for the most part :)
Now you're ready to sew the hook on to the underside of the end we just finished. I placed mine just below the V where all the fabric comes together; about an inch from the pointed tip.
Now that the hook is in place, wrap the belt around your waist again at the largest part you may ever want to wear it and use the marker to make a small dot on the top of the small end where the first eye will go.
If you want to add more eyes to make a variable length belt, you can go ahead and mark those now too. I made my belt with three; one to fit my jeans around my hips, one to fit my actual waist at my belly button, and then one halfway between those, just for the heck of it. You can use as many or as few as you like.
Sew the eyes (or bars, as mine are) into place where you made your marks, and when you're done...you're done! Try on your awesomely adorable new belt and wear it proudly!
I'd love to see your tie belt if you make one like this - feel free to leave a link to your post in the comments here, and of course, I would appreciate a link back to this tutorial if you do use this post as inspiration for a project :)
This is the belt at the shortest length, around my waist. I think this would be so cute with a nice long summery white dress (that I don't have, of course...)
I've been having so much fun upcycling things lately. 'Re-fashioning' is very appealing to me; not only because it gives outdated things a new life, but because it lets me use my creative problem-solving skills and create something one of a kind! This is my entry for this month's Etsy Fort Worth Upcycle THIS! Craft Challenge. I will show you step by step how I made an iPhone pouch from one of my Dad's old (and I mean oooooold) ties!
As you can see, this tie is a lovely handpainted silk pattern in bright gold and various shades of lilac. Very Retro. Beautiful fabric, but a little garish to be worn as an actual necktie these days, don't you think? I thought it would make a beautiful little fold-over pouch, and I was right!
First, fold over the pointed end of the tie and measure from the straight edge that creates. I used a sharpie to mark at 6 and 1/2 inches, because that was a good size to fit my iPhone. If you are creating a pouch for another specific object, measure by sliding it inside the end of the tie, and fold over the flap as if you were closing the pouch. You want to make sure you leave yourself room for the seam at the bottom, so find the end of your object inside the tie and add at least 1/2", then mark for cutting.
I used a ruler and this awesome Fiskars rotary cutter on a cutting board to create a perfect straight cut. You can also use very sharp fabric scissors, of course. (Save the remainder of the fabric; I have some more fun Upcycled Neck Tie project ideas for you!!)
Turn your cut piece inside out. I left the lining of the tie in place, so I didn't have to re-stitch the seam. Plus, I thought it would be great to have that extra padding.
Stitch a straight line to close the end of the pouch, about 1/2" from the end of the fabric. I folded the corners in and sewed them down to create rounded corners for the pouch. I trimmed the excess fabric using the ruler and rotary cutters again, and then turned the pouch right-side out again.
Using a faux pearl snap and these Dritz snap fastening pliers, I secured the bottom of the snap in place throught the fabric, about 1/4" down from the V of the pouch opening. Refer to your snap package for clear directions on assembling the pieces correctly. The top of the snap has a different back piece than the bottom part of the snap.
I repeated the process for the top part of the snap, after rotating the bottom part of the jaw on the snap-fastening pliers. Refer to instructions from your particular fastening tool or pliers, and be sure to add the rubber rings to the jaws of the snap fasteners if they are included but not attached already.
That's it! It was super easy, even for someone like me who doesn't sew!
Want to buy the finished pouch? It's a one-of-a-kind piece, for sure. You can get it here. (sold!)
I'd love to see your projects, please feel free to leave links to your own necktie-pouch creations in the comments below, and of course I would appreciate a link back to this tutorial if it has inspired you to post one of your own :)
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